From Goodreads: At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature’s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

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Once upon a time, I had to read Frankenstein in high school, and I certainly wasn’t a fan.  The language was difficult, the story lengthy, and I just didn’t see the point.  Truth be told, I don’t think I even read the whole thing, but I honestly can’t remember anymore.  The only part of the story I did remember, which is why I wonder if I read it in its entirety, was the monster trying to talk to the family he liked, and them reacting very badly to him.

Recently, I read A.E. Rought’s Broken, which is a spinoff of Frankenstein, and I decided that I really needed to sit down and read Frankenstein in order to make a decent comparison of the two novels.  So I did.  And you know what?  I really liked it.  Yes, the language in the beginning is difficult, and that makes it feel more lengthy than it really is, but it’s a great story, and I found that if I could get past the more boring epistolary beginning of the novel, to the part where Frankenstein begins his tale, it was actually quite interesting.  As I read, I found myself really getting into the story, and the questions of humanity versus science piqued my interest in a way it never has before.  I kept changing allegiances, yelling at Victor, then yelling at the monster.  In truth, Victor shouldn’t have played with life, but the monster should have started killing, either.  The monster is livid for being abandoned, but in reality, Victor ran out of the room in fear, and the monster left of his own volition prior to Victor’s return.  So, the idea of abandonment, in my opinion, is a bit weak.  I’d run if I was scared, too.  But Victor came back.  Yet, then again, if someone went yelling and screaming out of a room that I was in, would I wait around for them to come back?  Nope, I’d get out too.  So, I completely understand why the monster left.  This back and forth debate I found myself having was actually a lot of fun, but it didn’t stop there.  Once the murders begin, I found myself hating the monster, and then hating Victor and humanity when the monster explained his tale.  I originally thought Victor should have made a companion for the monster, but then again, Victor’s fears of a female monster choosing her own path and running rampant was a good point.  And this leaves me with the question of who is truly at fault?  Victor, for creating the monster, or the monster for using fear and anger prior to attempts at civil conversation?

Shelley has some amazing points that she brings up within this classic novel, and I completely understand why it would have invoked fear in the hearts of her readers in the 1800s, as well cause great debates.  I also think it’s pretty cool that now, fifteen years later, I can go back to a classic I “hated” and find it all together riveting.  Is it because my mind has matured over the last decade, or is it because no one is forcing me to read it? I guess we’ll never know.  Four stars.

I borrowed a copy of this novel from the library.

From Goodreads: Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can’t remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn’t charged. But Mallory still feels Brian’s presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past. But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others. In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda’s masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

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This is my first Megan Miranda novel, and it certainly won’t be my last.  Miranda has completely captivated me with her writing; the mystery and intrigue surrounding Hysteria pulled me in from the very beginning, making it impossible to put down.  I just loved how the novel started, with Mallory’s mother hiding all the knives.  That betrayal, as seen by Mallory, is our first glimpse into this novel filled with betrayals… if only Mallory could remember.

Trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle concerning the murders was a lot of fun, especially as Miranda slowly introduces new evidence that whisks both the reader, and Mallory, off in different directions.  I thought I’d figured out the mystery time and time again, only to learn new information that changed everything.  The fact that Miranda was not only able to keep my attention piqued, but also keep me guessing is a great testament to her writing abilities, as far as I’m concerned.  I love a great mystery novel, and Miranda certainly delivers.

Personally, I liked Mallory’s character a lot.  Though beaten down, belittled, and alone, she never gives up hope of remembering and beating her demons, especially once a fellow classmate ends up dead.  Mallory’s determination to set things right make her a real, strong, lovable character, though some of the events seems a little beyond possible to me.  Yet, Miranda does a great job solidifying her story and mixing the elements of the real and surreal together, making the reader wonder just how much is happening to Mallory, and how much might just be in her head.  Overall, this is a great young adult novel that I highly recommend to all.  Four stars.

I recieved an ARC of this novel from the publisher during NCTE 2012. Hysteria releases February 5, 2013.

From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old fast-talking Shreve doesn’t mind juvie. He’s good at dealing contraband candy, and three meals a day is more than his drunk mother provided. In juvie, the rules never change and everyone is the same. In juvie, Shreve has life figured out.

So when he’s assigned a strangely silent and vulnerable new cellmate, Jack, Shreve takes the younger boy under his wing. But all Shreve’s plans and schemes unravel when he discovers Jack is different. For one thing, Jack has six fingers per hand. For another thing, he just might have superpowers.

Soon Jack has drawn the attention of the cellblock bullies as well as the mysterious and chilling Mr. Quincrux—who claims to be from the Department of Health and Human Services. But when Shreve feels Quincrux invade his mind and shuffle through his darkest memories, he knows Quincrux’s interest in Jack is far more sinister. Mr. Quincrux means to take Jack away. For what purposes, no one knows.

