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woodsybookworm's reviews
99 reviews
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Set in colonial England, Abitha is a young widow fighting to stay true to her roots and heritage while the puritanical folks around her attempt to force her to bend to their ways. Meanwhile an entity, Slewfoot, has awoken and is trying to discover his purpose.
This is probably the only book by Brom that's going to dip below a five star rating for me primarily because the colonial/puritanical setting is always a tough read for me. I find books set in this type of historical setting to be a little clunky to read but it was probably my favorite historical fiction read so far.
If you watched and enjoyed The Witch (2015) with Anya Taylor Joy then you love Slewfoot.
This is probably the only book by Brom that's going to dip below a five star rating for me primarily because the colonial/puritanical setting is always a tough read for me. I find books set in this type of historical setting to be a little clunky to read but it was probably my favorite historical fiction read so far.
If you watched and enjoyed The Witch (2015) with Anya Taylor Joy then you love Slewfoot.
Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A West Virginia man gets caught between an ancient struggle - Santa vs Krampus.
Brom is as much an incredible writer as he is an artist. Krampus reminds me of American Gods - a man thrown into a war between gods but instead of a multitude of gods it's Santa and Krampus. The story is darkly humourous and a wild good time.
It's just so fun! I plan to reread it around the holidays and make it a new part of my Christmas tradition.
Brom is as much an incredible writer as he is an artist. Krampus reminds me of American Gods - a man thrown into a war between gods but instead of a multitude of gods it's Santa and Krampus. The story is darkly humourous and a wild good time.
It's just so fun! I plan to reread it around the holidays and make it a new part of my Christmas tradition.
Albina and the Dog Men by Alejandro Jodorowsky
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is a wild ride, I read it in college and it's lived on the keep forever shelf ever since. It's graphic both in the writing and the images that precurse each chapter. It's the strangest book I own.
The story follows Crabby, a rough bearded hunchbacked Lithuanian woman living in Chile, who saves a beautiful naked woman from a group of rabid monks. The woman she saved, who Crabby names Albina, has no memory of her name or origins, she is as innocent as a child but her mature features seem to hypnotize all who see her.
As the two women are chased by a corrupt cop on a journey of discovery, Albina leaves a trail of men turned into wild dogs behind them discovering powers she has no control over. Is she a goddess, a science experiment, a monster?
This book is like Thelma and Louise meets Indiana Jones with the raunchiness of The Boys, so don't say I didn't warn you if you choose to read it. It's probably the only book I own that's such a struggle to describe, it's more of an experience than anything
The story follows Crabby, a rough bearded hunchbacked Lithuanian woman living in Chile, who saves a beautiful naked woman from a group of rabid monks. The woman she saved, who Crabby names Albina, has no memory of her name or origins, she is as innocent as a child but her mature features seem to hypnotize all who see her.
As the two women are chased by a corrupt cop on a journey of discovery, Albina leaves a trail of men turned into wild dogs behind them discovering powers she has no control over. Is she a goddess, a science experiment, a monster?
This book is like Thelma and Louise meets Indiana Jones with the raunchiness of The Boys, so don't say I didn't warn you if you choose to read it. It's probably the only book I own that's such a struggle to describe, it's more of an experience than anything
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
The book follows Vivian a young werewolf who finds herself torn between the human and the wolf world. Promised to the alpha of her pack Gabriel, who Vivian is undeniably attracted to, she fights against her wolf nature and gains an additional attraction to a human man named Aiden.
As the story progresses Vivian must discover herself and decide which world and man she truly belongs with, the wolf or the human.
While the book and movie are vastly different, they're both beautiful romances about self discovery and connection to one's roots.
As the story progresses Vivian must discover herself and decide which world and man she truly belongs with, the wolf or the human.
While the book and movie are vastly different, they're both beautiful romances about self discovery and connection to one's roots.
