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How do you know the moment when you cease to be human?: Reviewing Last Days by Brian Evenson

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I don’t have many updates for you all. I just want to say thank you for your support. I just reached 580 subscribers, which is absolutely incredible. This blog is just something I do for fun in my spare time and I can’t believe so many of you are interested in my thoughts on everything related to books. I will show my gratitude by continuing to post reviews as regularly as I can. With that being said, it’s time to review Last Days.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery, Religious Trauma, Some Harsh Language

Ex-detective Kline leads a quiet life after losing his arm during a case. One day, two men show up at his door and kidnap him. They belong to a cult that believes in worship through self-amputation. Their leader has been killed and they think that only Kline can solve the mystery. Kline must navigate the strange and twisted world of this bizarre cult. The deeper he goes, the more of himself he loses. Kline must decide how far he is willing to go to find out the goal of this cult, and potentially destroy them.

I say this as a compliment: Last Days does an excellent job of being deliberately confusing. There were plenty of “wait, what” moments that made me want to keep reading more. I think I could safely call this book an American Gothic novel because of the atmosphere and landscape of the novel. This book never slows down and delivers plenty of shocking twists. The violence is not terribly gratuitous but it is certainly shocking. I was thoroughly grossed out but that only benefited the reading experience. I would say this leans more towards psychological thriller with horror elements if you want something that is more plot-focused. Last Days was a fast-paced, shocking novel with plenty of twists and turns for any readers seeking some gruesome thrills.

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When the world is hard, love must be harder still: Reviewing The Stone Sky (Book 3 of the Broken Earth Trilogy) by N.K. Jemisin

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well and keeping cool during this intense summer heat. Before you read this review, read my reviews for the first two books in this trilogy, The Fifth Season and The Obelisk Gate. I have one more trilogy I am wrapping up after this and then I will be reading mainly standalone books. I got quite a few books for my birthday that I am so excited to read. I’ve been balancing that with some of my own creative writing. It pleases me to report that I am progressing on a potential novel (maybe two). If nothing else, I am excited to be writing again. Now, let’s talk about the final book in the Broken Earth trilogy, The Stone Sky.

Content Warning: Violence, Harsh Language, Grief and Mourning, Graphic Injuries, Grief and Mourning

The Moon is going to return, but that means humanity is doomed. Essun now wields an incredible power. She plans on using her newfound abilities to find her daughter, Nassun. Nassun, however, has discovered her own powers with the help of her mother’s former Guardian. While Essun is trying to save the world, Nassun is trying to destroy the world and, in turn, eliminate anyone who would bring her harm. It is a race against time as mother and daughter fight to try to control an ancient and powerful magic. Only one of them can change the world forever.

N.K. Jemisin has blown me away with this unique sci-fi/fantasy trilogy. The Stone Sky is easily the most emotional of the three books. The world-building is so strong and unique but it doesn’t outshine the characters and their journeys. At the heart of the book are themes of family bonds, self-acceptance, inner strength, and unwavering love. Jemisin explores the complications that come with differences in a society where differences aren’t accepted unless they are useful and/or non-threatening to others. There is an additional character point of view that showcases the fantasy elements of this story that I really appreciated. Granted, the book can be a bit tricky because some of the terminology is hard to follow but it is incorporated in the story so naturally that you forget that these are terms that exist only within the world of The Broken Earth trilogy. The Stone Sky was a strong end to an incredible series that I highly recommend to all of you.

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Eyes held high in pride are less able to see the uneven ground ahead: Reviewing Star Wars: Greater Good (Book 2 of the Ascendancy Trilogy)

Hey everyone! I hope you are keeping cool this summer. It has been a scorcher where I live and I am struggling over here. Before you check out this review, feel free to read my review of the first book in this trilogy, Chaos Rising. I have the third book in this trilogy ready to go. I also recommend checking out all of my other Star Wars book reviews. I’m still trying to find more to read. I might check out the High Republic books because I am watching Star Wars: Acolyte and I am enjoying it so far. Funny enough, I only became a Star Wars fan relatively recently but I rarely like anything casually I love to know about lore and backstories and other characters. Star Wars is the perfect franchise for this. Now, without further ado, let’s talk about Greater Good.