But Shreve has another plan: escape.

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This is a great concept, and I enjoyed the story, but it never truly grabbed me.  Shreve and Jack both have had very hard lives, but it took a really long time for me to connect to them.  I found their time in juvie to be a bit dull and uneventful for my tastes, though there were actually many events taking place, if that makes any sense.  It almost felt somewhat repetitive to me though, until the boys broke loose and began traveling together, hiding from Quincrux and learning about their abilities.  I found the ability portion of the novel extremely interesting, and I would definitely like to know more about the boys as they develop, but I do wish that Shreve would treat Jack just a little bit better and that there was more development within the story itself.  It’s a bit choppy, very fast paced, and the events jump from one to the next all in quick succession, which, for me, makes it hard to really connect or understand all the character’s feelings throughout the story.

I did really enjoy Shreve’s voice, though; he sounds exactly like my teenage students do, but his take on the world is very sad and depressing, which makes sense after all he’s been through, but it’s sad and depressing just the same. Overall, I liked the story and think MG and YA males will enjoy it, but as a grown woman, I found it somewhat cut and dry with events unraveling that were a little too far beyond the believable.  But, even so, I’m interested in a sequel and would like to see what comes next for the boys. Three stars.

Lerner Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on February 1, 2013.

From Goodreads: Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What’s worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she’s beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems….

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This is a great little novella that gives readers the much anticipated back-story to Kagawa’s phenomenal novel, The Immortal Rules, the first full book in the Blood of Eden series.  Once again stepping away from the fey and into the realm of vampires, Kagawa explains how the Red Lung virus, along with attempts to stop it, created the vast vampire race that now controls the world within The Immortal Rules, answering many of the questions I had when reading that first novel.

Honestly, I was very happy with the way Kagawa went about creating her back-story, giving us insight concerning how the virus began as well as insight into Ben Archer and Kylie’s personas.  I also loved the tie in between the two stories using the Archer farm, giving readers the background needed to explain the farm when our main characters from The Immortal Rules, Zeke and Allie, happen upon it in their own story.  It was really interesting to learn how the little farm became a stronghold against rabids and vampires alike, especially as I’d never thought about it before.

Though I’m a little less than thrilled with the sexual content within this novella, that aside, everything else was superb. Kagawa easily enraptures her readers with this story that can be read both before or after reading The Immortal Rules, which is great.  Four stars.

Readers please note: ‘Til the World Ends is an anthology with three separate short stories within.  I only read Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa for this review, but plan to read the other novellas at a later time and review them seperatley.

Harlequin Publishers have been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on January 29, 2013.

From Goodreads: Joe Hillery meets Diehla Thorne, the ghost of a witch who’s curse has haunted his family for three-hundred years.  On a life and death wager, she sends Joe back to her time of 1680 New Hampshire. There he has only two days to find a person brave enough to touch the ring on the living witch’s finger.

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If you enjoy a great time travel story complete with witchcraft and suspense, then this is the novel for you.  I first became familiar with Ralph E. Horner’s work when I read his debut time travel novel, Tandem Tryst, and fell in love with the story, the characters, and the writing. Horne does a phenomenal job making his characters extremely real in both of his novels, taking the reader on a journey across time as we fall in love with them and become a part of the story ourselves.  Both Joe Hillery and Diehla Thorne, in Witch’s Moon, are exceptionally well written characters, and in truth, Diehla, a condemned witch, is as scary to me now as she probably would have been perceived during the puritan witch trials, if she were real.  A storybook character that actually scares me is one for the history books, and I loved that she was so real and vivid, as was she coven.  It is vastly apparent that Horner has done much research on puritan times and witchcraft, and let’s just say I’m very glad to have been born in this era. Witchcraft is a scary business, and Horner keeps it very real as he follows the coven into the woods for their satanic rituals.  The sexual deviances of witches and the satanic all together are not overlooked in this novel, and so I wouldn’t say this is a novel for the young.  I don’t even think I’d let my YA read it, though it is very real, as some of the descriptions made me a bit ill.

Joe Hillery is a great male lead, and I enjoyed following his plight as he attempts to not only fit in with the puritans with his 20^th century clothes and money, but all infiltrate the coven and bring along a puritan to touch the ring of the most powerful witch in “the world.”  Parts of it were funny, but most of it was quite serious, as it should be with his life on the line as well as that of his beloved.  All in all, I really enjoyed this novel, though a touch morbid (as it should be), and am looking forward to more of Horner’s work.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Scarlet remembers. Everything. Her past lives, Tristan, Gabriel, Nate: she remembers it all–including how to get to the Fountain of Youth. But time is running out.

