morelikelibrarybooked's reviews
68 reviews

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.

This book was so incredibly sloooooooow. All of the stories that I read felt like they just dragged on and on and I was constantly waiting for something scary to happen. It's honestly more like speculative fiction than horror. It has some horror elements, but I wouldn't say this book is scary by any means. It felt like he was trying to meet a word count.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 *I was gifted a review copy in advance by the publisher in exchange for an honest review* 

 

Let me start off this review by saying, I stand by all my previous statements that Catriona Ward’s books don’t miss. This one wasn’t my favorite, but it was still a beautifully written, carefully crafted piece of horror/thriller fiction that is a merit to the genre. Personally, I just wasn’t a fan of the ending. In fact, that type of twist is one that I’ve never liked and will never like no matter who writes it. When I say “the end” I’m not talking about the death, I’m talking about Wilder (I know this sounds confusing, but I can’t say anymore without spoiling it). That being said, plenty of people appreciate a twist of that nature. This is one of those things that I’d say stands separately from the author and goes into the personal taste of the reader. 

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I did enjoy the majority of the book. I read it in two sittings, by which I mean I read 50 pages then I read almost 300 pages straight, because I could not put it down. Like I said previously, it was beautifully written. From her use of descriptive language to bring the reader into the scene, to her wonderfully flawed characters, Looking Glass Sound was just very well written. And let’s not discount the story itself. The main plot of Wilder’s journey to escape the events of his childhood and the story of the murders at the Bay were enthralling. It was hard to put the book down because I was desperate to know what was going to happen next. Actually, I got one big takeaway from this book that surprised me. I found out that Ward can write a truly devastating (in a good way) romance. I’m not kidding. There was a brief romance in this book that was so painfully sweet and earnest, with no small amount of angst. When I read a romance plotline in a book, that is what I want. So, this is my official request that the next one have that same thing but even more intense (and maybe that it not destroy me). Ward has this way of writing complex, almost lyrical, narratives that stand out as unique to the horror/thriller genre. I mean, all of Ward’s books are the gold standard of what a horror/thriller should be. Looking Glass Sound is no exception. 

 

As for negatives, I thought Wilder’s voice read a bit juvenile, even when his age was explicitly stated to be 16, I kind of thought I was reading from the perspective of a 12 year-old. I also think that there were some choices made that seemed as though they alluded to bigger consequences but never really did, which makes them seem pointless. I have to say that I found this book to be both similar in energy to her other books, but also different in what’s real, solid information. I think in that regard it’s most similar to The Last House on Needless Street when you consider fact versus fiction, but the way it played out in Looking Glass Sound felt less realistic. I can’t really get more specific than that without giving things away. Now, that ending? I didn’t like it. It made the book feel insubstantial. That’s really the most I can say about it without giving it away. Did I see it coming? Absolutely not. Did I kind of roll my eyes when I got to it because it’s the type of twist that I can’t stand generally? Sure did. But as I’ve already said, I feel like this has no real bearing on Ward’s writing because it was a narrative choice. It wasn’t a deficiency in her actual writing. I wouldn’t say I’m torn or that I’m disappointed, just that this one is not a favorite of hers; however, I will still eagerly await the next book. 

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

*I was gifted an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

TL;DR, if you don’t want to read this long review then know this: if you like Throne of Glass (particularly books 1-3), but thought it in dire need of more diversity (which it was) then I think you’ll like this book. (Spoiler: I do not care for Throne of Glass. So read this review with that in mind.)

Where do I even start with this one? I really wanted to like it. And, to be fair, even though I didn’t really care for it, it is fast paced which makes for an easy read. But this was basically Throne of Glass and I didn’t really care for Throne of Glass. Like I said, the story was interesting enough to keep me trucking; I was genuinely interested in what was going to happen next. Was this partially because I liked Arin? Definitely. If there is one thing I love it’s a mean, cold male love interest. Another positive aspect of this book was Hashem’s writing style. I found her writing to be solid, which worked in conjunction with the story to make reading the book a breeze. In that same vein, I found the world-building, in terms of the physical setting of the story and the rich history of the kingdoms, to be well done. It is clear that Hashem put a lot of time and effort into fleshing out the history of the universe, and she did a great job. This is also a very diverse book with many POC characters, including the protagonist. This isn't a plain, run-of-the-mill euro-centric fantasy novel; the setting and culture are Egyptian-inspired. I thought this was a very cool aspect of the book, as it's not one that's common to the fantasy genre. Finally, there was some good character development for Sylvia. Throughout the book she has to come to terms with the thought that perhaps she’s looking at Jasad through rose-colored glasses, and that perhaps it wasn’t entirely as holy as she had initially thought. We see development in Arin as well, he somewhat sheds that cold exterior and warms up to Sylvia throughout the narrative.