It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
Brenda Jennings sister went missing in the forest three years ago. The forest has a history of people disappearing into it and many blame the dense terrain but everyone knows the story of a bridge to nowhere and a creature without a face. Will Brenda find her missing sister or will she too disappear into the woods?
These Amazon shorts are hit or miss but It Waits In The Woods is mostly a hit. Of the Creature Feature series it has a good creature, solid characters, and a fun setting crammed into the short storyline.
These Amazon shorts are hit or miss but It Waits In The Woods is mostly a hit. Of the Creature Feature series it has a good creature, solid characters, and a fun setting crammed into the short storyline.
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Carl is a newspaper reporter assigned to write a report on a string of deaths caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which took his own child from him years earlier. During his research Carl discovers that a book called Poems and Rhymes Around the World was at the scene of every incident.
I don't want to give too much away but things take a turn and Carl sets off a terrible chain of events researching for his article.
I don't want to give too much away but things take a turn and Carl sets off a terrible chain of events researching for his article.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
🏚️ We Used To Live Here 🏚️
The story centers on Eve, an anxiety ridden woman who has recently purchased a home with her girlfriend Charlie in the hopes of flipping it. One day a family arrives at the house, the father claiming he was a prior resident who wishes to show his wife and kids around. Against her better judgement Eve allows the family inside but once they're in will they ever leave? Interspersed with newspaper articles, radio reports, and the cryptic writings of a conspiracy blogger the novel has an overbearing sense of dread throughout.
The build up of tension was incredible - each turn of the page the tension rose and rose until it was almost unbearable. Eve's anxiety disorder heightened the fear factor. How does one trust their own mind when they can't tell if what they're experiencing is truly horrific or a side effect of their own anxieties?
This book is apparently already slated to become a Netflix movie and I'll definitely be looking out for it! Overall, it was a great read and I highly recommended giving it a look, especially before it's turned into a movie!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and author Marcus Kliewer for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book.
The story centers on Eve, an anxiety ridden woman who has recently purchased a home with her girlfriend Charlie in the hopes of flipping it. One day a family arrives at the house, the father claiming he was a prior resident who wishes to show his wife and kids around. Against her better judgement Eve allows the family inside but once they're in will they ever leave? Interspersed with newspaper articles, radio reports, and the cryptic writings of a conspiracy blogger the novel has an overbearing sense of dread throughout.
The build up of tension was incredible - each turn of the page the tension rose and rose until it was almost unbearable. Eve's anxiety disorder heightened the fear factor. How does one trust their own mind when they can't tell if what they're experiencing is truly horrific or a side effect of their own anxieties?
This book is apparently already slated to become a Netflix movie and I'll definitely be looking out for it! Overall, it was a great read and I highly recommended giving it a look, especially before it's turned into a movie!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and author Marcus Kliewer for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Mental illness
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4/5 The Butcher Of The Forest
Veris, a middle aged village woman, is woken in the middle of the night and dragged before the kingdom's fearsome lord known only as the Tyrant. The Tyrant demands that Veris go into the north woods to find his missing children. To the villagers the northern woods hold a mystical land within its trees, Elmever, a land no one has returned from alive - except Veris.
The Butcher Of The Forest felt like a spiritual return to the original Grimm Fairy Tales. It was dark and gritty, additionally, in the vein of Grimm Fairy tales the more traditional myths and folklore surrounding fair folk or fairies was reintroduced which was incredibly refreshing. This novella was a fresh take on a well loved genre, an enjoyable read for any fan of dark fantasy.
The Butcher Of The Forest is short and poetic in its prose which made for a quick and easy read though the ending left a lot to be desired. It felt like this was more a prologue to a book, an introduction to the world and characters, than a standalone novel. I would love to see a lengthier sequel expanding on the characters and world building while wrapping up the story in a more satisfying and complete ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author Premee Mohamed for allowing me to read this as an ARC before the publication date of February 27th.