Heather and Gabriel have been kidnapped by Raven, while the curse that has plagued Scarlet and Tristan for centuries has shifted, putting the star-crossed lovers in more danger than ever before. Water from the Fountain of Youth is the only thing that can save Scarlet and her loved ones. But the water comes at a price.

With lives–and hearts–at stake, Scarlet leads her friends on a dangerous journey to the Fountain of Youth. Where eternal life is possible, but death is certain.

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The wait is over; Chelsea Fine’s final novel in the Archers of Avalon series released in early December, 2012, and the beautiful saga has, sadly, come to an end.  It’s bittersweet—I’ve truly fallen in love with Tristan, Gabriel, Scarlet, and Nate, and to see their story conclude is heartbreaking.  But what an end it is!  Fine delivers another amazing novel in this final chapter of the series, bringing everything to a head as Scarlet remembers her past lives, her love, and where to find the one thing that can set everything right: the fountain’s location.

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for Scarlet to remember, though in truth it’s only been a short time as Fine is an exceptionally fast writer.  And, within this final novel the many pieces of the puzzle that we’ve so slowly been piecing together finally fit perfectly, blowing the story wide open. In the first novel, Anew, I loved following the mystery, trying to figure out how the twins’ lives truly intersected with Scarlet and what it meant for them all.  In the second novel, Awry, readers are given much of the back-story, but like all great authors, Fine delivers many twists and holds back some vital information.  But in this final installment, Fine gives readers the last pieces of the puzzle, turning this amazing story into a magnificent conclusion, complete with love, betrayal, and, unfortunately, death.  This is a beautiful end to a beautiful series, and though it left my heart hurting, it is so perfect within itself that I’m glad the novel ended the way it did.  This series is a masterpiece and I highly recommend it to all.  Five stars.

I purchased this novel from Amazon.

From Goodreads: In this fresh revisioning of the vampire genre, Sir John Falstaff is undead and misbehaving in San Francisco. Middle-aged psychologist Kris Marlowe doesn’t believe in vampires, but when she’s attacked by a horde of murderous monsters, she must seek help from the most famous rogue in history, who once drank ale and now drinks only blood.

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This was a very interesting novel.  It certainly isn’t the normal run of the mill vampire story, by any means, and I enjoyed this new take on an old genre. Sir John Falstaff has been “dead” for years.  Holed up in a young bucks shed, John feels he’s been cooped up for much to long when the unthinkable happens… the shed if left unlocked.  Sir John then flees his “cage” to reacquaint himself with the world in this ironically fun tale.

And no, Sir John is not a “bad guy.”  In fact, on many an occasion he can be found roaming the streets and talking to various people, sleeping in his coffin during the day and tell his tale at night.  Nope, Sir John is not shy to state who he is, or to prove it, and before long, Kris Marlowe and her friends are watching out for Sir John, protecting him when he really should be protecting them.  An evil has awaken that will take them all by surprise…

Murray does a great job making Sir John a likable character.  One would think he’d be a bad vampire, and I’ll admit I was skeptical of his intentions from the get go, but my heart warmed to his antics as the novel unfolded.  In truth, it’s less Sir John we need to worry about that the “Others,” as Kris, Violet, Mina, and the rest of the cast soon find out.  These “Others” are unlike any vampire lore I’ve read about, and I thoroughly enjoyed Murray’s creation and description of them.  They come in hoards, and looking them in the eye will be everyone’s downfall, which gives this fun novel a bit of a gruesome feel.

Though I didn’t care for all the characters, Murray has created a great story for those of us out there that enjoy unique novels, twisting what we “know” about vampires and creating a whole new image.  Three stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Before evil had a name, there was LILITH.

Something has come aboard the U.S. Navy’s newest state-of-the-art super carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, something supernatural and as ancient as time itself. And it’s taking over the crew one by one.

Reporter Hunter Singleton and his wife Lisa, guests invited aboard to witness a routine training mission off the coast of North Carolina, soon learn that the CIA is onboard as well, and that some of the ship’s crew are acting irrationally, even violently. When an unexpected monster hurricane slams New York, the ship rushes to assist in the aftermath, and Hunter, Lisa and the crew are faced with the terrifying realization that whatever has come aboard the Ford must be stopped before it is set free on the streets of Manhattan.

But how do they fight something beyond human comprehension? How do they kill something that may not even be alive?

The clock is ticking…and Time itself is running out.