Thrawn’s victories have caught the attention of the Chiss and brought victory to the House of Mitt. Despite his unusual methods, he has earned the respect of his fellow officers. The threat to the Chiss Ascendancy, though, has not been eliminated. Their enemy lurks in the shadows and plays a different game, one that involves espionage and ulterior motives disguised by acts of generosity. This enemy has been sowing the seeds of discord with the goal of turning the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses against each other. With civil war on the horizon, the Chiss must decide between family and the Ascendancy.

Greater Good may not be my favorite book in this trilogy but there was still plenty I appreciated about this book. Timothy Zahn takes full advantage of how vast and interesting the Star Wars universe is and creates these fascinating characters who might not be seen in any other Star Wars media. Thrawn isn’t heavily featured in this book, but there are plenty of other characters who are just as compelling. I like reading about how the Chiss society operates, the alliances, and all of the politics that come with it. It certainly wasn’t boring but I did prefer the battle scenes. Overall, this is a solid follow-up to Chaos Rising and I look forward to reading the next book in this trilogy.

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All things end, all things change, all things begin again: Reviewing Sunbringer (Book 2 of the Fallen Gods series) by Hannah Kaner

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Quite a few of the books I am reading right now are on the longer side so don’t be surprised if there are some longer gaps between reviews. I am also making an effort to re-read some of my favorites. Before I review this book, make sure to check out my review for the first book in the series, Godkiller. This is going to be a trilogy, which I am very excited for. (I love a good fantasy trilogy). Now, let’s talk about Sunbringer.

Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Intense Battle Scenes, Harsh Language

The gods have returned to Middren and have declared war. The Godkiller Kissen is presumed dead after sacrificing herself to defeat the fire god Hseth. Gods, though, are not so easily killed and Hseth has returned with a vengeance. Inara and her god of white lies Skedi have set out to discover the true nature of the gods and uncover secrets along the way. Elogast, former knight of King Arren, has made it his mission to defeat his former friend and king. The king is on a mission to kill every god and become the only god in Middren. War is on the horizon and everyone, both god and man, must fight for their lives.

Sunbringer is the perfect sequel in this series. I can’t say it is better than the first book but, in my opinion, they are on the same level as far quality and entertainment. This book moved much quicker and had more battle sequences, that I personally enjoyed quite a bit. I also love how Hannah Kaner has made her story so inclusive through the world building in this series. Even though this is a rather large world, Kaner’s narrative is focused on how the characters develop throughout the events of the book. Every character is so carefully created to feel dynamic, even if they show up briefly. This book also does get intense towards the end and the action sequences are so much fun to read. The Fallen Gods series is definitely worth checking out and I will be waiting impatiently for the third book in this trilogy.

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She has all the confidence a deadly thing should: Reviewing Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

Hello everyone! I’m back much sooner than I thought I would be. I try to pace myself when I read, but I get excited and speed through books. That means more content for you all, though! This book has also been on my TBR for a long time, so I’m happy to have finally gotten around to it. I’m going to go on for too much longer. Let’s talk about Mary: An Awakening of Terror.

Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Child Death, Animal Death, Discussions and Depictions of Misogyny, Discussions and Depictions of Ageism, Sexual Assault

Mary has been feeling miserable lately. She’s starting to go through menopause, she’s lost her job, and she is incredibly lonely. That isn’t the only thing wrong with her, though. Every time Mary looks in a mirror, she sees the ghosts of dead women looking back at her and hears voices telling her to do awful things. An opportunity for a new chance at life arises when her estranged aunt calls, asking for her to be a caretaker. Mary packs up her little collection of porcelain figures and heads to her hometown. Everything gets worse. Soon, Mary is plagued by nightmares and begins auto-writing the same bizarre phrases that echo those of an infamous serial killer who died in her hometown. When a spate of murders happens soon after she arrives, Mary must find out how she is tied to these deaths and uncover some deadly, long-buried secrets.

