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In the end, you either fight or lie down to be trampled: Reviewing Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno – Garcia

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. This is the sixth book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia that I have reviewed. You are more than welcome to check out my past reviews of her books. Needless to say, she is one of my favorite authors now. Let’s just dive into this review of Velvet was the Night.

Content Warning: Strong Language, Violence, Sexual Content

The 1970s is a time of great political unrest for Mexico. Maite is a lonely young woman who lives vicariously through the romance novels she reads. Elvis, a thug with a love for music and words, is sent by his boss to investigate a missing girl named Leonora. Leonora just so happens to be Maite’s neighbor and left her with an odd message that implies she is in danger. Maite and Elvis both set out to find what happened and find themselves in entangled in political espionage. Their lives are on the line as they navigate the dangerous world of political espionage.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia proves time and time again to be a strong writer who does a great job creating interesting characters and intriguing plots. Velvet was the Night is the first non-fantasy book I have read by her and I liked the Neo-noir feel of the novel. The characters are unique but have relatable qualities. There is plenty of tension and mystery throughout the novel. It moves at a pretty fast pace too. With all of that being said, it was not necessarily my favorite novel by Moreno-Garcia. I liked it better than The Beautiful Ones but less than Silver Nitrate. My favorite Moreno-Garcia novel as it stands is Gods of Jade and Shadow. If you aren’t big into fantasy but love thrillers, then I will still recommend Velvet was the Night.

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We suffer, heal, and proceed: Reviewing Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well! This is the third book by Ottessa Moshfegh I have reviewed. If you want, you can check my reviews for her other books, Lapvona and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Needless to say, I am a bit of a fan now. I promise I have more “weird girl literature” to read by the end of the year. I’m planning on getting into my horror books so I will be prepared for spooky season. I think that’s enough rambling for now. Let’s talk about Death in Her Hands.

Content Warning: Grief and Mourning, Harm Towards Animals, Discussions of Death

Since her husband’s death, Vesta Ghul has spent her days hiking with her beloved dog. One day, she finds a note in the woods. It reads: “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.” There is no dead body, though. Vesta becomes obsessed with this note, imagining who Magda might be and who could have killed her. Her morbid fantasies begin to bleed into her everyday life, and Vesta can no longer tell what is read or what she made up. During her search for the truth, Vesta must face the issues she has been hiding from since her husband’s death.

While this novel wasn’t as bizarre or gross as her other books, Ottessa Moshfegh still brings introspection and dark humor in Death in Her Hands. This book is written in a “stream of consciousness” style, which might not be for everyone. It does, however, benefit the reader as we get a better insight into Vesta’s situation as an elderly widow in an isolated town. I found myself drawn into Vesta’s imagination because, as someone with a vivid imagination that gets out of hand, I understood where she was coming from. It is a complicated and unreliable narrative, which I always enjoy. I like how Mosghfegh creates unreliable narrators because it adds a level of realism to the novel. Overall, Death in Her Hands was an interesting book and I am going to give it a soft recommendation.

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We are a curse of the shadows; we are a secret. We are eternal: Reviewing The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! We are returning to form with another vampire novel. I am currently rewatching the Interview with the Vampire TV show and foaming at the mouth for the next season. Until then, I am going to dabble in Anne Rice novels. Before you read this one, feel free to check out my review for Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. Let’s talk about The Vampire Armand.

Content Warning: Child Abuse, Slavery, Explicit Sexual Content, Sexual Assault, Religious Trauma, Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery

The vampire Armand was not always the powerful and ruthless leader of the Children of Darkness. He began his life as Andrei, a young man from Kiev Rus who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He is taken to Vienna and taken under the care of Marius, an ancient and powerful vampire. Andrei becomes Amadeo under his master’s tutelage, which involves exploring the darkest parts of the dazzling Vienna. When Armand is given the dark gift, he finds himself a target of a cult of vampires who worship Satan. Alone and unfamiliar with the vampiric world, Armand must fight to save his immortal soul.

The Vampire Armand is a dark and disturbing look at one of Anne Rice’s most iconic characters. Anne Rice does such an incredible job creating these unique character voices and being able to alter her writing depending on which point of view she is writing about. Armand is a fascinating character who is a throwback to the classic Byronic heroes. The book deals heavily with religion and philosophy, which can be intriguing but is sometimes a bit long-winded. This particular book dealt a bit more with mysticism and magic, which I liked as an element of world-building. I honestly wished I saved his book for October because it would have been far more appropriate for the Halloween season, but I am glad I read it now. I can see why this is one of Anne Rice’s most iconic novels and I am going to recommend it with the addendum to heed my content warnings.

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Welcome to the universe, from which there is no escape: Reviewing Safe Passage by Karen Menezes

Hi everyone! I am super excited today because I have a review by another indie author! It is always a treat to get to do these kinds of reviews. I will link all of Karen’s socials at the very end of this review so you can send her your love and support. Thank you for reaching out to me, Karen! Now, let’s talk about her novel, Safe Passage.

Content Warning: Violence, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries, Discussions and Depictions of War.

The old-growth forest and the borderlands of Capherayna are a mystery. So are its people, the Xaeltik community. They live in a pre-industrial time warp, unable to defend themselves from the dark forces of the modern world. In the heart of the forest, a vortex of death is rumored to swallow the living, chew on them, and spit out the pieces. The Lightbender stumbles into Xaeltik territory after days of wandering the forest. He is welcomed by a macabre sight that changes the course of his destiny. To save lives, he must let them die.

What I loved about Safe Passage was the mixture of grounded social issues and fantastical sci-fi/fantasy elements that are used to build the narrative. It was as funny in a cheeky way as it was emotional and profound. Menezes doesn’t hold back when it comes to discussing war and the aftermath of it. I loved her use of descriptive language, the minute details, and the overall sympathetic tone that the novel takes. War is never an easy topic to tackle but Menezes shows every facet, from the people fighting the war to the people caught in the middle of the crossfire. Overall, Safe Passage is a refreshing and introspective novel with plenty of fun and interesting science fiction elements

Website: https://karenmenezes.com/the-chronicles-of-capherayna.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.menezes/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50832081.Karen_Menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen_menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechroniclesofcapherayna

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I will render vengeance upon my adversaries and I will repay those who hate me: Reviewing Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Hi everyone! I’m back and I hope you are all doing well! Before I get into this review, I want to say that I am very excited because I had an indie author reach out to me and I will post a review of her book very soon. I love when you all reach out to me and want me to review your books. It means a lot to me. You are more than welcome to reach out to me whenever you want. I want to preface this book review because the name Chuck Tingle sounded familiar to me. Outside of this, he has written books such as Space Raptor Butt Invasion and Slammed in the Butthole by My Linear Concept of Time. Yes, those are 100% real titles, and many more if you want to check out the sillier side of Chuck Tingle. This one is a little more serious and plenty more scary so let’s talk about Camp Damascus.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Religious Trauma, Discussions and Depictions of Homophobia

Rose Darling is a member of the Kingdom of the Pine, a devout religious community located in Neverton, Montana. Rose has spent her life devoted to worship and spreading the good word. She begins to fear the worst when she begins to see a demonic entity following her around. When one of Rose’s friends is killed by this demon, she goes on a mission to figure out why she and her loved ones are being targeted. Her investigation leads her to Camp Damascus, which claims to be “the most successful gay conversion therapy” camp in Montana. Beneath this god-fearing institution is an unholy secret and Rose is determined to put a stop to it once and for all.

Camp Damascus is equal parts gory, demonic horror thriller and engaging commentary on the treatment of queer people by religious organizations. I thought it was admirable for Chuck Tingle to tackle such a heavy and controversial topic in such a unique way. I like the analogies within this book and the way that Tingle challenges the notion that queer people and religion cannot exist in the same place. He lets it be simple where it’s simple (Conversion therapy is bad) and lets it be complicated where it’s complicated (how does someone properly interpret the Bible). The book doesn’t get overly complicated or philosophical. There is still plenty of room for a demonic romp and mystery within the story. Rose was relatable as the main character and her narrative voice helped bring a nice balance to the story. Overall, though, this is a story about hope and I found that to be really important when it comes to a topic like this. If you are looking for a horror novel with plenty of thrills, chills, and profound conversation, then Camp Damascus is exactly what you need.

