drakaina16's Reviews (2.21k)

Thank you to Cemetery Dance for providing a review copy.
I loved this book! The Dead Pennies contains some extremely creepy moments. It's a bit slow-paced, but when the action starts, it's worth the wait. I thought the writing and characters were great. This was my first Robert Ford book and I look forward to reading more. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Time to see what all the hype was about. Playground is one of those books that I felt mildly intrigued by, but also was based on a premise I really had no interest in reading about. Then along comes the Books of Horror Indie Author Brawl. In order to participate fully, I needed to read Playground.
Ultimately, I'm glad I did. It is what I consider the best kind of extreme horror - it has a plotline and a heart. It was also quite well-written. While I didn't love it, I definitely see the appeal and I'm glad I got to see what the hype train was all about. 4.25 stars. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy. 
Lovely vampire commissions slightly unwilling author to pen his life story - you've read this book, right? No, you haven't. This was my first Eli Wilde book, and I must say, I'm very impressed. I'd been seeing his books talked about all over the Books of Horror Facebook group. So when the chance came about to read him for myself, I jumped at it. The hype surrounding this book is very real. Although Rufus has done terrible things (as vampires tend to do), he remains a very sympathetic character. I'm looking forward to reading the second volume of Rufus' life story. 

Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy. 
The theme of this anthology definitely caught my eye. I'm a big fan of both cosmic horror and noir detective stories. While any anthology is a mixed bag, this one definitely did not disappoint. 

Where Dreams Come True by Simon Bleaken ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Idol of Dagon by Stephen Herezeg ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fruiting Bodies by Gavin Chappell ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Professor Snow Affair by Robert Payton ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Mother of Serpents by Glynn Owen Barrass ⭐⭐⭐.5
Grinder Rock by B. Harlan Crawford ⭐⭐⭐
The Maltese Cthulhu by C.T. Phipps ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Deepest Darkest Geometry by John A. DeLaughter ⭐⭐⭐.5
Harlan Cormell & the Cult of Byakhee by Jasiah Witkofsky ⭐⭐
The Fung Mystery by Matthew Davenport ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Horror of Angove Hill by Tim Mendees ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The O'Connor Files: The Cults by Charles Reis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Yellow Door by Mark Rankin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Death of Many Eyes by Jonathan Inbody ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Like hellish love child of Hostel and Eyes Wide Shut, this brutal novella definitely delivers. This is my favorite kind of extreme horror, with an actual story and great character development. I'd be interested in reading some backstory about the theater where the book takes place. 5 stars, Megan Stockton is definitely on my must-read list. 

I adore cosmic horror, and I love it even more when a book brings something new to the table. This book is seriously funny, with a lovable anti-hero. It is culty and set in a small town, with Eldritch abominations galore. The twists on the variation of what makes cosmic tales so great are what really caught my attention. 4.5 stars, rounded up. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy. 
This book has a LOT going on. I would put it firmly in the sci fi horror category. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I felt like there was so much happening that I couldn't keep up. This could also be a me problem, as I was in the middle of moving to another state. I almost DNF'd a couple of times, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. This is a very important, empowering story. 4.25 stars