Mary: An Awakening of Terror is a rare combination of insightful commentary and a full-blown splatterpunk gore fest. (If you are sensitive to gore, this is not the book for you.) This book ticks off so many horror sub-genres that it almost feels like it completely shifts from slasher horror to cult horror to existential horror. I appreciated the messages revolving around self-worth and self-doubt (even if it is in a warped and twisted way). It is a fast-paced read with plenty of gruesome action. What I appreciated the most about this novel was how the protagonist was a middle-aged woman just trying to cope with a part of life that most people don’t really address or think about. Women, in particular, have a particularly tricky relationship with aging and I liked how Nat Cassidy (who is a man) approached the particular topic without making any assumptions or playing into any stereotypes. Mary: An Awakening of Terror is unlike any horror novel I have read and I definitely recommend that you experience this one for yourself.

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I’m willing to march into hell if I’m following you: Reviewing Out by Natsuo Kirino, Translated by Stephen Snyder

Hi everyone! I’m back and I hope you are all doing well. Summer is just around the corner and I have plenty of books to review for you all. I will be branching out from some of my usual genres, so I look forward to that. Before I begin this review, I just want to say thank you all for your continual support for this blog. I see a lot of you who stay up to date with my reviews and I am so grateful that you take the time out of your day to read my posts. It means the world to me. Now, without further ado, let’s talk about Out by Natsuo Kirino.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Harsh Language, Discussions and Depictions of Misogyny, Gambling, Disturbing Imagery, Murder

At a local boxed lunch factory, a group of women form a bond as they struggle to make ends meet. One of the women, Yayoi, has a break and kills her abusive husband. Desperate for help, she calls her co-workers to help her dispose of the body. Masako steps forward to orchestrate the disposal of the body and ensure that her friends are not caught. The women all learn that the murder was only the tip of the iceberg and are caught in a tangled web of violence and crime. Their secret is far from safe. It is only a matter of time before they get caught.

Out is a fascinating and unputdownable crime thriller that offers fascinating insight into the lives of women who have reached their breaking point. The first thing I love about this novel is how realistic the characters are. They weren’t necessarily likable or even good but it was easy to sympathize with the main group of women. I liked the way that this book shifted perspectives seamlessly. I will note that this book does touch on disturbing subject matter in a rather in-depth way. At certain points, you get perspectives from the male characters and those gave me the chills because of how disturbing and hateful they were. It did highlight Kirino’s commentary on the depths of misogyny and how driven by hatred people (particularly men) can be when it comes to women. The best part of this book was the commentary that Kirino blends into this intense crime thriller. The only downside of this book is that is does drag just a bit at times but when it’s intense, it’s very intense. Out should absolutely be the next crime thriller you add to your TBR pile this summer.

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Everyone deserves somewhere where they can be reminded of their potential: Reviewing A Restless Truth (Book 2 of The Last Binding Trilogy) by Freya Marske

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Before you read this review, feel free to check out my review of the first book in this series A Marvelous Light. It has been a while since I read that one but I enjoyed it greatly. I’m trying to keep on top of the series I read because I like to see a book series all through. If I decide to stop a series, it is normally deliberate. I also don’t want to read any series over five books. That is simply my preference. I just so happen to have the third book in this series because I accidentally bought it before buying the second book. (Slightly off-topic: I hate when book series don’t have the numbers anywhere on the book.) Now, let’s talk about A Restless Truth.

Content Warning: Violence, Harsh Language, Explicit Sexual Content

Maud Blyth is a quiet girl who has always wanted to go on a grand adventure. The opportunity arises when she becomes a travel companion to an older woman on an ocean liner. While on the ship, though, Maud is actually working to unravel a magical conspiracy that was discovered by her brother Robin. Maud’s plans are brought to a halt when her elderly employer is found dead on the first day of the cruise. Now, she must solve a murder with the help of the bold actress and fellow magician Violent Debenham. With everyone on the ship a suspect, Maud and Violet must solve the murder before the ship docks, or else they soon may end up dead in the water.

