smalltowncreepy's reviews
61 reviews

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

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dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Izzy at the End of the World by K.A. Reynolds

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emotional 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

I received this book in exchange for an honest review and am so glad that I had this opportunity. While middle grade scifi isn’t my usual go to, I was drawn by the amazing art, the promise of a well written autistic main character, and a heart wrenching story with a happy ending. It was everything promised and more.

I cried in the best way at the end of this book. It broke my heart, mended it, and broke it again and repeat. As an autistic AFAB person, I saw a lot of myself in Izzy, especially from when I was younger. There were so many times this book felt like a hug with a whisper, ‘you are seen.” Thank you.

The characters are well fleshed out, the story is gripping and immersive, the relationships are so real. There are indeed some very corny moments but I loved them for their corniness.

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. A must read for scifi, coming of age stories. Be mindful of the content warnings, of course (also thank you for those).

Content Warnings

Witch 13 by Patrick R. Delaney

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dark fast-paced

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

4.5

Witch 13 is a bloody, violent, unpredictable Holiday tale.

This story was deliciously eerie. The stormy night setting, rather than coming off as cliche, dropped me immediately into the dark mood of the book. Delaney doesn’t stop with visual description. He elegantly infuses all the senses until I was trapped in the setting, unable to put the book down. Everything from the damp, the sounds of the storm, the smells of rot and gingerbread, and the heart-racing experiences created a spider web that wrapped around me and didn’t let go until the end.

The setting and story had me more enthralled than the characters, I have to admit. I rarely pick up books that have cops as main characters but I’m glad I did this one even if I couldn’t really thrum up sympathy for Sterling. I just couldn’t figure out why she felt so hard done by the world. Yes, she is dealing with grief, but honestly, I felt like she was simply the female version of the older jock who was mourning their glory days.
Even Max, who I found to be the most sympathetic of characters, was weirdly written. In one moment he comes off as an older kid who is very smart and good with puzzles. In another moment he is calling his mother “Mommy” which my own 6 year old doesn’t even call me. Delaney does the same with other child characters, like he’s not entirely sure how to write them in their ages and blends the intellect of an older child with the emotional maturity of one very young. I don’t think this was necessary for sympathy or for being terrified of the Witch, since I found myself sympathizing and scared for them despite these discrepancies.

The action and story line in this book, while compelling and exciting, I think would make an even better horror movie. Delaney has a knack for creating a scene that plays in technicolor in my mind. I could watch it play out and was even holding my breath in some moments, wondering what was going to happen. Would they live? How would they die? It was great!
If we ever are blessed by a Witch 13 movie – I could see it brilliantly done either by the makers of Silent Hill or by the studio that gave us Gretel and Hansel (or perhaps a collaboration for the best results). I felt both movies in how this books was written. The cop hero fighting monsters and dealing with interpersonal drama. The gore! And the eerie setting with fairy tale fear sprinkled on top.

Also, I LOVED the illustrations. I couldn’t find the artist name or clarify if Delaney did them himself or if it was the same artist as the cover designer, Ross Nischler, but whoever did them did a fantastic job.

Lastly, I think that Witch 13 would be well loved among the SCP community. For those unaware, SCP stands for Secure. Contain. Protect. The SCP Foundation could easily be the community Bill belongs to and that’s all I can say without spoiling too much of the story.

Recommendation

Lovers of Silent Hill, Gretal and Hansel, modern fairy tales, and the SCP Foundation will enjoy this winter tale as much as I have. Witch 13 by Patrick Delaney is an edge-of-your-seat ride into horror.

The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

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emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

As a fan of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, I love to see when authors take the regency romance and twist it with new ideas. Polk did that and more. There is so much to love about this book – especially for witchy types like myself. Despite being in a fantasy world, I could see not only Austenian references but also the influence of occult secret societies like the Golden Dawn in this book’s commentary about the role of women in high society. There is also the realistic back and forth about lower class women and upper class women that calls to the early suffragist and women’s work movements. All that added with Beatrice’s knowledge of trade gave the book’s fantasy so much realism, I never questioned the way magic works in this world.

The romance creates a lot of warm and fuzzy moments but also hypes up my anxiety for the characters. While some books that try and make the main character feel stuck between a rock and a hard place feel contrived, I genuinely never saw a good way out for Beatrice until the end. I was CONCERNED, y’all. It kept me reading until low and behold I’d binged the whole book in a day. I’m already planning to re-read so I can better grasp the drama that I just experienced.

The ending of the book did have a couple of things that felt contrived.
Spoiler Warning
While I am always a fan of the happily ever after, the parents fighting with Ysbeta, Ianthe, and Beatrice then deciding to support their kids…it felt contrived. Perhaps my own experiences and seeing the lives of other people who have issues getting along with parents…but I just can’t grasp it. Personally, Mr. Clayborn can come on the boat to be thrown off and take a big drink. Its the only part of the book that made my eyes roll.

While we’re in spoiler territory, I did like that Polk didn’t stick to too many stereotypes of Regency romance that I’ve seen – specifically the misunderstandings carrying on or the heroine holding a secret that could destroy her reputation for half a book. When Beatrice is threatened by Danton so that he can try and secure his sister’s interest, she tells Ianthe and I applaud the scene.
End Spoilers

From world development to characters I adored to a plot that urged me to turn the next page – The Midnight Bargain was an excellent journey.

Fans of Galen Beckett’s The Magician and Mrs. Quent as well as fantasy readers who also enjoy Austen and Bronte will LOVE The Midnight Bargain.

Part-Time Gods by Rachel Aaron

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adventurous 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

Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron

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adventurous 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? It's complicated

5.0

A fantastic ending to Opal’s story.
The journey of family reconciliation (that doesn’t feel forced or that what was done was ok now), the power of love/family/loyalty in the face of the enemy, and watching the world building and magical philosophy in action made this story so inspiring for me as a reader and writer.
I love that Opal, no matter what, never compromises her morals, goals, or beliefs even when the person asking her to is a benevolent god.
The HEA at the end was realistic and even though I knew Aaron wouldn’t leave her readers sobbing at the end I did worry for Opal and Nik a lot in this book.
I highly recommend this series for anyone who loves cyberpunk, fans of the Shadowrun ttrpg, slow burn romance, dragons, amazing worldbuilding, and strong female leads that save their world and those they love.

Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced