I can’t imagine a day where I’ll reach my haunted house story limit. There’s something about a menacing presence causing havoc in the place that’s supposed to be safe, one where the harsh realities of the world aren’t supposed to intrude, that never gets old.
This haunting introduces us to Harry, a single mother with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She’s just gotten a new job cleaning the home of a reclusive horror movie director, a man whose work Harry is a fan of.
That door was always locked, and it wasn’t her job to be curious about it.
This is a story where the characters are as haunted as the house. It’s more character driven than I was expecting and I surprised myself by enjoying this, even when it seemed to be taking away from the haunting I picked up the book to experience.
I liked Harry, who’s doing her best to keep her head above water. Her love for her son, Gabe, and her efforts to give him a better life endeared her to me. Gabe, an absolute sweetheart, oftentimes seemed too good to be true but I had a soft spot for him as well. Mr Castillo, Harry’s employer and a man with a troubled past, was the one I kept wanting to know more about.
Much of the book unfolded as I expected it to but I definitely wasn’t right about everything. There’s the expected strange noises and other spooky goings on scattered throughout the book but it isn’t until near the end that things really heat up.
I had hoped for more scares but I have a pretty high threshold for horror so it takes a lot to rattle me. This isn’t my favourite haunted house book but it was a fun read.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Single mum Harry Adams has always loved horror movies, so when she’s offered a job cleaning for revered horror director Javier Castillo, she leaps at the chance. His forbidding Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes, as well as glittering awards from his decades-long career making films that thrilled audiences and dominated the box office — until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.
Javier values discretion, so Harry tries to clean the house immaculately and keep her head down — she needs the money from this job to support her son. But then she starts hearing noises from behind a locked door. Noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help, though Javier lives alone and never has visitors. Harry knows that not asking questions is a vital part of keeping her job, but she soon finds that the house — and her enigmatic boss — have secrets she can’t ignore…
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year but that final page was something I’ve dreaded for so long that I got to a point where I didn’t even know if I could open the book. For months, every time I thought about saying goodbye to Jade Daniels, my skank station eyeliner would run. I’m not usually a crier so this is saying a lot.
Jade did something that’s rare for me in horror reads. She got under my skin, without using a knife. I thought about her when I wasn’t with her. I wondered what she was up to.
Over the past couple of years she’s taken on a significance that reached well beyond the pages. I took her with me when I needed to channel some badassery. I believed I could survive my Proofrock because Jade showed me it was possible.
She became more than a character to me. I don’t think my Sharona was expecting to become so well versed in why Jade is my final girl when she met me but, well, here we are. I consider it a very good use of our time.
This book was chaos. It was “ghosts and swings and baking goods”. It was insides becoming your outsides.
“That’s probably not jelly, is it.”
It was the past refusing to stay there. It was trauma and running for your life. It’s Jade Daniels … in heels?
It upped the ante when it was already maxed out. It was emotional, so emotional. My first on page tears happened during the dedication and my tissue count wound up rivalling the book’s body count.
I’ll never be ready to say goodbye to Jade Daniels so I’ve decided I’m not going to. This trilogy may have reached its bloody conclusion but I want a HEA for Jade. I’m imagining she’s living in a rom-com now. She finds that just as amusing as I do but she’s loved and learning to love (and trust) in return.
Of course, even though her walls are lowered somewhat now, there’s a part of her that will remain ready to put her movie knowledge and lived experience into action. They don’t always stay dead, you know.
“Was the shark cool, at least?”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
It’s been four years in prison since Jade Daniels last saw her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho, the day she took the fall, protecting her friend Letha and her family from incrimination. Since then, her reputation, and the town, have changed dramatically. There’s a lot of unfinished business in Proofrock, from serial killer cultists to the rich trying to buy Western authenticity. But there’s one aspect of Proofrock no one wants to confront … until Jade comes back to town. The curse of the Lake Witch is waiting, and now is the time for the final stand.
New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones has crafted an epic horror trilogy of generational trauma from the Indigenous to the townies rooted in the mountains of Idaho. It is a story of the American west written in blood.
