drakaina16's Reviews (2.21k)

I have had The City on my TBR for at least 2 years, and I'm angry at myself for not having read it sooner. The mashup of noir and horror (noirror?) is a favorite of mine. We get a hard-boiled detective who is so much more than the typical grumpy, gruff protagonist of a noir novel. As well as characters I really cared about, with The City itself being a truly unsettling place. I'm going to read the second book as soon as possible. 4.75 stars 

Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy. 

Having been familiar with LCW Allingham's short fiction, I jumped at the chance to review Muse. I devoured this little novella in one sitting, and it was delicious. Coming from the perspective of being a "failed" artist myself, the concept of this book is as thought-provoking as it is sad. It managed to surprise me and hurt my feelings and I have a feeling I'll be thinking about it for a while. 4.75 stars

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

What a fun road trip! The Rules of the Road has a very interesting, very unique concept and so much heart. C.B. Jones does urban legend horror extremely well. I loved riding along on everyone's road trips, learning the rules (and gained a few more reasons to be paranoid on the highway). 4.5 stars

Churn the Soil is a book with a very unsettling premise and some pretty unique creatures. I always enjoy a good horror/police procedural and this one is well-done. I did think the ending felt a tiny bit rushed after so much build-up. Overall, this is a really solid creature feature. 4 stars

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 
Oh my, I loved this book! It's full of awesome queer protagonists and the storyline is intricate but never dull. There is a lot going on in this book, but when everything comes together, it's so well done. I adored the characters and I would love to see what happens next. Fingers crossed for another book. 5 stars

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

Oh man, where to start? William F. Gray is actually a second-chance author for me. I might be the only person who didn't vibe with The Devil Within Us All and actually ended up DNF'ing. I'd seen really good reviews for Our Fathers' Burden and I am so glad I picked it up. I love how everything is revealed, piece by piece. Not slowly, as the plot never lagged, just opening up. So well done. The action scenes are truly tense and thrilling, but the inner journey these men go through after dealing with something horrific sealed the deal for me. Strong 5 stars

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

It is extremely hard to review this book without spoilers, but I'm going to try. For those of us who are neurospicy, this is a tough read. It definitely kept me on my toes, never quite going the way I thought it would. Life Support is emotionally searing and beautifully written - I couldn't believe it's a debut novel. This was my first Elton Skelter and I'm excited to read more. 4.25 stars

I was expecting a typical creepy hotel book from the title, but no so. This hotel is owned by a demon and there's some weird stuff going down in Summit Falls. This book was fun for me, because it takes place partially where I live. The characters are really great and the ending was superb. 4 stars

Thank you to DarkLit Press for providing a review copy. 

What a wild ride Hollow is! Caves freak me right the hell out anyway, but Mike Salt managed to make them much worse. This book is very creepy and tense, the pacing just right. It would make a very cool Try Not to Die book, too. 4.25 stars

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

I'm going to preface this review by saying I would never have picked His Scream Queen up if it wasn't for the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. Any kind of forefront romance is a huge turn-off for me and the words "make love" make me want to 🤮. Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, though. It's a cheesy homage to the 80s and teen movies. Cheesy, but self-aware and clever. I'll never be a romance fan, but I did have a lot of fun with the book. 3.5 stars