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I’m sorry to say that this novel didn’t pull me in as I had hoped it would.  The premise is good, the writing is superb, but I personally didn’t connect with the characters.  This happens to me every once in a while, and I’ve pretty much chalked it up to personality differences.  Just like we don’t always care for our friends’ friends, I didn’t really care for the characters within this novel.  I think part of it has to do with the sheer amount of characters—there were a lot for me to keep track of, and so I didn’t feel that I really got to know any of them on a deeper level.  And, there is much going on within this novel, so I was jumping back and forth between scenes and characters a lot, which can also make connecting with characters difficult for me, as it proved here.

One aspect of the story I did enjoy, though, was the similarity between the forming hurricane coming towards NYC within the novel, and the actual hurricane that recently passed through the area, Hurricane Sandy.  I have to say that I was intrigued by the resemblance, especially as I believe Tate wrote this novel prior to Hurricane Sandy’s landfall.  Well, at least I assume so, since most publishing houses tend to hold on to novels for months prior to their release, checking and rechecking them to make sure they’re ready for publication, and that’s only after the story has been written in its entirety, so I assume Tate wrote this novel prior to the events of Hurricane Sandy.  I could be wrong, but I like the idea that Tate “foretold” the storm, as it were, so I’m sticking with my ideal here.

But, storm aside, I didn’t really make any other connections.  The idea behind Lilith is very interesting, but it’s just not my style.  Two and a half stars.

DarkFuse has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this novel, via Netgally.

From Goodreads: What happened to Cinderella after she married the Prince? Set in the late 1700s as Napoleon is rising to power, Cinderella embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to come to terms with her failed marriage and her inability to have a child. Torn between the Queen’s insistence that she try all means necessary to conceive and her own desires, she agrees to travel to Paris to consult with a witch to help her become pregnant. Her journey leads her to find her long lost Fairy Godmother and aids her to solve the mystery behind her mother’s death. Yet the Fey Lord, the Silver Fox, also takes notice in her and her world is suddenly turned upside down…

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Have you ever wondered what Cinderella’s life was like after the fairy tale version ended with its “happily ever after” catchphrase?  Was it truly happy?  I mean, really now, Cinderella knew Prince Charming for all of a few hours before they decided to get married.  Heavenly bliss? I’ve always wondered, and if you’ve always wondered, then this is the novel for you.

Vitale has written an epistolary novel that gives readers an in-depth look into the mind of Cinderella after all is said and done in the original tale.  And life has not been very good to her.  Prince Charming is all but charming, his mother is cold-hearted and desperate for an heir, and Cinderella is locked in a loveless marriage full of infidelity and disrespect.  As Cinderella begins her letters to her fairy godmother, pleading for help, the reader is taken on a journey of betrayal and intrigue in which those we’ve come to love in the classic fairytale become anything but loveable.  Not all is what it seems in the classic tale, and Vitale really spins an interesting story.

To be honest, the beginning of the novel didn’t pull me in as quickly as I’d hoped.  Reading Cinderella’s diary/letters made me feel very depressed and saddened for our beloved heroine, but then she begins making choices that make her less likeable and more a rogue, like those around her.  She became a real person, with real desires, jealousy, hatred, and lust.  I don’t think I was ready for that.  But Vitale takes it a step further, and as we learn more about the truths behind the fairytale, the story picks up speed and becomes a whirlwind of suspense, mystery, and intrigue.  I especially loved that not all are who we’ve thought them to be, in many senses.  And, the addition of the Silver Fox, as well as his identity, completely knocked me over.  It was such a great and terrible surprise all in one, and in the end, I really enjoyed this story.  Though it took me a little bit to become wrapped within the story itself, I did become enthralled and I highly suggest this novel to anyone out there who likes to read about the after in “ever after,” especially when the fey and magical realms become involved. Three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a riveting original novella (available only as an ebook) set in the world of the Unearthly series.

Alternating between Angela and Clara’s perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.

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This was an interesting novella giving the reader an in-depth look at Angela’s thoughts and feelings as it’s told from the perspective of both Angela and Clara.  Whereas we’ve learned a lot about Clara in the previous two novels, Angela’s story and background has only really been touched upon, but it is within this novella that we learn much more about Angela and the mysterious lover of hers.

There is much foreboding within this novella as it seems Angela hasn’t been 100% truthful.  In fact, she’s been keeping secrets, which is exactly what she made Clara promise never to do.  I have a very bad feeling things are going to get much worse in the upcoming third novel, Boundless, before they’re going to get better for Clara, especially upon finding out the true identity of Angela’s lover.  I haven’t yet read Boundless, though it is now out, but I have a feeling this mystery man is going to play a huge part in the novel.  So, if you haven’t yet read this novella, I highly suggest you do.  While it’s not exactly up to par with Hand’s full novels in the trilogy, in my opinion, it still gives a lot of insight and will leave readers with a new outlook on the series.  Three stars.