Simon does his work in the basement. His “cadaverous creations” range from social commentary to the whimsical.
It wasn’t his fault he was good at stuffing God’s creatures and posing them to lampoon the social mores of the day.
Gregor works in the light, cultivating floral and fungal wonders from near and far, guided by his imagination and innovative spirit.
He had better things to do – there was botany afoot.
Simon and Gregor have never had the opportunity to have a child. Until now. Their relationship is unconventional for the time and, as a result, secret. The same could be said of their daughter.
I’ve been obsessed with this cover since I first saw it. I also may have been a tad obsessed with the blurb.
Sometimes the reality of a book doesn’t line up with your expectations but that’s not the book’s fault and it’s not always the worst thing that could happen.
The writing was more poetic than I thought I’d find and that was a pleasant surprise. There was a formality to some of the writing, which I also didn’t expect, but that fit well with the time period in which the book takes place.
I was awed by the amount of research that must have gone into the potential repurposing of each plant. As someone who has successfully managed to kill an air fern, I’m clearly not the most horticulturally minded person. As a result, I sometimes glazed over when I encountered details that were beyond me.
I swear I will see the day when humans fully understand the botanical kingdom, and the botanical kingdom fully understands us.
I never really connected with Simon or Gregor but I had a soft spot for Jennifer. I wanted to spend more time with Rosalinda.
I spent the entire book waiting for hell to break loose and probably hyped it up too much in my mind. There was the body horror I’d hoped for but not as much as I’d wanted.
To be fair, I’m not sure there’d ever be enough body horror for me. At this point, I may be somewhat immune. I’ve just binged all of the Saw movies and wasn’t squeamish once. If you’re not as bloodthirsty as me, you’ll probably find the right amount of body horror here.
And, you never know, you may be invited to very-high tea.
Now all we can do is hope, pray, and water.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
It is an unusual thing, to live in a botanical garden. But Simon and Gregor are an unusual pair of gentlemen. Hidden away in their glass sanctuary from the disapproving tattle of Victorian London, they are free to follow their own interests without interference. For Simon, this means long hours in the dark basement workshop, working his taxidermical art. Gregor’s business is exotic plants – lucrative, but harmless enough. Until his latest acquisition, a strange fungus which shows signs of intellect beyond any plant he’s seen, inspires him to attempt a masterwork: true intelligent life from plant matter.
Driven by the glory he’ll earn from the Royal Horticultural Society for such an achievement, Gregor ignores the flaws in his plan: that intelligence cannot be controlled; that plants cannot be reasoned with; and that the only way his plant-beast will flourish is if he uses a recently deceased corpse for the substrate.
The experiment – or Chloe, as she is named – outstrips even Gregor’s expectations, entangling their strange household. But as Gregor’s experiment flourishes, he wilts under the cost of keeping it hidden from jealous eyes. The mycelium grows apace in this sultry greenhouse. But who is cultivating whom?
Told with wit and warmth, this is an extraordinary tale of family, fungus and more than a dash of bloody revenge from an exciting new voice in queer horror.
Veris is wearing her pyjamas when she’s given a quest by the conqueror of her land. She needs to find his children. Or else.
“If you do not recover my children your village will be razed to the ground and burnt, and we will roast your people alive upon it and eat them.”
So, no pressure. I suppose they don’t call him the Tyrant for nothing.
It’s not like the north woods are dangerous or anything…
“They told us no one ever gets out.”
I appreciated that Veris isn’t a spring chicken when we meet her, not that pushing 40 is old by any stretch of the imagination. She’s already done the impossible so she’s bringing knowledge hard won by experience. She’s also bringing traumatic memories she didn’t have the last time she stepped into the woods.
I’m a huge fan of body horror so that sat well with me. I encountered a number of oddities in the north woods, my favourite of which were the guardians.
I enjoyed this read but I’m left wanting more. Details about Elmever: its history, its inhabitants, why it is the way it is. The full story of Veris’ first time there. The backstory of the Tyrant, because you know he has to have a backstory to become … that. I also wanted to get to know Eleonor and Aram better.
I’m sure I’ll get some of this in the sequel. There’s absolutely going to be a sequel. It’s been set up so there’s really no other option.
