Month: October 2021

Review: Evil Thing (Villains #7) by Serena Valentino

~ megs14malloy

Evil Thing (Villains, #7)Evil Thing by Serena Valentino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Cruella DeVil, like many villains before her, is grossly misunderstood. In Evil Thing, Valentino does a great job building a backstory for one of my favorite villains.

Beginning when she is just a young child, Evil Thing explores the key relationships in Cruella’s life, particularly that with her Mama, Father and Anita.

Through the examination of these relationships, the Reader begins to understand how Cruella developed into the person we come to know through the original-101 Dalmatians animated film.

In fact, there is even a portion at the end that overlaps with the timeline from that original movie.

The narrative is told from Cruella’s perspective, as if she is recounting her life story. The narrator, Susanne Blakeslee, absolutely nailed Cruella’s voice and intonation. It was an incredible voice performance; highly recommend the audiobook.

Having read previous books in this series, I was actually surprised by the level of depth this one had. Pleasantly surprised.

Cruella’s story is a tragic one, full of disappointments, neglect and heartbreak. I felt for her, but I also wanted to shake her. She seemed to be blinded by love a lot of time; unable to see people for who they truly were, to her detriment.

Overall, this is an engaging and fast-paced story. If you are a Cruella fan, I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Also, please do listen to the audiobook if you have the opportunity. It really is a stellar Cruella performance.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoyed my time with it!

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Review: The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox

~ megs14malloy

The Orphan of Cemetery HillThe Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Tabby can communicate with spirits. She developed this gift at quite a young age and after her parents passed away, she and her sister, Alice, were taken in by their Aunt, who was well aware of Tabby’s blossoming talent.

Seances had grown in popularity in the first half of the 1800s and Aunt Bellefonte wished to use Tabby’s gift in order to make herself rich.

Obviously, anyone who would exploit a recently orphaned child that way, is not a character we can get behind.

Unsurprisingly, Tabby and Alice flee their Aunt’s household and make their way to downtown Boston, a bustling metropolis, where the girls hope they’ll be able to blend into the crowd and avoid their Aunt ever finding them again.

The girls weren’t really prepared for how busy and large the city actually was, however, and they end up getting separated. Without any means to find each other, the girls must do whatever they can individually to survive.

For Tabby, that means ingratiating herself to the steward of a large Boston cemetery, Eli. Over the years, she becomes for all intents and purposes, his daughter, helping him with the general maintenance and other duties.

Things get dark when a string of grave robberies begin to plague the city and a young man Tabby is fond of is accused of committing a dasterdly act, for which Tabby knows he cannot possibly be responsible.

Tabby must tap into her gift, which she has kept buried for so long, in order to try to get to the bottom of both mysteries. Little does she know, they’re all connected in one wild and wicked web.

Set in 1844, Boston, The Orphan of Cemetery Hill is steeped in the broody historical atmosphere I have grown to love from Hester Fox.

The gothic feel, paired with her likable characters, always make for an enjoyable story.

While I didn’t become quite as invested in this one as I have with some of her earlier work, I definitely really enjoyed reading it.

I loved the setting of Boston and the historical topics explored, particularly the robbing of graves for the use in medical and scientific exploration, as well as the popularity of seances at the time. Both of those things made this an intriguing premise indeed.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Hester Fox. I will continue to pick up anything she releases until the end of time.

This novel, as is standard for her style, is perfect for this time of year; giving off all those chilly, creepy Autumnal vibes!

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Review: Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

~ megs14malloy

Within These Wicked WallsWithin These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andromeda, known as Andi, is a debtera; essentially, an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. Raised by a man named Jember, who Andi considers to be her father, she was trained by one of the best.

Jember is well known for his exceptional abilities as a debtera, but he’s paid for them; left with chronic pain and disability after previous jobs.

Andi and Jember have a complicated relationship. No matter how much she seeks his love and acceptance, she never seems to get it.

Thus, she finds herself at the cusp of adulthood on her own. She needs to start making her own way. When she gets offered a position to cleanse the mysterious Rochester household of a crippling case of the Evil Eye, she accepts.

The Rochester home is her first big commission on her own and obviously, she’s anxious about it. It doesn’t help that Andi quickly realizes this is a massive job; with horrifying manifestations around every corner.

The master of the house, Magnus Rochester, is charming and endearing, but also a bit of a rascal. Andi feels an almost instant attraction to him. Frankly, it would be hard not to be.

She vows to herself to do everything she possibly can to help him, even if it means putting her own life at risk.