I purchased this novella from Amazon.

From Goodreads: Siler House has stood silent beneath Savannah’s moss-draped oaks for decades. Notoriously haunted, it has remained empty until college-bound Jess Perry and three of her peers gather to take part in a month-long study on the paranormal. Jess, who talks to ghosts, quickly bonds with her fellow test subjects. One is a girl possessed. Another just wants to forget. The third is a guy who really knows how to turn up the August heat, not to mention Jess’s heart rate…when he’s not resurrecting the dead.

The study soon turns into something far more sinister when they discover that Siler House and the dark forces within are determined to keep them forever. In order to escape, Jess and the others will have to open themselves up to the true horror of Siler House and channel the very evil that has welcomed them all.

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If you like ghost stories, than this is the book for you.  Muto is an exceptional storyteller, and The Haunting Season is a great read that will have you looking at mirrors differently for a long time to come.  Some terrible things have come to haunt Siler House, and naive Jess Perry is about to learn that not all ghosts are as nice as her grandmother’s.

I really enjoyed this novel.  I have a tendency to read ghost stories at night in order to get the thrill of the scare, and let me tell you, this novel delivers.  The eeriness of the novel didn’t show up right away, but rather slowly creeped upon me as I read, and that, in my opinion, is what makes the story truly scary.  I also liked the set up of this novel, with four young adults coming together for a research study at the famously haunted Siler House.  Jess represents the naivety of the young.  She can see ghosts, but has only ever dealt with the kind ones, and thus believes all spirits are caring and compassionate.  Allison represents hysteria as we soon learn that she was once possessed by demons and believes that something terrible is coming for them.  Her rash actions and hysterical cries put her peers, and the reader, on edge, as she predicts a terrible omen to come.  Gage represents the hot, bad boy image, but his gift/curse is the ability to bring back the dead.  And believe me, it isn’t pretty.  And Bryan, the last of the lot, represents the unknown as he is able to move things with his mind and, ultimately, make them disappear.

These four characters are together in Siler House, learning its history and exploring the rooms, but as time goes on, it becomes apparent that not all ghosts are good, that Allison might not be insane after all, that the experiment they are conducting isn’t truly to benefit them, and that all of them have been brought together for a reason.  This was a thrilling ghost story, which I highly suggest reading late at night in order to obtain the ultimate chills.  Four stars.

I purchased a copy of this novel from Amazon.

From Goodreads: Drift into darkness with the Blood Iris 2012 anthology–a collection of eerie dark fantasy shorts that will chill you to the core. From classic surreal horror to paranormal romance, from werewolves to vampires and everything in between, Blood Iris features some of the best fiction from talented dark fantasy authors to keep you up all night long…

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So, here’s my thought concerning anthologies.  They really need a table of contents.  If I’m going to be reading a series of short stories, all disconnected from the next, then I want to be able to peruse, skip ahead, and re-read. But, if there isn’t a table of contents, then I have to search for certain authors/stories on my own.  On a Kindle, that isn’t particularly fun, and I’ll admit that I was none too pleased to note the lack of a table of contents both in this anthology, and in the synopsis online as well.  I mean, I at least want to know the titles of the shorts I’m going to be reading so I have an idea of what I’m about to get into.  And I figure, if I want to know that information, then I bet perspective readers would like that information as well.  This anthology has a bit of everything, and I think it’s important readers know that going in.  It has psychics, witchcraft, fairytales, fantasy, werewolves, vampires, lgbt, and also, to my discomfort, some explicit sexual material within a few of the stories, as well. I don’t have page numbers to give you, but I can give you titles, a synopsis, and my personal thoughts on each story (hopefully in order)… so, here we go.

1. “’Til Human Voices Wake Us,” by Annie Bellet, is great short story about a psychic of sorts who ends up working with police due to the growing rate of drowned men in one particular area.  Our psychic goes to check it out, and stumbles upon some alarming paranormal information that no one would ever take seriously… so he decides he must deal with the case of drowning men on his own.  I really enjoyed this story.  The characterization was just enough, as was the foreshadowing, so I had an inkling of what was to come, but I couldn’t be certain.  I really enjoyed the bit of shock value this short story harbored, and I am interested to read more of Bellet’s writing.

2. “Monkey Business,” by Elle Casey, was another great short story that deals with a woman scorned, her ex boyfriend’s rampage, and a crazy older aunt.  Initially, I wasn’t sure how all this was going to come together, but Casey quickly draws the reader in and sets up the paranormal scene, revealing that not all is what it seemes in a kick butt sort of way.  I really enjoyed this story and, like Bellet’s writing, am interested in reading more by Casey.