That all being said, I still didn’t like the book. I had a ton of problems with the layout of the story, the relationship between the characters, the magic system, and just the plot of the book. For starters, for all the talks of magic, the magic system itself was not very well developed. All I really know about it is that it started with the gods and everyone (Jasadi’s by this point in the timeline) has a set amount of magical potential that has to be regenerated after use. I don’t know much about the use of magic itself, like what are the limits? Are there different types of magic? How does one go about controlling it? And don’t get me started on the plot armor cuffs. You’re telling me that she’s had these cuffs on for years and now, out of nowhere, they only half work when it’s convenient for the plot? It would be one thing if it was made clear that they’ve been failing off and on for years, or even losing their efficacy, but we don’t get that. All we know is that they did work, and now they don’t whenever we need some kind of quick save. On top of that, Sylvia should not be able to harness the power from them at all if we’re being honest. She’s had absolutely no training for it, but I digress. On the topic of Sylvia, let’s go that direction. She is a Celaena Sardothien (or whatever her name is) carbon copy. What do I mean by that? She’s incredibly juvenile to be as old as she is. Her internal narrative just reads so young that it makes me dislike her. She’d intended to be “ruthless” and “brave” when I don’t really think she is. Her behavior was largely self-centered. At best I would tag her as “relentless” and “self-involved.” She’s coded as a YA protagonist through-and-thtough; I think that’s part of why I didn’t like her. This is supposed to be an adult fantasy, but she reads like a petulant 15-year-old. Marek and Sefa were made to be a big deal in the book, and I enjoyed them as much as I could. They were relatively 2-D. They kind of only existed as an excuse to make her magic work and to cause more drama in later portions of the story. 

And the trials that they mention all throughout the book? The ones that we’re leading up to for most of the story. All together (and there are three separate trials), they only take up about 50 pages of a 485 page book (my ARC is 485 pages, these numbers could vary slightly in finished copies). If you’re wondering, that’s only about 10% of the entire novel. Probably about 5x more time is spent training for it. Which, the training was clearly just a vehicle for the relationship between Arin and Sylvia. If we’re being totally honest, the entire book was just a vehicle for their relationship. This is YA romantasy all the way (hence, TOG). Oh, and this is kind of off-the-cuff, but Arin has like 2-3 chapters in his POV (there is 32 chapters in the book) and I have no idea why. I don't think it added anything important and they were just out of the blue. There are no other POV switches in the book aside from those 2-3 chapters. Do with that what you will. There are some aspects of the story that I am genuinely curious to see play out, particularly after what happened at the end, but I don’t think I’d be able to read the sequel. So if anybody wants to tell me what happens when that book comes out, I’m all ears. 

I know this was a pretty harsh review, but thank you anyway to Orbit Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. They can’t all be winners, but I think I’m not the target audience for this book. If you want an Orbit recommendation that I can emphatically get behind, try Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick. And I wish the best of luck to Sara Hashem, like I said, I do think that the romantasy girlies will be all over this and I think that if that’s you, you should give it a shot. 

Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

 I have a very brief review for a very brief book. First of all, I’m very happy that Rogerson succumbed to peer pressure and wrote the very long epilogue to Sorcery of Thorns that everyone (myself included) was asking for, especially when you consider the way Sorcery of Thorns ended. This was a very small novella and it was just very cute. It gave us some more context to the world and to Nathaniel himself, as well as continuing the story a bit. All in all, this was just a wholesome, cozy little short story that’s still full of antics and humor that can be devoured in one sitting. 

 

Really, if you liked A Sorcery of Thorns, there’s no reason not to read the book. It does nothing but enrich the storyline. 