Within These Wicked Walls is a debut Fantasy from author, Lauren Blackwood. Described as an Ethiopian-inspired retelling of Jane Eyre, this novel delivered exactly what I was hoping for.

I really enjoyed this story. The atmosphere was fantastic, dripping with danger and dark gothic vibes. Andi was an incredible main character to follow; I felt like I could really get behind her.

Magnus, as well, was a delight to read. I wanted to help him as much as Andi did; he was in so much trouble when she came to him. The stakes were extremely high and time was of the essence.

Andi’s life had not been easy. All the poor thing wanted was someone to love her; to feel like she belonged to someone, somewhere. It actually broke my heart a wee bit.

In spite of everything, she had such a capacity to give love and I wanted that for her. With this being said, the relationship between Andi and Magnus does tread a bit into Instalove territory; so, if this is a problem for you, you’ve been forewarned.

I didn’t mind it. I thought their banter was adorable and I was rooting for them.

I did find some of the magic system, for example, how Andi was working her amulets in order to cleanse the Evil Eye, a little confusing. Also, there were moments when I felt the narrative dragged just a little, or scenes became repetitive.

For the most part, though, those tiny things really didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the story. This is an absolutely excellent debut.

It’s compelling from the start and the narrative solidly delivers what the synopsis promised. I definitely recommend this one for your Spooky Season TBR!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies to read and review.

I cannot wait to read more from Lauren Blackwood in the future. Exceptional debut!!!

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Review: Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

~ megs14malloy

Flowers for the SeaFlowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

For me, this reading experience was very similar to my time spent with The Deep by Rivers Solomon.

My first reaction upon completion with both novellas was, what in the heck did I just read?

Followed shortly thereafter by thoughts such as, that was gorgeous writing, this is beautiful and important, and finally, I wish I had a better understanding of it.

Flowers for the Sea is Dark Fantasy novella centering around Iraxi, a headstrong, powerful woman trapped on a claustrophobic-feeling ark sailing the high seas.

For a good portion of the story she is struggling through the last moments of, what seems to be, an unwanted pregnancy.

Iraxi’s emotions take center stage as she works through anger, pain, revenge and motherhood. It’s a lot.

A story set at sea, with a sea creature aspect, this is an intriguing premise and the writing shows so much promise. I would love to read more from Zin E. Rocklyn; hopefully at some point in a longer format, so I can really settle into their style and ideas.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an Audio-ARC to listen to and review. I am really happy I had the opportunity to check this one out. It was memorable!

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Review: Survive the Night by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

Survive the NightSurvive the Night by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

After Charlie’s best friend, Maddy, is murdered, Charlie feels an overwhelming need to flee campus. Even though it’s alleged that Maddy was killed by an active serial killer dubbed, The Campus Killer, Charlie isn’t leaving because she fears for her life.

She’s leaving because she’s haunted by guilt. No one knows of the fight she and Maddy had on the night Maddy was killed. The last words that Charlie said to her; how hurtful they were. Charlie is drowning with regrets.

Charlie’s boyfriend offers to give her a ride home to Ohio, but Charlie doesn’t see the point. She hasn’t shared with him that she really doesn’t plan on returning to campus.

Plus, due to his schedule, she’d have to wait a few days and Charlie is desperate to leave now, so she does what any carless college coed would have done in the 90s and scans the ride share board.

As luck would have it, a driver seeking a rider, also going to Ohio, approaches the board while Charlie is searching and starts to chat.

He’s a handsome guy and appears harmless, so the two make a plan to leave the following night. He says his name is Josh and he seems legit; Charlie’s feeling confident in her choice.

But as their journey begins, in the dark of night, Charlie begins to second guess her choice and grows suspicious of Josh’s unsettling behavior.

What follows is a 6-hour drive over otherwise empty roads, in a claustrophic stress zone as Charlie tries to detremine if her ride share driver is actually The Campus Killer coming to finish her off.

It’s clear from the reception of this novel that Sager took a risk with this one. It does read differently to his previous stories, but for me, it totally worked.

I absolutely loved the film noir quality of the narrative. I have mentioned in a previous review of Sager’s work that he must be a Hitchcock fan; this definitely sealed my belief in that.

It legitimately felt like a Hitchcock movie and obviously the origin of Charlie’s name was a nod to the influential filmmaker.

I loved the tone and suspense of this one; the action, scene, cut-feel. It drew me in and kept me engaged the entire way through. It read like a movie; vivid and tense.

It gets wacky, I’m not going to lie, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment one bit. Overall, I am happy to sit in the minority opinion on this one.

