drakaina16's Reviews (2.21k)

Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy. 

Isn't that cover exquisite? The cover definitely drew me in, but so did the authors who contributed to the collection. With one exception, I enjoyed every story. 3.75 stars

Child of War by Lisa Vasquez ⭐⭐⭐
Autophagy by Ezekiel Kincaid ⭐
Out on a Limb by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
See Me Now by Gage Greenwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zemblanity by Erin Banks ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Duality by AJ Brown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Kill Hymn by Lisa Vasquez ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.

Well, it finally happened. I did not enjoy a Grant Wamack book - a first for me. There was some very interesting imagery in the book, but I found all of the main characters insufferable and was vaguely confused at the end. This is a short book, so it seems like there was room for more backstory. It ended so abruptly it made my head spin. Cool idea, but the execution is poor. 2 stars

Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy. 

I had a really good time with this novella. What starts as a typical slasher morphs into culty weirdness. This was the author's first stand-alone novella, expanded and re-edited. Having read Frost Bite earlier in the year, I can definitely say Sylvaine's writing has matured since then. Chopping Spree is a bit predictable, but it is a lot of fun to read. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy. 

If you only know Brian Asman from reading Man, Fuck This House you are doing yourself a disservice. The man can WRITE. Good Dogs is my new favorite werewolf book. It's an interesting take on the werewolf mythos, emphasizing the importance of found family. Dangers both supernatural and human abound, with lots of tension and incredible action scenes. Easy 5 stars 

Thank you to Broken Brain Books for providing a review copy. 

Rorschach was a lot of fun! I love the cursed object trope, and this was a cool twist on that. The writing is solid, of a bit simple, and I enjoyed the ending. There were a couple of moments in the book that I thought were a bit ridiculous, but overall I had a great time with it. 3.5 stars

So. Bored. 

The cover to this short story collection really drew my eye, and I had seen the book making the rounds in Books of Horror. This was my first experience with Calvin Demmer, and overall I'm pretty impressed. 3.5 stars

Motel Madness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Lioness Must Hunt ⭐⭐⭐
Heartless ⭐⭐⭐.5
Through the Ravenous Night We Ride ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scarecrow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love Electric ⭐⭐.5
Faster ⭐⭐⭐
Blackheart’s Traveling Circus ⭐⭐⭐.5
Angela ⭐⭐⭐.75
Xmas ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy. 

This is a collection of found poetry - poetry created from eliminating words in an existing work. In this case, it's an unfinished epistolary novel of Stephen King's called The Plant. I've always been interested in this style. It's amazing what can be reimagined from what already exists. The poetry is lush and evocative and I enjoyed the book a lot. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for providing a review copy. 

The horror in this book is fairly subtle, but it's definitely there. If you have religious trauma, I'd tread lightly here, as the book deals with a snake handling Christian cult and two queer girls. The story is written as if it is in response to an inquiry into the events that take place. There is a strong sense of dread throughout the book and it is plainly, but beautifully written. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy. 

Unfortunately, I don't feel like I can fully review this book. The digital galley is missing 4 chapters (on purpose) and I have never encountered this before. I'm not sure how the publisher thinks anyone can review a book that they haven't fully read. None of this is the fault of the author or illustrator, so I went with 3 stars. The stories are entertaining and the art is superb. But I haven't read the whole book and do t feel comfortable fully reviewing something I haven't really read all of.