I’m keen to read it but part of me is frustrated too. I wish this had been a novel instead, one that fleshed this story out some more and provided a conclusion. My need to know is trumping my frustration, though, so I’ll definitely be there for the sequel.
“I’m ready to go back to … to the woods.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this novella.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
At the northern edge of a valley ruled by a ruthless foreign tyrant lies a wild forest, home to otherworldly creatures and dangerous magic. The local people know never to enter — for no one who strays into the north woods is ever seen again. No one, that is, except Veris Thorn.
When the children of the Tyrant vanish into the wood, Veris is summoned to rescue them. She has only one day before the creatures of the forest claim the children for their own. If she fails, her punishment will be swift and merciless.
To stand a chance of surviving the wood, Veris must evade traps and trickery, ancient monsters and false friends, and the haunting memory of her last journey into the forest.
Time is running short. One misstep will cost everything.
Prodigal wastrel Easton is returning to Gallacia with Hob, kan horse, and Mr Angus, kan long time friend, whose grunt vocabulary is impressive.
All things being equal, Easton would prefer to be in Paris but Miss Potter is coming to visit the fungus and practice her Gallacian.
What trash has the wind blown in, then?
It’s all very grim and grey, but that’s as Gallacian as carved turnip shutters. It’s not usually this quiet, though.
It seems that trouble follows whenever this trio are together. The current trouble involves the very real complications that result from a superstition coming for you. What feasts at night, besides me? It’s best if you find out yourself but it’ll take your breath away.
I loved the descriptions that reminded me early on that I wasn’t invited along for a simple catch up amongst the friends who survived the first book: “a tangle of vines draped over a bare tree like spilled entrails.”
Speaking of the first book, you really should read it before this one. This could be read as a standalone in a pinch but you’ll want to read What Moves the Dead once you’ve finished this one anyway. Plus, there’s spoilers for the first book here and you really don’t want anyone ruining the fun for you.
I’m aware that this is a cop out but I can’t choose a favourite in this series. I felt more dread in the first book but I enjoyed the interaction between the characters more in this one.
The depiction of PTSD (called soldier’s heart here) is authentic. PTSD invades every aspect of your life, regardless of the shape of the ‘war’ you survived. The impacts Easton experiences in this series are realistic.
I love catch-all phrases and I found one here that I’m going to have fun irritating people with, particularly when someone asks how I am when it’s a throwaway line, not a genuine inquiry.
“I’m keeping”
Make sure you save some mushrooms for Miss Potter and see if you can get the Widow to smile.
“Hmmph!”
It might be a good idea to check under your pillow before you go to bed tonight.
I now have a more pressing need for a book that gives Miss Potter centre stage. I see this taking place in England. Easton and Angus visit her, perhaps for a wedding. There’s a mycological emergency of sorts, possibly involving fairies…
“Until next we meet, young sinner!”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this novella.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When Alex Easton travels to Gallacia as a favour to their friend, Britain’s foremost mycologist Miss Potter, they find their home empty, the caretaker dead, and the grounds blanketed by an uncanny silence. The locals won’t talk about what happened to the caretaker. None of them will set foot on the grounds.
Whispers of an unearthly breath-stealing creature from Gallacian folklore don’t trouble practical Easton. But as their sleep is increasingly disturbed by vivid nightmares and odd happenings perplex the household, they are forced to confront the possibility that there is more to the old folk stories than they’d like to believe.
A dark shadow hangs over Easton’s house. And nobody will rest until justice is done.
Madeline’s letter was disturbing, enough so that Alex Easton, a Gallacian sworn soldier, and kan horse, Hob, went to the gloomy manor that’s seen better days to see her. Madeline lives there with her twin brother, Roderick, and let’s just say that they’re not doing so well.
“I no longer know what needs to be done.”
This fungi infused reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher gave me a lake full of stars. It also introduced me to Eugenia Potter, whose enthusiasm endeared her to me immediately. I now need a Miss Potter book so I can spend more time with her.
“I do not know what you know of fungi, but this place is extraordinary!”