3. “The Grimm Brother,” by B.D. Greyer, was just as good as the previous two shorts that come before it.  Greyer focuses his story on Hansel, taking it out of the surreal fairytale realm and telling us what really, truly happened, because what we think we know, and what is true are two completely different things.  If for nothing else, I’d buy this anthology just for this story.  I absolutely loved it—I’m a bit of a fairytale junkie, and Greyer blew me away.  I am very impressed, and am really looking forward to reading more by this author.

4. “Mama’s Sword,” by Ada Hoffman, is a story about a young girl who’s mother goes off to fight in other realms.  She is a warrior with a great sword, and she must leave in order to keep the monsters out.  But, not all that is good or strong will last forever, and the young girl watches as all she’s known begins to deteriorate, and the monsters begin their advance.  This was a very interesting concept, but I just wasn’t pulled in to the story as much as I was with the others.  One thing I’ve learned about myself over the past two years is that I’m not really much of a true fantasy fan, and as this short story is fantasy at its best, it really isn’t for me. I like paranormal, fallen angels, witchcraft, vampires, etc., but for some reason, I just can’t get into fantasy.  If you’re a fantasy fan, then I think this short story is for you.

5. “Faithful,” by Maurice Lawless, is a real quick read about a man who’s dead wife is hanging out under the house, begging to be let in.  He doesn’t want to let her in because, well, she’s dead, and as he contemplates his life as she softly coos to him, we learn what happened to get him into his current situation.  I liked this story a lot.  My interest was piqued as soon as I realized the wife was a zombie, and I couldn’t wait to see what she would do.  The story does not unravel the way I thought it would, which made it a great read as I couldn’t tell what was coming next.  I am looking forward to reading more by Lawless, as well.

6. “The Door in Red Hook,” by Joshua Grover-David Patterson, is another fantastyish piece.  I wouldn’t say it’s full fledged fantasy, as there isn’t any world building, per se, but it leans in that direction as the story unfolds.  In this short story, a man inherits a vacant plot of land on which a single door stands.  People shy away from the land and the door because it seems evil.  As the man learns more about the door, we learn the secrets it holds and why it has remained locked for so long.  Patterson is a great author and I’ve loved all of the novels and novellas he’s written (which are fantastic—go read them stat), but this short story was a little out of my league.  Again, I think it’s due to the fact that it sort of leans towards fantasy, and I like more paranormal type reads, which is what Patterson’s previous novels have been.  So, like with “Mama’s Sword,” if you’re a fantasy fan, I think this short story is for you.

7. “The Raven and the Razor, by Chelsea Pitcher, is a piece about sexual abuse.  It also delves into lesbian relationships between what I believe is a fairy of some type, and a girl.  It’s not the type of story I search out and want to read about because, first of all, it’s about sexual abuse, and second of all, I don’t care for stories in which sexual deeds are described in too much detail.  So, this one wasn’t for me.

8. “The Werewolf of Narasktovik,” by Edward W. Robertson, is a story about city guards who keep being killed off by what is believed to be a werewolf.  The main characters spends much of the story searching for the werewolf and, at the end, we learn some very interesting things about said werewolf.  I’m not really sure what to classify this short story as in terms of genres.  I want to say it’s steampunk, but it’s not.  It’s not exactly fantasy, per se, but it’s borderline.  This is a world very different from our own, but there was enough in it that made it seem like it was our world.  I don’t know, it’s a bit uncanny, and I had a little difficulty getting into the story myself.  Again, I think those who really enjoy fantasy and the unusual will like this one.

9. “”With the Sun and the Moon in His Eyes,” by A. Merc Rustad, is about the sun, moon, and stars brother trio.  Stars is upset with sun and moon and has locked them in towers, and to be honest, that’s all I really got out of this story.  I think maybe sun and moon cast stars out of their brother/lovers circle, and so stars is retaliating, but I’m not certain.  I had a hard time understanding all that was happening, so I have to say this one isn’t for me.

10. “Fire Licked,” by Anna Sanders, is not for me.  I have to admit, it was good until I got to the detailed sexual scene, and then I skipped on to the next short story.  I didn’t read enough to really give you a synopsis, but from what I did read, a group of scavengers believes that the sudden upheaval and volcanic eruptions across the world are due to a certain being (a god?) and so they must sacrifice one of their own to him.  A woman volunteers to be the sacrifice, and is nearly dead when a demon photographer finds her and nurses her back to health.  Really, this was a very interesting premise and I enjoyed it, but then the sexual escapades ensued, and it was over for me.  The writing was fantastic, but I honestly don’t want to read about sex, so, this one was a no go for me.  It was quite long, so there is much more to the story than I know about, but I was turned off initally and was, threfore, unable to conintue reading it.