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No matter what you think, you’re vulnerable: Reviewing Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well! Fall is just around the corner and I am excited for the spooky season. In the meantime, I’m going to continue to read “weird girl literature.” I’m planning on reading another Ottessa Moshfegh book in the future, but she does not completely own the “weird girl literature” category. Well, this book, in particular, is more dark than weird but we’ll get into that. Let’s talk about Boy Parts.

Content Warning: Explicit Sexual Content, Abuse and Violence. Sexual Assault, Harsh Language, Substance Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Injuries

Irina Sturges has an appetite that can’t be satiated. Drugs, alcohol, and sex no longer satisfy her. Ever since she was blacklisted from the art scene, she has been itching to find her way back in. Irina decides to do something a little more provocative to get people’s attention. She begins scouting young men off the streets of Newcastle and takes sexually explicit photos of them. Irina’s new photographs revive her career but send her into a spiral of paranoia. The past is catching up and Irina may not be able to outrun it.

Imagine if American Psycho was actually interesting and you get Boy Parts. Eliza Clark takes the reader by the hand and drags them headfirst into the point of view of an unreliable and dangerous narrator. Both darkly funny and wildly uncomfortable, Boy Parts pushes the boundaries while exploring sexuality, art, and feminism. While the book does deal with uncomfortable subject matter, it does so in a way that invites the readers to critique the motives of the main character, Irina, as well as the others. I heard someone say recently that art isn’t meant to give answers, but only present questions and I think that applies the best to this novel in every sense. Now, this book obviously deals with intensely uncomfortable subjects and does get a bit graphic so this won’t be to everyone’s tastes. If you read the content warnings and thought otherwise, then I understand. If you are like me and have a rather insatiable sense of morbid curiosity, then Boy Parts might very well be the next book you add to your “weird girl literature” summer.

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Doubt that truth be a liar; but never doubt that I love: Reviewing Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing well. I am going to do something I never thought I would: shamelessly e-beg! I have had this blog for many years and I thought that I would make it work for me. You are more than welcome to completely ignore the little donation box (or whatever you call it) at the end of this blog. If you do choose to show your support to me, I will be forever grateful to you. If no one touches it, I’ll take the hint and never try this again. I appreciate your support no matter what. Now, let’s talk about Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.

Content Warning: Some Sexual Content, Grief and Mourning, Death of a Child, Some Violence

Agnes is an unsual young woman who spends her days taming her falcon and wandering through the forests that surround her family’s property. Her life is changed when she meets a young Latin tutor who loves her for her wildness. After a hasty marriage, they move to Stratford-Upon-Avon where Agnes become a doting mother and devoted wife. Her life is changed forever when the Black Death strikes her home. Now, Agnes must come to terms with tragedy while her husband is away and running a theater company. Agnes is determined to find a way back to her husband, to find closure once and for all.

While Hamnet is not the kind of book I ususally read, I do have a deep love for the play Hamlet. Maggie O’Farrell offers a compelling, heart-breaking take on the origin of one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. Agnes (technically Anne Hathway, Shakespeare’s real-life wife) is a such unique and relatable character. The book covers quite a bit of ground in following Agnes and her husband’s relationship from the beginning, but it does so with good pacing. O’Farrell does a fantastic job creating atmosphere and exploring all of the minute details of the world that would be otherwise overlooked. While Shakespeare is still a presence in the book, he does not overshadow any of the events that Agnes experiences. Maggie O’Farrell does a great job with balancing the book’s driving plot while taking time to explore the characters’ inner turmoil. Hamnet is a great book for those who love historical fiction and want something that tugs at the heart strings as any one of Shakespeare’s tragedies.

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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination: Revewing The Way of Kings (Book 1 of The Stormlight Archive Series) by Brandon Sanderson

Hi all! I’m back! I put aside all of my other books so I could finish this one. I thought it would take me much longer to read this one. I promise that I have more reviews for shorter books coming up soon. I have a couple of weird/spooky books coming up so get excited for that. I need to yap ramble about this book, though, so let’s talk about The Way of Kings

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Intense Battle Scenes, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries

Centuries ago, the Knights Radiant fell in Roshar, a world of storms. They left behind their magical weapons known as Shardplates and Shardblades. Those who wield these weapons have the power of gods and rule as kings. Wars are fought for theses weapons. One such war currently wages on. Kaladin, a surgeon turned soldier turned slave, must fight for his survival and the survival of his man. Brightlord Dalinar Kholin, who leads the armies of Kholinar, begins to recieve visions of the Knights Radiant. Across the sea, a young woman named Shallan plans to steal a powerful artifact from Dalinar’s niece to save her family. Something much bigger and more dangerous lies in wait for all. No one will be ready to learn the true cause of the war.