The only negative feedback I have is about me. Why did it take this novella so long to reach the top of my TBR pile? I will not be making the same mistake with the sequel.
Favourite no context quote:
“Deer are the ones that go moo.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.
What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.
Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.
“Everything seems fine until it ain’t. And then we come to see it wasn’t never ‘fine’.”
This is one of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read. One of the best, without a doubt, but also one of the most heartbreaking.
Before I even made it to the first chapter I knew this was going to be a confronting read. Robert Stephens, a relative of the author, died in the 1930’s at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida.
Robert Stephens, the book’s main character, is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys. He’s only twelve years old when he’s sentenced to six months at the Reformatory for kicking a white boy.
This is Jim Crow Florida in the 1950’s and it’s just as brutal as I feared it would be.
“Nobody stays nice”
But despite everything its characters endure, their courage, strength and resilience shine brighter than I’d dared to hope.
“This isn’t everything. There’s more than this.”
I expected this to be Robert’s story. I wasn’t anticipating the chapters voiced by Gloria, Robbie’s sister. Getting to know Gloria was a double edged sword for me. I grew to love her but that came with its own fears.
It was painful enough witnessing what Robert and the other boys at the Reformatory were subjected to. Worrying about Gloria as well, almost certain that the only ways her story could end were with the loss of her brother or her sacrifice to save him, made this book even more stressful.
“I may not be brave most times, but I can be brave for Robbie.”
The brutality of the physical and emotional abuse the children in the Reformatory experienced was bad enough. That a town full of adults who could and should have protected them but didn’t, that’s a whole other level of injustice.
Books like this are so hard to read. If they’re not, something is very wrong. Books like this are necessary, though. I loved this book. I hated this book. You need to read this book. Just make sure you have tissues in arm’s reach while you’re reading it.
“Go on,” Blue said, voice husky. “Ask me what I know about this place. Ask me.”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Jim Crow Florida, 1950.
Twelve-year-old Robert Stephens Jr., who for a trivial scuffle with a white boy is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys. But the segregated reformatory is a chamber of horrors, haunted by the boys that have died there.
In order to survive the school governor and his Funhouse, Robert must enlist the help of the school’s ghosts – only they have their own motivations…
This is my first Christina Henry read and now I need to read everything she’s ever written. I loved the blurb and expected this book to be fun, but not this much fun!
Desperately trying to survive the horror stories they’ve been cast in without their consent are Celia, Allie and Maggie.
Celia has a husband and young daughter she doesn’t recognise. She owns a restaurant near her home in a town she doesn’t know. Unsure if she’s experiencing amnesia or something more nefarious, Celia suspects that this is not her life.
“You’re the number one suspect.”
Allie’s girl’s weekend was hijacked by her friends’ boyfriends. Now she’s using her horror movie knowledge to avoid being added to the body count.
“Movies are fun and all, but that kind of stuff doesn’t usually happen in real life. Usually.”
Maggie has twelve hours to successfully complete the Maze. Her daughter’s life depends on it. Although characters reference The Hunger Games while Maggie does her best to ensure her insides don’t become her outsides, I kept thinking of Squid Game.
“Let the game begin”
There was plenty of action and blood spatter, and I enjoyed the anticipation as the body count grew. I loved figuring out what was going on along with the women and watching them use their individual skills and knowledge to outwit, outplay and outlast.
“Men always underestimate women”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books introducing me to a new favourite author.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Celia wakes up in a house that isn’t hers. She doesn’t recognise her husband or the little girl who claims to be her daughter. She tries to remember who she was before, because she is certain that this life — the little family-run restaurant she owns, the gossipy small town she lives in — is not her own.
Allie is supposed to be on a fun weekend trip — but then her friend’s boyfriend unexpectedly invites the group to a remote cabin in the woods. The cabin looks recently assembled and there are no animals or other life anywhere in the forest. Nothing about the place seems right. Then, in the middle of the night, someone bangs on the cabin door…
Maggie, along with twelve other women, wakes up in a shipping container with the number three stamped on the back of her T-shirt. If she wants to see her daughter Paige again, Maggie must complete The Maze — a deadly high-stakes obstacle course.
