Review: The Havoc Tree by Layden Robinson

 

Disclaimer: I read this book through my own Kindle Unlimited subscription, all thoughts and opinions are my own. The Havoc Tree is the perfect name for this book of ten short stories by Layden Robinson. The stories had very little in way of a coherent path to follow. It is a collection of bizarro, rapid-fire poetic prose that at times left me at times wondering what the hell I just read and wondering what kind of acid trip hedonism I would find in the next story. I can honestly say I've never read anything like Layden's work before . I look forward to reading more of Layden's work in the future if they are all as manic, creepy, and as crazy as The Havoc Tree. 3/5 Stars

Review: Hunger Pangs by Scott J. Moses

 Disclaimer: I received a copy of Hunger Pains from the author in exchange for honest reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hunger Pangs first drew me in with it's cover and title. It is even better than I thought it would be from the praise I was hearing from those who read it before I did.  It doesn't feel like a purely horror novel or even a novel of solely dark fiction.  It is undefinable, both haunting and beautiful.  Scott's work is clearly a labor of love: the writing is tight and clean, excellent editing, and the design work is flawless. I really loved the addition of the introductions to each story in the collection-learning what was the impetus to each story as well as learning more about the author's frame of mind while writing it.

There are monsters in this book of every kind- ghosts, vampires, lycanthropes, and yes, even man himself.  The stories are stories of loss and hunger which are universal to us all:  be it the loss of love to death and the desire to bring it back at any cost, the hunger to obtain power and evil for oneself, bargaining with God to spare a life in exchange for your own, and even driving away those you love most for their own protection.

While I loved the book as a whole, some stories stuck with me more than others and a few made me put the book down all together because they broke my heart. My personal favorite stories in the collection were: Nowhere, Louisiana, Blues Exorcist, What's In Your Name, There's No Going Back to Absit Gorge, and the title story, Hunger Pangs.  I won't write synopses for the stories, you will want to experience them for yourselves.

Scott is a very talented writer. You can feel the care he put into his work in this book. I have no doubt that he will be a writer to watch out for.

5/5 Stars

Review: The Science of Stephen King by Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Science of Stephen King from authors Hafdahl and Florence in exchange for honest reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Following the release of their non-fiction novels, The Science of Women in Horror and The Science of Monsters, Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence have taken a deep dive into the world of Stephen King in their newest release, The Science of Stephen King. With nearly fifty years of material to delve into, there is plenty to keep King's #ConstantReaders entertained.

Divided by decade from the 1970s release of Carrie through the present day release of The Institute, Hafdahl and Florence selected thirty of King's best known titles to cover. While this should go without saying, there are spoilers for the books contained in the chapters, so skip the books you haven't read. 

Each chapter shares interviews with experts in their field as well as experiences related to a novel in King's oeuvre: the significance of blood in Carrie, the dangers of biological warfare in The Stand,  and the increase of school shootings in relation to the Bachman book Rage, just to name a few.  While they did not seek to prove or disprove any theories, the facts and experiences shared are meant to enhance your King reading experience. Personally, it made me want to re-read books that I have read in the past as well as read ones I haven't gotten to yet. 

All in all, this is a great addition to their "The Science of..." series that Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence have been building and is a great companion piece to add to any Constant Readers King collection.

4/5 Stars

Review: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

 

 Disclaimer: I received e-book version of The Worm and His Kings from Off Limits Press in exchange for honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I became a book reviewer and joined the #horrorfam back in August, the very first book I heard mentioned was The Worm and His Kings and its author Hailey Piper.  While I am not overly familiar with the Cosmic Horror subgenre, I knew from the hype I was hearing from other reviewers that I had to read this book as soon as I could get my hands on it.

From the first page, I was hurled into a world of dread. Monique, our protagonist, is searching for her lost girlfriend Donna. It has been three months since she saw her last, and dozens of other homeless people have gone missing from Freedom Tunnel in the time since. The culprit behind the kidnappings is no man, it is a being know to Monique as Gray Hill.  After seeing Gray Hill take its latest victim, Monique pursues it through the subway tunnels beneath New York, to a group of cult-like faithful seeking the return of The Worm, all leading to an underground lair of the unimaginable. Each page draws you closer to an ending that is both beautiful and unexpected.

Hailey Piper's writing style reminds me of a mix between Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, all mixed with Guillermo DelToro. I could clearly see this story being made into a movie.  The Worm and His Kings is such a beautiful story; it is full of love, perseverance, heart break, betrayal, and the pain and power of living your own truth. And it is also terrifying and makes one feel small, powerless and insignificant in the galaxy when the Worm is coming back. 

This is without a doubt one of my top horror books of the year. 

5/5 Stars

Review: Daughters of Darkness by Meg Hafdahl

 Disclaimer: I received e-book versions of Daughters of Darkness and it's predecessor, Her Dark Inheritance, from Author Meg Hafdahl in exchange for honest reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Daughters of Darkness is our second trip to the bucolic town of Willoughby, Minnesota, where nothing is as it seems to be.  Two years have passed since our last trip, and much has changed. Daphne Forest, our protagonist, and her boyfriend Edwin Monroe have left Willoughby in the aftermath of the violent attack that left them both for dead.  Now settled in Uptown, Minnesota, with Edwin,  Daphne has grown in confidence and is working to make peace with her mother's past and her own. Just when they are starting their happy new life together, a phone call pulls them back to Willoughby, and the darkness still lingering there.

Beloved town eccentric and philanthropist Doris Woodhouse has passed away, leaving Edwin and Daphne her fortune, her mansion, the town library, and  Daphne's ancestral home and site of the grisly murders of her family. More importantly, she has left Daphne what she has needed most in the two years since she last left, a purpose and path back to Willoughby.

Just when they believe it might be safe to return and begin their future, a new darkness has taken over the town, possessing the residents to commit the most heinous acts upon each other and themselves. Daphne, Edwin, and their friend Beverly, work to solve this new mystery before the town is engulfed in evil that has been awaiting to possess Willoughby for centuries and may change the future of the town and its residents forever.

Much like it's predecessor, Her Dark Inheritance,  Daughters of Darkness is told from two viewpoints: Daphne Forest in current day Willoughby, and Doris Woodhouse in the 1960s. This is one of my favorite plot devices used in Ms. Hafdahl's books. The transitions between the two characters' stories is smooth and not jarring, and is effective in giving you the full story of the evil haunting Willoughby in the present and how it came to be in Doris's time. 

Also, like the previous book in the Willoughby Chronicles, the character development and the development of the town is extremely effective.  To me, Willoughby is a mash-up of Stars Hollow, Derry, Maine, and Twin Peaks. The town is full of eccentric characters that you will remember and want to visit again.

The third novel and final novel in The Willoughby Chronicles, The Darkest Hunger, will reviewed in a future post.

5/5 Stars