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Given my past feelings about Nothing But Blackened Teeth, I was hesitant to try another of Khaw’s books. I must say that this was a dark little piece of fiction that worked for me. If you’re looking for an ultra-gory novella that’s also heavy on body horror, then try this one. If you don’t like complicated, “flowery” writing, then definitely avoid. You may recall that in my review for Nothing But Blackened Teeth, I praised her intricate style of writing, so I enjoyed it. 

 

Now as for what I didn’t like, let’s start off by saying that I don’t understand why it’s being marketed as a retelling. I have no clue what it’s a retelling of and the little mermaid would be a stretch. It’s closer to Lord of the Flies than the Little Mermaid. There also wasn’t much by way of a cohesive plot, so it’s for sure character-driven. And lastly, I don’t think the romance was really built up to nor necessary. Admittedly, I enjoyed it. I thought it was cute (gruesome, but cute). But I don’t think it fit the vibe that the protagonist had given her past. 

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 

*I was #gifted a review copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review* 

 

In the Lives of Puppets was my dark horse read for the year. I was initially dubious about accepting the review copy, because I hadn’t yet read anything by Klune, and I’m not that familiar with Pinocchio (outside the Disney movie). But I wasn’t disappointed; in fact, I was surprised just how much I enjoyed it. You really don’t have to know much about Pinocchio to enjoy this book, it holds up well enough all on its own.  

 

In the Lives of Puppets was equal parts funny and wholesome, with enough action/danger to keep the plot moving steadily. It explored the concept of free will and what it means to be human (both literally and figuratively). The characters were charming, the banter between them was enough to make you smile even when you want to cry. One way to my heart is humorous dialogue, and Klune has a knack for it. I was almost always holding back a little smile every time there was dialogue between the characters. There is also the trope of “character is not human and is desperately trying to understand humans” which I love so much always (see, An Enchantment of Ravens). There is queer representation in the form of the asexual (not aromantic) MC, Victor. There’s all these cute, warm and fuzzy feelings between him and Hap (Hysterically Angry Puppet).  And it’s just a good, sweet book, okay? There were heartbreaking points in the narrative as well, and Klune did a great job exploring them and making you feel something. I was trying my best not to cry in the club when Gio gets taken and also after what happens at the end of the book (which I will not be spoiling). 

 

My only criticisms were that the pacing seemed a bit weird, too quick in some places and too slow in others. Like, I feel as though their travel to the City of Electric Dreams should’ve been longer. Maybe not super long, but it felt too brushed off, even though they were traveling on foot (initially) from Oregon to Nevada. And also, really with any “wholesome” book, the stakes felt like non-stakes at parts because they were conveniently wrapped up with no real struggle. This one wasn’t constant, but it did happen a few times. But all of this was enough of a non-issue/I liked the book so much, that I’m not even removing points. This is my review and I will do as I wish. 

 

But really, reading this book put me in a slump because I liked it so much. I really gobbled it up and now I’m full and require no more books atm. 

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 

*I was gifted an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* 

 

What if you were on a ship drifting through space that contained humanity’s last hope? What if that ship had been infiltrated by a malignant swarm of extraterrestrial lifeforms that have developed a taste for human flesh? 

 

I have to say, I’m always a fan of a horror novella, though I don’t usually gravitate to sci-fi horror. I don’t mess with aliens and the cold vacuum of space, generally speaking; but I have to say, the claustrophobic and dire circumstances pervasive throughout the narrative were super effective. The use of the spaceship as a setting, absolutely locking the reader into this confined space where the horror has to be faced, was a smart decision. On top of that, Brown was able to drive home the much more realistic horror of the likelihood of success of their mission with a general tone of subdued pessimism. Then of course, there was the much more visceral terror brought on by the discovery of the alien species aboard their struggling vessel. Brown artfully built up the suspense with every turn by underlining just how dangerous, and seemingly hopeless, the situation truly was. 

 

There wasn’t much that I didn’t enjoy about the Scourge Between Stars, but I did have a couple of qualms. As for the overall narrative, I felt like there were bits included that weren’t necessary to the plot and really only divided attention for no reason. Like, the unrest in the ship didn’t really mean very much in the long run. Now, if it had led to people disobeying and getting eaten, then sure, but it didn’t. Anyone reading this book is going into it with the knowledge that it is a horror book, so to almost play it off as something else in the beginning felt unnecessary. Also, whatever weirdness was going on with the dude and the android, it didn’t really make sense to the overarching plot to me. It seemed as though it was included just to make the reader uncomfortable and not to actually add anything to the story. But on that note, I’m still not really sure what happened with Kimmie. I know, but I don’t know. I kind of wish more had been done to develop that aspect of the story, since so much of the protagonist’s motivations and hurdles seemed to be related to Kimmie. 