I was so keen to read this anthology. I was anticipating demonic Santas, murderous reindeer and a bunch of unfortunates getting impaled on Christmas trees and strung up with lights. Basically, a not so silent night.
I was so focused on the cover image that I entirely missed where it clearly states ‘and other horrors’ and ‘winter solstice’. My initial surprise quickly turned into delight because, while I got Big Bad Santa, I also encountered an array of local legends and the darkness that lurks during the longest night of the year.
The Importance of a Tidy Home by Christopher Golden
Freddy knows all about the Schnabelperchten, who come one night a year to ensure households are prepared for the new year. Being homeless, it’s as though Freddy is invisible to them. This year will be different.
I loved the growing dread of this story. I hadn’t heard of the Schnabelperchten. I would be so dead.
“Chi chi chi.”
The Ones He Takes by Benjamin Percy
Joel’s family made it onto Santa’s naughty list last year and I am more delighted than I probably should be that Santa is the Big Bad of this story.
“You’re safe here, buddy. I’ll protect you.”
His Castle by Alma Katsu
Trevor and Cate have come to Wales for the holidays. A few of the locals are keen to introduce them to the tradition of Mari Lwyd, the grey mare. But Trevor and Cate grew up in Wales and they know a thing or two themselves.
“There’ll be revellers coming to your door one night”
The Mawkin Field by Terry Dowling
This story is set in Australia so of course there’s a fridge filled with beer in a random field. Colin Traynor stops by for a cold one.
Don’t disturb the cupboards!
The Blessing of the Waters by Nick Mamatas
Nasos has come to implore Father Gus to go ahead with the blessing of the waters. Father Gus may not believe in Christmas goblins but Nasos sure does.
“You can’t cancel it, Father. It’ll be your fault, what happens next, if you do.”
Dry and Ready by Glen Hirshberg
Aliyah’s father made his family promise to honour their Hanukkah tradition. She doesn’t know why it was so important to him but they grudgingly go through the motions every year.
I was lulled into a false sense of security for some of this story before being blindsided in the most wonderful way.
“So they know they’re remembered.”
Last Drinks at Bondi Beach by Garth Nix
Light and darkness, Bondi Beach and predators.
Then you must bring her here. Into the dark. Bring her to me.
Return to Bear Creek Lodge by Tananarive Due
Johnny comes face to face with the creature from his nightmares.
Always take your shot, Johnny.
The Ghost of Christmases Past by Richard Kadrey
Every year, the scar on Laura’s arm begins to itch and she prepares for her Christmas lockdown.
“I’m not going to end up like Reiner”
Our Recent Unpleasantness by Stephen Graham Jones
Jenner absolutely didn’t see what he saw that solstice night.
“I want my two seconds back, please”
All the Pretty People by Nadia Bulkin
It’s time for the Airing of Grievances portion of Festivus night.
Grievances should be directed toward a person you know
Löyly Sow-na by Josh Malerman
Russell has travelled to Finland with Hannele, his partner of six months. It’s time for him to meet her father.
“What are your motivations?”
Cold by Cassandra Khaw
Welcome to the apocalypse.
It had died slowly, by degrees, choking wetly on denial of its circumstances.
Gravé of Small Birds by Kaaron Warren
As the most attractive woman on the island, Jackie is sure that she will be the Beauty this year.
If they got this wrong, there could be consequences – and had been, in the past.
The Visitation by Jeffrey Ford
This Christmas Eve, there may be an angel at Jill and Owen’s door. Or maybe it’s just an elderly man who farts a lot.
From sunrise on the day of Christmas Eve to sundown on the day after Christmas, if a stranger comes to your door seeking shelter and assistance, you are compelled to help them.
The Lord of Misrule by M. Rickert
Darla is going to meet her partner’s son. Don’t let his cute teddy bear slippers fool you. This kid is in charge.
“I can send you away too if I want.”
No Light, No Light by Gemma Files
This story brings an apocalypse that’s climate change and vulcanology, with what’s quite possibly my favourite ship, the Naglfar.
Everything about me is a lie.
After Words by John Langan
Thirty years ago today, he last saw Maria Granza.
There were thirty-three days left for her to complete the Great Work we had begun. Until the winter solstice.
My favourite stories in this anthology were by Christopher Golden, Benjamin Percy and Glen Hirshberg but there wasn’t a bad one in the bunch. My inner bah humbug was satisfied, my love of mythology was catered to and I found some new (to me) authors whose work I need to catch up on.
This is one of those books that you’re likely to enjoy regardless of whether you’re on Santa’s naughty or nice list.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this anthology.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The winter solstice is celebrated as a time of joy around the world — yet the long nights also conjure a darker tradition of ghouls, hauntings, and visitations. This anthology of all-new stories invites you to huddle around the fire and revel in the unholy, the dangerous, the horrific aspects of a time when families and friends come together — for better and for worse.
From the eerie Austrian Schnabelperchten to the skeletal Welsh Mari Lwyd, by way of ravenous golems, uncanny neighbours, and unwelcome visitors, Christmas and Other Horrors captures the heart and horror of the festive season.
Because the weather outside is frightful, but the fire inside is hungry…
Featuring stories from:
Nadia Bulkin Terry Dowling Tananarive Due Jeffrey Ford Christopher Golden Stephen Graham Jones Glen Hirshberg Richard Kadrey Alma Katsu Cassandra Khaw John Langan Josh Malerman Nick Mamatas Garth Nix Benjamin Percy M. Rickert Kaaron Warren
🎵 What’s New Pussycat? 🎵 Spider people! Do you need to know more than that? I didn’t. For the sake of argument, though, let’s assume that you do. 🎵 It’s Not Unusual 🎵
University staff actively seek Cam out to be their next writer in residence. They travel to him to offer him the position and there’s not even an interview. Which, you know, has red flag written all over it.
Cam and Quinn (🎵 She’s a Lady 🎵) know horror movies so they should know better. They do know better.
“Look, I’m just sayin. If it smells creepy, it is creepy.”
They go to Edenville anyway. 🎵 I’m Coming Home 🎵
On the way, they pass a burnt garage, which you don’t need to know. I just wanted an excuse to say 🎵 Burning Down the House. 🎵
Do they get what they deserve? Does anyone deserve what they get? That’s for you to decide.
I only know that there’s no way I would get out of Edenville alive because I would’ve been sucked in by the nice old lady offering me free ice cream samples. In my defence, there’s chocolate marshmallow, caramel coffee and birthday cake on offer, which all sound to die for.
We’re all rotting ribbons in the end.
I cherish having the opportunity to read advanced copies, especially when they’re debut novels. It’s like I’m in on this wonderful secret that’s about to be shared with the world. I’m so excited to have been able to love and laugh and be grossed out by this book early and I can’t wait to watch others discover this amazing new author. I need both a reread and Sam Rebelein’s next book ASAP. 🎵 Do What You Gotta Do 🎵
“How was it?”
“Strange. You?”
“Fucking bizarre.”
This read was so much more fun than I expected, and I expected a lot. It’s culty, it’s body horror, it’s people messing with stuff they have no business messing with and expecting different outcomes. There are sunflowers, berries and a character that loves 🎵 Tom Jones 🎵. And did I mention the spider people?!
“Don’t say nobody warned you.”
Ichabod!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When young horror writer Cam Marion is offered a teaching opportunity at a prestigious liberal arts college upstate, his long-time girlfriend Quinn is skeptical. She knows the college is located in Edenville, in infamous Renfield County. The county where people seem to go missing. The county where Quinn’s high school best friend was mysteriously killed. Quinn figures the job opportunity is a trap somehow, so she follows Cam upstate to investigate some of the county’s mysteries (including her own).
She quickly discovers that there’s an entire society dedicated to solving Renfield’s many riddles. A society that puts on plays about Renfield’s macabre, blood-soaked history. A society that meets in the library basement once a week. A society made up of people who might not be people at all… Meanwhile, Cam discovers that his newest story idea isn’t an idea so much as it is a vision of another world. A world that the faculty at Edenville College need his help to access before it accesses them.
Schizanthus Nerd 