I found the construction of the story to be incredibly clever; the insular nature of the narrative, the build in intensity, the epilogue, I loved it and am not ashamed to admit it.

As always, I’m really excited to see what Sager comes up with next!!

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Review: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

~ megs14malloy

Nothing But Blackened TeethNothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Nothing But Blackened Teeth has wormed into my mind and it won’t go away. I cannot stop thinking about it!

I finished this story early this morning and have slowly raised my rating incrementally as the day has worn on. I started at 3-stars, in 12-hours, I have rounded up to 4-stars. Who knows how high this could go!?

What could be better than a long-abandoned, reportedly-haunted, Heian-era mansion as a intimate destination wedding location?

For Nadia and Faiz, nothing. Nadia has always wanted to get married in a haunted mansion and after their friend, Phillip, buys them all first class tickets to Japan, now is their chance.

The group, made up of Nadia, Faiz, Cat, our narrator, Phillip and Lin, do not all get along. In fact, I wondered frequently why they were traveling together.

Nadia and Cat hate each other, as do Lin and pretty much everyone else, except for Cat. There is tension and messy history; it’s a whole thing. As if the haunted mansion wasn’t enough, the stress of their interactions raised my heart rate.

As this is an novella, it is pretty clear right from the start that the reportedly haunted mansion, is indeed quite haunted.

This story revolves around a Ohaguro Bettari, which translated, if I am informed correctly, actually means, nothing but blackened teeth. This is a type of Yokai that I have never come across before and I found it fascinating.

Additionally, I have really only ever read about Yokai in Japanese-inspired Fantasy stories, which of course, is generally Dark Fantasy, but reading about Yokai in the Horror genre was completely new for me. I loved that aspect.

The haunted house vibes and the way that was presented was so engaging. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. It was really well imagined.

I think my main issue with this story was the presentation; the writing style, or the narrative voice. I’m not sure which.

The writing seems so overdone. The use of ridiculously obscure vocabulary and nonstop, unnecessarily overwrought prose really rubbed me the wrong way while I was reading it.

The more I think about it though, I don’t think this was the author showing that they are the most intelligent person in the room, I think it is the personification of Cat’s character.

I could be interpreting this completely wrong, but I feel like Cat’s character, who doesn’t seem to like herself, had her intelligence as the one thing she could count out. Towards the end, as she was having one of her numerous fights with Nadia, she says how smart she is. I am smart, she exclaims.

Since the entire narrative is pretty much her inner monologue, I started to think about the story in that way, as that being her voice. Her way of seeing the world actually used those big words. That’s her crutch and it started to make sense that way.

After I had that realization, I became more forgiving about those aspects of the story that so heavily turned me off initially.

As this is a novella, there’s not a lot of build up and it did seem to end rather abruptly. As Horror novellas go, however, I would say this is a really strong one. It will definitely stick in my mind for along time to come.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely be interested in picking up more from Cassandra Khaw!

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Review: The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

~ megs14malloy

The Lighthouse WitchesThe Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After the death of her loving husband, Liv has it rough trying to care for herself and her three daughters. It’s generally difficult being a single parent, but Liv is really feeling the strain on her resources.

When she receives a commission to paint a mural in a historical lighthouse on a remote Scottish Island, she jumps at a chance for a fresh start.

Moving the girls there is a big decision, but unfortunately, she really has no other choice. Boarding the ferry on the day of their move, Liv, Saffy, Luna and Clover say goodbye to their old life.

Once at the lighthouse and adjacent bothy, which will be their home, they realize it’s a wee bit more dilapidated than they anticipated. Regardless, it’s an exceptional location and they quickly settle in.

Saffy, as the oldest, definitely has the most difficult time with the move. You know how teens can be. As a result, she begins to distance herself from her Mom and sisters.

Liv dives into her work and actually ends up befriending a few village women, who fill her in on the history and lore of the island itself. Some of the things they tell her are quite disturbing, most notably a witch’s curse that summons wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children.

Liv doesn’t know what to make these eerie tales, but it is clear her new friends whole-heartedly believe every word.

When mysterious things begin to happen to Liv and her girls, however, she starts to believe there may be some credence to the lore. After two of her daughters go missing, Liv panics and is willing to do whatever it takes, turn to whoever she must, in order to get them back.

Y’all, The Lighthouse Witches gave me exactly what I was looking for. If you read the synopsis, and it sounds incredible to you, have no fear, that is what you are getting; you will not be let down.

The atmosphere is freaking fantastic. Everything about the island, the lighthouse, the local history and lore, it is perfect for Spooky Season reading!