I understand the hype now. I am now aboard the Brandon Sanderson hype train. I bought book two of this series when I was about halfway through this book. The Way of Kings is an incredible start to such a well-crafted and detailed series. Acoording to what I have read, this book took ten years to plan and it shows. I loved all of the characters and the way the plot fell into place just felt right. This is a super long book (coming in at 1,252 pages) but every single chapter is so well written. In a rare turn for fantasy books, I liked every character’s POV that I read. Sometimes, when it comes to fantasy books that switch character POVs, I get bored with certain characters and skip or skim a bit. Every one felt interesing and crucial, even the interludes. The Way of Kings fully lives up to the hype and I cannot wait to keep reading this series.

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How can one grow without pain?: Reviewing Chlorine by Jade Song

Hi everyone! I’m back much sooner than I anticipated. I was planning on finishing this book another day but I got to a point where I couldn’t put it down so I just had to finish it. I’m trying to wrap up my “summer reads” since we’re in the homestretch to fall. I have a couple of shorter books I want to get through so I can focus on my longer ones. Okay, I’ll shut up about that now. Let’s talk about Chlorine.

Content Warning: Self-harm, Explicit Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery, Body Horror

Ren Yu is the best swimmer on her team. Her life surrounds competitive swimming. Every meet, she outswims her competition and teammates alike. For everyone else, her path seems obvious. Ren will get a swimming scholarship and get into an Ivy League school, then go on to get gold in the Olympics for swimming. That, however, is not Ren’s goal. Ren’s ultimate goal is to completely transform into what she was born to be: a mermaid. Becoming a mermaid, though, requires sacrifice. Ren must decide how much blood she is willing to shed if she wants to live the life she has always dreamed of.

Chlorine is a darkly funny, gross, and touching novel about transformation and girlhood. I appreciate Jade Song’s brutally honest (and rather gross) depiction of bodily transformation, in a horror sense and in a real sense. The biting humor and dry sarcasm that Ren offers as the narrator made me laugh when I probably shouldn’t have. It was relatable in the best way. I also found the narrative of Ren learning when to adapt versus when to embrace her true self to be fascinating. As gross as this book is at times, it offers a lot of profound observations regarding mermaid mythology and real-life womanhood. Chlorine is a compelling novel about the horrors of girlhood and the reclamation of one’s dream, no matter what the price is.

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Whatever it costs to achieve that goal, I will pay it: Reviewing Star Wars: Lesser Evil (Book 3 of the Ascendancy Trilogy) by Timothy Zahn

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I’m finally wrapping up the Thrawn: Ascendancy Trilogy. Feel free to go back and read the rest of my reviews of any and all Star Wars-related books. I read way more than I anticipated and have enjoyed all of them in their own ways. It’s time to talk about my latest read, Lesser Evil.

The Chiss Ascendancy is starting to fall apart. A clever foe has turned the Nine Ruling families and the Forty against each other. Alliances are tested and trust is breached among the Chiss. Civil war is on the horizon and it will cost the Ascendancy thousands of years of peace and stability. There is one thing, one mythical thing, that could save the Chiss. Thrawn must delve deep into the Ascendancy’s dark history to find the key to saving his people. The only way to save the Chiss will be to make the ultimate sacrifice and only Thrawn can be the one to make that sacrifice.

In hindsight, I am glad that I read the Thrawn trilogy before this one. Timothy Zahn has done a thorough job of creating such an interesting character as Thrawn and illustrating this tangled drama of espionage and war. It felt like a soap opera, but I say that with love. It was a bit tricky to keep up with, but all of the plot points come together nicely in the end. I liked the pacing of this one significantly better as you could see the build-up to the final battle throughout the book. I was so excited about the action because Zahn always delivers on space battles. All in all, the Ascendancy Trilogy was a super fun read and any Star Wars fan will have fun with these books.