 

But did those things realistically hamper my enjoyment of this book? Not at all. This is the kind of quick, sharp horror that you can read in one sitting and be left satisfied. Quite frankly, I don’t even like sci-fi, I avoid it at all costs, but this book was all the better for it. Really, if you like the Alien movie franchise, or if you don’t read much sci-fi and are looking to branch out, then give this book a shot. I really liked it and am looking forward to seeing what Ness Brown writes next! 

So Close by Sylvia Day

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 

*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* 

 

I don’t read a lot of romance, so I’m trying to rate this from the perspective of someone who does. But I will start by saying that if you already don’t generally like romance/erotica novels, then don’t read this book, you probably won’t like it (unless you read a lot of YA, then you might). From a romance perspective, I think that there is an undeniable attraction between Lily and Kane. There is tons of spicy language and scenes to keep the vibes going. I’m sure romance lovers will like Kane even though I think he’s low-key a jerk. The romance felt very well-established, if obsessive. It’s a very pining, desperate type of romance. Kane is utterly obsessed with Lily and he would do anything to prove it. Day did a very good job at making me invested in their relationship and the ultimate outcome of their constant circling of one another. Day has a very fine-tuned method of writing primal, possessive romance in a way that is very appealing. The spice was descriptive and thorough, pretty vanilla for the theme of the book if we’re being honest. But that’s not necessarily bad, it highlights Kane’s state of mind despite his hard exterior. Now, if you have a pet peeve for the word “pen*s” (I’m going to censor it because I’m not looking to get taken out by any family friendly algorithms) being used during spicy scenes, then boy howdy you won’t like this. I’ll tell you who doesn’t like to see the word “pen*s” in spicy scenes, me. 

 

Aside from Kane and Lily, there is a whole entourage of hot men and women (even some cameos from the Crossfire series that Day is arguably best known for). Amy is absolutely insufferable to the point that I feel bad for Darius. Though realistically, I don’t really know anything about Darius. To be frank, we don’t get much by way rounded characters with the exception of Kane and Lily (and Amy to a degree). Though I’m not really sure if that’s even fair to say for Lily judging by how the book ends. I can’t get more specific than that, but I think the way her self-introspection was used wasn’t nearly as effective at relaying her past to us as it could have been. But that just moves me into the thriller aspect of the book. 

 

As a thriller, this book is not it. Read it because you like romance, not because you want any kind of thriller. There is really no plot until the last third of the book I’d say, before that its just pining back and forth general romance vibes. I only point this out because the description lets on that the thriller aspect is big in the book when it isn’t. Then when it suddenly is (100 pages from the end), it is all over the place. Basically any femme fatale type thriller cliches that you can think of. My suspense was dampened by the lack of believability and the holes in the already thin plot. I really just wish she had picked a lane and stuck to it rather than forcing a bunch of related tropes in at the very end. 

 

Overall, if I was a romance girly, I would give this a 3/5 because it was so/so, I wish it had been more spicy even. I accomplished one half of the intended goal and it was done so very thoroughly and believably. There was definitely a set up for a sequel, so I do expect more of that thriller aspect to come out in the next book, I just wish it had been better set up in this one. 

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

 *I was gifted an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review* 

I don’t even know where to start, but since there was not very much I liked about the book, I guess I’ll go there. The main thing that Piñata had going for it was the in-depth look at both current-day Mexico and the horrors endured by native Mexican peoples. I can definitively say that I feel as though I’ve learned something about the Nahua and early Mexico from reading this book which is always a positive! The premise itself was based on the brutal history of colonization in Mexico and its long-standing effects. This past showed itself in the vividly described figures antagonizing the Sanchez family. Really, all the horrific events that occurred in Piñata were very effectively described. From the disgusting havoc wreaked by the early colonizers, to the actions of the brutal tzitzimimeh seeking their long-awaited revenge, it was all imparted by Gout in lush, terrible detail. 