11. “Monster,” by S.M. Reine, is about vampires and monster hunters.  The main character falls in love with a guy who leaves her, so she decides to put her all into training to kill monsters.  As the story unfolds, we learn that vampires do exist, and there is one in particular out to get the main character due to some jealousy issues.  This was an interesting story, but I have to admit that I really like Reine’s werewolf novels more.  But, “Monster” is written with the same flare and style as Reine’s other works, which is great, so if you love her novels, then you should definitely check out this short story.

And that about sums it up.  Hopefully, I didn’t miss any of the stories in this anthology, and hopefully you now have a better understanding about what’s inside.  But honestly, I really do think this is worth the read.  You will get to “sample” the writing style of 11 authors, and even if only three or four stories look enticing, it’s worth thefew dollars to check those stories out (oh, hey, and it’s free on Amazon right now, as in, when this post went live).  Four stars. 

I obtained my copy of this anthology from Amazon during its free promotion period.

From Goodreads: Gifted artist? Standout student?

All his teachers are sure certain that Evan Galloway can be the graduate who brings glory to small, ordinary St. Sebastian’s School.

As for Evan, however, he can’t be bothered anymore.

Since the shock of his young father’s suicide last spring, Evan no longer cares about the future. In fact, he believes that he spent the first fifteen years of his life living a lie. Despite his mother’s encouragement and the steadfast companionship of his best friend, Alexis, Evan is mired in rage and bitterness. Good memories seem ludicrous when the present holds no hope.

Then Evan’s grandmother hands him the key–literally, a key–to a locked trunk that his father hid when he was the same age as Evan is now. Digging into the trunk and the small-town secrets it uncovers, Evan can begin to face who his father really was, and why even the love of his son could not save him.

In a voice that resonates with the authenticity of grief, Steven Parlato tells a different kind of coming-of-age story, about a boy thrust into adulthood too soon, through the corridor of shame, disbelief, and finally…compassion.

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This is one of those books that started out a bit slowly for me, and I was nervous that I wasn’t going to like it.  Luckily, though the beginning was a little rough and a tad boring, making it hard for me to initially connect with the characters, it started to get better around the 20% mark.  Up until this point, Evan is mainly just wallowing away in his pain, and rightfully so, but it wasn’t until the mystery began to come to the forefront that I really became enamored.  And it just kept getting better from there, all the way to the very end, when I closed the book and sighed. It’s a book that touches you while you aren’t even aware it’s affecting you, and in my opinion, it’s 100% worth the read, and I’m so glad that my policy is to always finish a book.

Now, let’s discuss.  This novel deals with sexual abuse.  I’m just going to put it out there. You probably already had an inkling as to the topic, even if you didn’t already know from reading other reviews, but I think it’s important that you know, straight up, that sexual abuse is one of the main topic with which this novels deals.  If you really aren’t comfortable with this topic, then you need to know about it prior to reading.  I wish I had.  Likewise, you need to know that there are some very graphic descriptions that will cleave your heart in two.  I’m one of those readers that had an inkling that the novel might be about sexual abuse, but as I wasn’t sure, I dived right in, and I wasn’t ready, as it were.  I had to mentally prepare myself, after the first revelation, for the rest of the novel as it’s a gruesome, gritty topic, and I personally tend to shy away from any novels that deal with rape and sexual abuse.  I’m just not dying to read that type of literature, if you know what I mean, but in this instance, I’m glad I stuck it out.  Parlato is a phenomenal writer, dealing with the gritty aspects of true evil that man so often enacts upon others.  And Evan’s father was one of those poor children who experienced it.  It’s not a happy tale, by any means, but it does give the reader hope, in the end, and though Evan’s father isn’t redeemed, nor is his abuser, Evan, himself, is able to come to terms with the situation and continue living, which is what makes this such a strong piece of literature. 

I will admit, a lot of the depictions of Evan’s father made me ill.  And I think it should make the reader ill.  This is no walk in the park.  But learning everything through Evan’s eyes, and piecing together the true atrocity, learning just how deep the betrayals went, well, that’s what really made this novel, for me.  It is a harsh novel, but beautifully told, and one that will haunt me for a long time to come.  I highly recommend it for the more mature adult reader.  Four stars.

Merit Press was extremely gracious in allowing me to read a copy of this recent release, via Netgalley.

From Goodreads: Law comes in two sizes: six inches and eight feet.

Elanore, the eight-foot tall troll, and Gurt, the six-inch tall (don’t you dare call me a fairy) Eleinu, both guardsmen in the city of Delvenport, tackle their most baffling case yet. When they find a dead waitress, naked except for an intricate tattoo in a spiral across her body, they’re launched into an adventure in the seedier side of Delvenport, filled with rogue mages, prostitution, and narcotics.

But can they solve the case before madness and riots take over the city?

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This was an interesting novel, with an interesting premise, but I just didn’t care for it all that much.  The writing was good, the characters were well done, but I never really connected with the story itself.  Honestly, I don’t know why this is.  I love first person narration, and Parry delivers just that in this novel.  I enjoyed the characterization—both Gurt and Elanore have very human characteristics and they deal with real life problems.  I do like a bit of magic and fantasy, and that, too, fills the pages of the novel.  There’s a great mystery to be solved, as well.  So, what’s my hang-up?  I don’t know.  My honest feelings are that my preference for novels may have shifted over the last year without my realization.  I used to be a YA, fantasy, paranormal romance kind of girl, but now I’m thinking that maybe I’m falling out of love with the fantasy aspect… ?  Part of me wonders if I would have enjoyed the story more if the troll and fairy were human, but I don’t know if that’s the issue. I mean, these characters, though fantastical, do have human qualities, and I love a good fairytale, just like most people, so… I have no idea.  I just never really connected with Gurt or his problems.  Part of me thinks that maybe I’m now more or less a YA girl all the way, but I don’t know that that’s the issue here either.  I’ve read my fair share of novels with older characters and I’ve enjoyed them just as much as I like YA, so… I just don’t know.  What I do know is that the story, while intriguing, just didn’t pique my interest enough for me to really care one way or another, and I think that’s more of a personal problem than the story’s problem.  People change, their preferences change, and I’ve gone back and read amazing books years later and questioned what I ever saw in the book in the first place, so, what I’m saying is, I think you should give this novel a try.  It’s really weird to me that I can’t put my finger on why I never made any connections to the characters or the story, so I definitely think you need to check out this novel yourself, especially if you’re a fantasy fan, because, in all honesty, it is well written.  My personal rating, though, is two stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Formerly titled: Scourge of an Agnostic God

ashington DC Intelligence Analyst Chris Jung has gone fetal. Tormented by panic-fueled obsessive thoughts and buried in TPS reports, the walls of his cubicle are closing in. Fortunately for him, a mysterious series of EMPs plunges the industrialized world into darkness, saving Chris from himself and spurring him to head for the hills with his pregnant wife.

Along the way, Chris meets Rita Luevano, a jaded Unitarian reverend who leads a motley horde fleeing to Monticello. Together with the remnants of a Marine battalion, Chris and Rita help establish communities of urban refugees in the Shenandoah Valley. They and the other lucky few who have escaped civilization’s collapse learn the lost arts of subsistence agriculture, blacksmithing and archery in order to adapt to a world devoid of technology and instant gratification. Faced with the specter of starvation and death, Chris and Rita must face their own demons and conjure the dormant will to live even while pop tunes and TV commercials still ring fresh in their ears and they no longer have Wikipedia to give them the answers.

Not everything from the old world has perished. One corporate entity, a black ops military security corporation, weathered the collapse and seeks hostile takeovers of what the burgeoning communities have scraped together. Thrust out of their suburban malaise and into a gritty struggle for survival, a tenacious spirit awakens in the haunted souls of Chris and Rita who find their authentic selves at the end of civilization.

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I generally really enjoy “end of the world” type novels, but this novel was a little too depressing and morbid for my tastes. Now, I feel bad saying that, especially as Juge actually captures what life would be like should we lose the industrialized world, and he does it very well; if this were to happen to us, today, it would be quite morbid and depressing. We’ve already seen what happens to our society when a hurricane or natural disaster strikes and we lose power for a small length of time, but imagine if that were to be magnified tenfold. Society would lose it–people would go to war with each other, there would be murders, rapes, beatings… little to no trust, which, in my book, would be unbearable.

Now, going into this novel, I knew that it wasn’t going to be a happy story, but I don’t think I was ready for just how depressing it really turned out to be, or how realistic, either. I’m used to YA novels that tend to be far in the future, so it’s easy to remove myself from the harsh reality as a reader. Yet, even then, the characters tend to have at least a little hope, but Juge’s novel focuses mostly on the present day, and that makes this a hard hitting read as the bleak outlook isn’t far in the future; it could happen tomorrow, and it’s scary. Add in the murders, threats, and beatings that the characters witness, and this novel, though very well written, really made me sad and depressed. So, I can’t say I liked the novel, but I certainly won’t say I disliked it, either. I really think that many readers are going to enjoy this realistic read, it’s just a little too close to home for me, but I definitely think all should at least check it out and see. I guess I’m just not ready to face hard truths like Juge has to offer us in this novel. Two and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author is exchange for an honest review.