The narrative follows three different perspectives, over two timelines: Liv, Saffy and Luna, with past and present perspectives.

You learn about the family’s time on the island, the disappearance of the girls, and from Luna’s present perspective, the aftermath of all of that.

My one small issue with this story was that I did find it hard to differentiate between the perspectives in the beginning. I was still learning everyone’s name and their position in the family, so it was hard to keep it all straight at first.

Luckily, the chapters were headed with the person’s name who you were following and the year, but I did have to page back quite a few times to figure out where I was and who I was reading from.

Eventually though, I was able to settle into it and really enjoyed my time reading this story. There are some genuinely creepy moments and some quite interesting supernatural twists.

I found the entire thing to be original and chilling. It definitely kept me up at night. The atmosphere and lore of the town were my two favorite aspects, but really there is so much to enjoy in this story!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

After this and The Nesting, I think it is fair to say, I will pick up anything C.J. Cooke releases!!

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Review: I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan

~ megs14malloy

I Hope You're ListeningI Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When she was just 7-years old, Dee Skinner’s best friend, Sibby, was kidnapped as the two girls were playing in the woods adjacent to their houses.

Dee witnessed the incident, but as a 7-year old, was unable to help Sibby. This fact has haunted her every day since. Sibby has never been found.

As a teen, Dee has distanced herself from her peers. Her one good friend, Burke, has remained steadfastly by her side, even though she’s a bit prickly with everyone else.

Burke is also Dee’s secret keeper. He’s the only person who knows that Dee is the creator and host of a hugely popular podcast, Radio Silent, that discusses and investigates missing persons cases from around the country.

Dee feels like the podcast helps to relieve some of her guilt over not being taken while Sibby was. Dee hosts the podcast completely anonymously, using the name, The Seeker.

Her many fans and listeners actively investigate the cases discussed on the show. Dubbed as the LDA, Laptop Detective Agency, they have actually found people!

Two things happen in close succession in Dee’s life though, that soon threaten her hold on her anonymity. An attractive girl moves into the house directly across the street and a little girl, living in Dee’s former house, has gone missing.

Dee wants to do whatever she can to help find the missing girl, Layla, whose disappearance seems too much of a coincidence. Could it possibly be related to Sibby’s disappearance? Even 10-years later?

As Dee and the girl across the street, Sarah, grow ever closer, Dee is able to open up to her in a way she has been unable to before with anyone else. Even though it makes her vulnerable in a way, it also gives her strength, because now she has someone on her side.

Dee has always felt like the people in town judged her after Sibby’s disappearance; like they felt she could have done something to help. Since Sarah just moved to town, she doesn’t have any preconceived notions of who Dee is, which helps Dee to be able to connect with her more naturally.

After Dee opens up to Sarah, the two girls begin to investigate Layla’s disappearance together and go on one heck of an adventure doing so!

Reading Dee and Layla’s relationship evolve was one of my favorite aspects of this story. I loved how Dee could finally let her guard down and be honest about herself with someone else. I think it means a lot to find that one person you can truly be yourself around, especially when you have been hiding a bit, like Dee was.

In addition to the evolution of the girl’s relationship, which if you are wondering, is romantic, I also enjoyed the overall evolution of the story. How Ryan went out revealing the situation with Dee and Sibby; everything that happened leading up to the kidnapping and shortly thereafter.

I also very much enjoyed, unsurprisingly, the podcast element. Listening to the audiobook, you really get a feel for what Radio Silent actually would have sounded like. That was quite compelling.

It got pretty crazy towards the end, but by then, I was committed to these characters and this story. A lot of it was great, wild and fun, but there were a couple of plot points at the very end that just seemed to be wrapped up a little too conveniently for my tastes.

Thusly, my overall enjoyment suffered just a wee bit; but seriously, just a tiny bit.

I definitely recommend this for fans of YA Mysteries, missing person, or cold case tropes, and of course, people who love a podcasting element to their Mystery/Thrillers.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Albert Whitman & Company, for providing me a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun with it and look forward to reading more from Tom Ryan!

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Review: The Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker

~ megs14malloy

The Keeper of Night (The Keeper of Night, #1)The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ren Scarborough has never felt like she belonged. Even though she has been collecting souls from the London streets for over two centuries, she nevertheless feels like an outcast among the Reapers.

As half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren has been treated very poorly by the other Reapers with whom she frequently needs to associate.

Because of this, the only person she has ever felt really connected to is her half-brother, Neven.