Veris, a middle aged village woman, is woken in the middle of the night and dragged before the kingdom's fearsome lord known only as the Tyrant. The Tyrant demands that Veris go into the north woods to find his missing children. To the villagers the northern woods hold a mystical land within its trees, Elmever, a land no one has returned from alive - except Veris.
The Butcher Of The Forest felt like a spiritual return to the original Grimm Fairy Tales. It was dark and gritty, additionally, in the vein of Grimm Fairy tales the more traditional myths and folklore surrounding fair folk or fairies was reintroduced which was incredibly refreshing. This novella was a fresh take on a well loved genre, an enjoyable read for any fan of dark fantasy.
The Butcher Of The Forest is short and poetic in its prose which made for a quick and easy read though the ending left a lot to be desired. It felt like this was more a prologue to a book, an introduction to the world and characters, than a standalone novel. I would love to see a lengthier sequel expanding on the characters and world building while wrapping up the story in a more satisfying and complete ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author Premee Mohamed for allowing me to read this as an ARC before the publication date of February 27th.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gore, Grief, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, and Animal death
A Dark and Endless Sea by Blaine Daigle
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Whitt has no memory of who he is, his past is a void and he can barely hang on to the present. All that Whitt knows is that when he sleeps the nightmares wait for him. He dreams of a town underwater, lifeless floating people, and an eerie lighthouse that seems to call out to him like whale song.
After receiving an anonymous note Whitt joins a crew of crabbers on the ship Sonia. The crew, like Whitt, are plagued by nightmares and the Captain seems to be on a mission all his own. Are these dreams a shared madness by a crew too long at sea or are they collectively haunted by a supernatural force swimming in the depths of the sea and their minds.
A Dark And Endless Sea began slowly but when it picked up the pace the mystery of Whitt, the crew, and the Captain took a nosedive into pure horror. I appreciated the references to classic literature and poetry - Shakespeare, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a brief nod to Moby Dick - all playing into the novel. The Rime was used frequently and the imagery played well into the horror of this piece.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to its physical release date on June 7th. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Wicked House Publishing, and the author Blaine Daigle for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel.
After receiving an anonymous note Whitt joins a crew of crabbers on the ship Sonia. The crew, like Whitt, are plagued by nightmares and the Captain seems to be on a mission all his own. Are these dreams a shared madness by a crew too long at sea or are they collectively haunted by a supernatural force swimming in the depths of the sea and their minds.
A Dark And Endless Sea began slowly but when it picked up the pace the mystery of Whitt, the crew, and the Captain took a nosedive into pure horror. I appreciated the references to classic literature and poetry - Shakespeare, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a brief nod to Moby Dick - all playing into the novel. The Rime was used frequently and the imagery played well into the horror of this piece.
This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to its physical release date on June 7th. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Wicked House Publishing, and the author Blaine Daigle for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Blood, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Body horror
Number Call by Nagisa Furuya
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Akito 'Eito' Tachinana and Tomoya 'Hachi' Hatta are drawn into an unlikely friendship, despite their different studies and classrooms, by their similar nicknames both involving the number eight.
The only complaint I have is that some of the characters are drawn very similarly - Eito's best friend looks like Hachi and Hachi's best friend looks similar to Eito- which was sometimes confusing.
Number Call was a quick and cute one shot! This manga is very light on the BL and builds more on the friendship relationship of the two boys that any explicit BL scenes. It's very chaste. A cute and cozy read for any school romance lover or fan of Nagisa Furuya's other works.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this manga
The only complaint I have is that some of the characters are drawn very similarly - Eito's best friend looks like Hachi and Hachi's best friend looks similar to Eito- which was sometimes confusing.
Number Call was a quick and cute one shot! This manga is very light on the BL and builds more on the friendship relationship of the two boys that any explicit BL scenes. It's very chaste. A cute and cozy read for any school romance lover or fan of Nagisa Furuya's other works.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this manga