 

That is really where all my interest came and went. The bulk of this book was a slog to get through with the majority of the action happening during the last 1/3 of the book. Don’t be fooled by prologue, it will be a long time before you get into anything else mildly thought-provoking. That’s not all though, for starters: the characters were all 2-D caricatures of their age-groups, the dialogue was robotic, and the narrative was dry and full of cliches. Tack on top of that the inclusion of irrelevant, throw-away lines and actions by the characters. For example, if you’re wondering if the posters of all the missing girls have anything to do with the key plot of the story, or if it will ever have any bearing of the events set up by the story, they don’t. It was mentioned a lot and to no real end. Why did Quauhtli drive to that burial site to collect jade then realize it was fake and just throw it on the ground and leave, only to never bring it up again? No idea. Finally, I do not understand why Gout decided to write a book from the perspective of a single mother? Would the story have changed much (if at all) if it had been a single father? All of the talk of how sexism exists and is bad, was so patronizing. Like, okay? Man. On the same note, I think Carmen was meant to be portrayed as a strong woman. That is certainly not the vibe I got from her, I thought she was plain ol’ insufferable. It seems to me that male authors have a hard time differentiating between a strong woman and an insufferable woman. 

 

Clearly I did not really like this book and I think the fact that I made myself finish it in lieu of DNFing only exacerbated my annoyance. I hate that I didn’t like it. The whole summary read like it was going to be a very cool, unique concept for a horror book. And don’t get me wrong, it was a very good idea for a horror novel, the execution just was not there. Of course, these are just my opinions, take them with a grain of salt! If you were looking forward to this release, then please don’t let me hold you up. I didn’t like it, but it could end up being one of your favorites for 2023! (I don’t like Colleen Hoover, Eric LaRocca, nor most Sarah J. Maas books, so clearly my tastes don’t always lean towards the conventional) 

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

*I was gifted a copy of this book in advance by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This really was a great horror book. It was appropriate for the times with the backdrop of the COVID pandemic influencing behavior when a secondary, more dangerous pandemic strikes. And what does this secondary pandemic mean for the reader? What it means is just so much body horror. I wouldn't call Sister, Maiden, Monster extreme horror, but I would say that it is only one step down because it is so outright GRUESOME. You know that the body horror is well done when it makes your stomach turn just reading about it. There was a part where one person was straight-up licking another living person's brain (consensually) and it just made me itchy; I still think about it and I wish that I didn't. There was also a heavy streak of sexuality with the gore. In a way, it brings Exquisite Corpse to mind. The disturbing interplay of sexual activity while being presented with some graphic horror makes for a visceral read and not in a bad way. 

Not only is there A+ body horror, but there is also a wide swathe of cosmic horror. The two are perfectly coexisting in this as one affecting the other. This was a very good horror novel with a very good, believable premise (as believable as cosmic horror can be). Snyder made the whole set up feel incredibly real and plausible. In terms of readability, Sister, Maiden, Monster was short enough that it can be read quite quickly, as it should be. The storylines are interconnected in a way that best comes off if you read it in larger chunks and fewer sittings. You may lose some of the nuance if you break it up too much. 

My only issues are that sometimes there was outdated internet lingo in the narrative that felt super off-putting (and a bit cringe). The use of internet slang/language never hits me right when I see it written in a full novel. No matter the consequences of what is actually happening in the book, it just feels off-putting and somehow too informal. The other thing that bothered me I can only describe as the author "soapboxing." What I mean is, it strongly read as Snyder inputting her personal political ideals and values. This one is hard to explain because I agreed with everything Snyder was saying, but it felt so out-of-place at times. It wasn't always totally off-topic, but sometimes it seemed as though Snyder would go off on a tangent and lose the thread of what we were reading. At points, it was almost shoved into random parts of the narrative in a way that read as very heavy-handed. I suppose it could have been done with more tact or had more that made it feel appropriate to the narrative. I'm not Conservative in any way, shape, or form, but if you are, note that there are heavy liberal tones throughout.

When taken altogether, any qualms I have aren't big and didn't really negatively impact my enjoyment of this book; in fact, I quite loved Sister, Maiden, Monster. It was really a body/cosmic horror with a pandemic spin that was quite appropriate for today's horror audience. A big round of applause for Lucy Snyder on the release of her book, I will be looking forward to seeing what she publishes next! Perhaps a sequel? It certainly ended with a wide enough berth to include one.