When Ren has an altercation with some fellow Reapers who are bullying her, yet again, her Shinigami powers come through in a way she shouldn’t have let them. Now she needs to flee to save herself.

Against her better judgement, Neven insists on going with her. Sacrificing the life he has known for a very unknown future. A sacrifice he is more than willing to make.

Their destination: Japan, where Ren hopes she can learn more about her Mother and her Shinigami roots.

Arriving in Japan, Ren discovers she isn’t necessarily accepted there either! It’s so frustrating. She’s out of place no matter where she goes.

In order to try to gain acceptance at last, Ren takes on a difficult quest from the Goddess of Death. She must find and eliminate three extremely dangerous Yokai demons, each one more frightening than the last.

This novel is absolutely enchanting. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Rebecca Yeo, completely drew me into the story. I was transfixed.

I immediately felt attached to Ren and Neven. Even though Ren feels out of place due to her mixed-race, Neven also feels out of place due to his general personality. He just wasn’t cut out for death work. Both of them are outcasts and you can’t help but feel invested in and protective of them.

After their arrival in Japan, they meet a man named Hiro. He was also extremely intriguing. A bit mysterious, is a he a rogue, or is he a charmer?

I was on the fence about him, but loved having him along for the quest. It added an interesting dynamic amonst the group that would have been missing otherwise.

The quest was fast-paced, high-stakes and absolutely steeped in stunning imagery from Japanese folklore, which I generally love to read.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who may be a fan of series such as Shadow of the Fox or Death Note. Also, highly recommend the audiobook as a format ot take in this story. It’s really well done.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I had a great time reading this. It was deep, dark, haunting and heart-breaking; a stellar combination, if I do say so myself!

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Review: Along the Saltwise Sea (The Up-and-Under #2) by A. Deborah Baker

~ megs14malloy

Along the Saltwise SeaAlong the Saltwise Sea by A. Deborah Baker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Along the Saltwise Sea is the sequel to Seanan McGuire’s, writing here as A. Deborah Baker, 2020-release, Over the Woodward Wall.

These novels, which are loosely-related to her tour de force of SFF, Middlegame, are perfectly suited for the young at heart.

The story follows two children, Zib and Avery, who upon encountering a giant wall where it shouldn’t be on their walk to school one day, go up and over, thus finding themselves in a different world; the Up-and-Under.

In the first novel, the children travel through a magical forest while following the improbable road, making friends and enemies along the way.

In this installment, Zib and Avery, joined by their new friends, Niahm and the Crow Girl, are exhausted from the continuous stress of their travels. Their hope is to find the Queen of Wands, who may have the answer on how to get them home.

Unsure of how much more they can take, however, they collectively decide they can’t go on right away. They need to rest. Children need to rest.

As luck would have it, they discover an abandoned cottage. It’s pristine, with everything in place that they would need. Sure, it’s a little ominous, but they can’t resist.

They stay the night. Zib and Avery eternally grateful to have a comfortable bed in which to sleep through the night, as well as fresh running water.

Unbeknownst to the children and their companions, the cottage actually belongs to a powerful pirate Captain, who believes they now owe her a debt for trespassing on her property and using her things without asking.

The group agrees to board her ship and work for her for one week in order to pay off their debt.

It certainly extends their adventure, but does it get the kids any closer to finding their way home?

Y’all, I absolutely LOVED my time reading Along the Saltwise Sea!! I’ll admit, I was a little nervous going in, because it has been a long time since I have read Over the Woodward Wall.

I was concerned I wouldn’t remember enough of the story for this one to make sense. That was completely silly of me. I should have trusted McGuire.

This novel has the perfect amount of refresher at the beginning to let the Reader fall gracefully back into the story. It was seamless and probably the best transition between books I have ever read.

Further, I am absolutely obsessed with the narrative voice of this series. It has that classic, whimsical fairy tale feel, meshed perfectly with modern inclinations on how to be a good human.

I say this because, I feel like fairy tales are intended to teach lessons and consequently, Zib and Avery are also learning lessons throughout their journey in the Up-and-Under. Fortunately, the lessons aren’t outdated. They are perfectly tailored for today’s world.

I love all of these characters so much. Avery and Zib are as opposite as opposite can get, but have learned to love and appreciate one another not just in spite their differences, but because of them.

The setting of this one, mostly on the pirate ship, was just so fun! I love stories set at sea and this one captured everything I love about that atmosphere.

I cannot wait for the next installment of The Up-and-Under. I am not sure how long this series is slated to be, but I am hoping it goes for as long as the Wayward Children series. At least!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. It was an absolute delight!

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