drakaina16's Reviews (2.21k)

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
The Fractured Few starts off following the events of The Laughing Policeman. Charlie Haynes has just found out that his world is a whole lot bigger than he thought it was. As much as I loved Policeman (I believe I rated it 4.5), I loved this book even more. Secondary characters are more fleshed out, as is the world of O.O.T.I.S. The thrilling conclusion promises more to come. I eagerly await the next volume in the series. 

Thank you to Cemetery Dance and NetGalley for providing a review copy. 
While this book is beautifully written and engaging, I found myself vaguely confused almost the entire time I was reading it. I wish the story had been fleshed out a bit more, especially the ending. I understood the ending, but there were a lot of things that were never explained or expanded on in this short novel. I am interested in more by the author based on the quality of the writing alone. 3.5 stars, rounded up. 

This novella packs a punch. By turns sad, difficult, and horrifying, this is a story I'll be thinking about for a long time. 

The Suffering is one of the best haunted house books I've read in a long time. The ghosts all had interesting back stories, and I wish that aspect had been delved into a bit deeper. Overall, it was pretty creepy and the ending was awesome. 4.5 stars, rounded up. 

White Horse is one of those books that hit me so hard I can barely begin to start a review. In the acknowledgements, the author thanks Silvia Moreno-Garcia for rearranging her head. I think this book rearranged mine. I ran the gamut of emotions with White Horse. And man, I wanna hang out with Kari so badly. I love it when a character is so good that I want to be friends with her. 

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 
The Wild Dark is a book with a very interesting concept, well-written, with great characters. It's a bit heavier on the romance than what I would normally prefer in a horror book, but it wasn't obnoxious and made sense within the plotline. It put me in mind of a Darcy Coates book - creative plot and minimal gore with romance. I quite enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading the second book. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

I love a good themed anthology. It's always so interesting to see how different authors interpret the prompt. Like any anthology, it's a mixed bag but by and large I enjoyed all the stories. 

Black Rabbit by Barend Nieuwstraten III ⭐⭐.5

Lunacy by Linley B. Marcum ⭐⭐⭐.5

1885 by Brian McNatt ⭐⭐⭐⭐

eCoven.org by Zaslow Crane ⭐⭐⭐.5

Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Witch's Kiss by Robert J. Stava 

⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Bobbing for Apples by Matthew Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

Moon Through the Pine Boughs by Deborah J. Coldiron ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Within A Withering Eye by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Mud Witch of Dogtown by London Blue ⭐⭐⭐.75

Dark Beira by M.J. McClymont ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Devil in the Dealer by M. Betterelli ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Killing Moon by Stephanie Scissom ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

At What Cost? by RJ Roles ⭐⭐⭐

All Hallows' Rites by Leon Saul ⭐⭐⭐.5

Moonflower Coven by D.A. Latham ⭐⭐

The Baynes by James D. Balestrieri ⭐⭐⭐.5

This is a very impressive debut from James Lurid. I especially loved the characterization. Not all the characters are good guys, but they are nuanced and complex. The storyline was intriguing and the creatures are genuinely creepy. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. 4.5 stars rounded up

From the very first sentence, you know what you're getting into here. This book is hilarious, fast-paced, and action packed. Oh, and there's a whole lot of dicks. 3.5 stars, rounded up.