A Restless Truth was an enjoyable mystery with a quirky cast of characters and plenty of intrigue. While this is a bit slower-paced, I find myself wanting to see how the relationships were going to be built between the characters. I did enjoy the romance between Maud and Violet. There was plenty of spice and romance between the two. I also thought they made a good duo and that helped drive the story forward. While it has been a while since I read A Marvelous Light, I liked how this novel tied into its predecessor. Freya Marske has created an interesting magic system that I want to know more about, especially in the third book. In conclusion, A Restless Truth was a fun mystery that has a wonderful romance at its heart.

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When stories don’t make sense, they scare us: Reviewing The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing well. I’ve been re-reading some of my previous favorite books lately so my unread TBR might go untouched for just a bit. I have some books on my TBR, though, that are mixed media and I am so excited for those. Mixed media books are an underused genre, in my opinion, so I want to read more of them. I hope I am giving you all a pretty good range of books regarding genre, author, length, etc. I truly hope I have introduced you to some new favorite books through these reviews. Now, let’s talk about The Boatman’s Daughter.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Harsh Language, Substance Use, Abuse Towards Children, Disturbing Imagery, Discussions and Depictions of Sexual Abuse

Miranda Crabtree witnessed her father’s death when she was a child. On that same night, she saved the life of a strange child by taking him to an old witch to hide him away. Since then, Miranda has spent her running drugs for a zealous preacher and his small group of followers. Her semblance of safety, though, is in jeopardy when the preacher asks her to do something unthinkable. Now, with supernatural and human forces working against her, Miranda must take drastic measures to save her life and the lives of those she loves.

I was initially drawn to The Boatman’s Daughter because it is a Southern Gothic novel with supernatural elements. I’ve mentioned before that I love the Southern Gothic genre and want to read more. I’ll start with the positives I found in this book. The prose was strong with plenty of rich descriptions. Some of the supernatural elements were compelling and I like how the author used elements of Russian folklore alongside folklore of the American South. I also enjoyed the “found family” element that lies at the heart of this novel. I have a hard time, though, saying I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a bit rambling at times. Some of the violence felt so unnecessary. I understood the point of it but the human violence felt kind of gratuitous compared to the supernatural threat in this book. This book felt like it was right on the tipping point of being too “edgy.” It also had the tone of feeling more like it wanted to be a screenplay as opposed to being a novel. In conclusion, I am going to say that The Boatman’s Daughter is not going to be for everyone so this is my tentative recommendation to you all.

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The living are often anchors for the dead: Reviewing The Deep by Alma Katsu

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’m doing my best to keep my reviews coming at a steady pace. I’m also realizing that I might have to rearrange my bookshelves yet again. Every year or so, I like to switch up how my bookshelves look. They aren’t super cute or aesthetic by any means but they are set up just the way I like them for now. I might organize by color next time for my standalone books but we will see how much effort I feel like putting into re-organizing everything. Now, enough of that. Let’s talk about The Deep by Alma Katsu.

Content Warning: Death of a Child, Distressing Imagery, Some Violence, Sexual Content

In 1912, a young Irish woman named Annie Hebbley was hired as a stewardess aboard the HMHS Titanic. Despite the glamor of the remarkable ship, something sinister is attacking the guests. Annie and a few others try to investigate what’s happening but tragedy strikes. Annie manages to survive the sinking of the Titanic and retreats to an asylum. Four years later, Annie’s friend and fellow survivor, Violet Jessop, offers her a position as a nurse on board the Titanic‘s sister ship, the Britannic, which has been converted to a hospital ship in the wake of World War One. While on the ship, Annie crosses paths with Mark Fletcher whom she had met on the Titanic. The two are forced to relive the tragedy they had survived and confront the demons that have come back to haunt them from their pasts.

Maybe some of you reading this review have or had some sort of fascination with the sinking of the Titanic and, if so, then this book is for you. The Deep is a rich mixture of drama, suspense, mystery, and horror. This is a bit of a slow burn but even the parts that don’t really touch on the supernatural elements are still interesting. Once the novel picks up pace, it becomes difficult to put down. Every character is well fleshed-out and the subplots blend seamlessly. This novel utilizes a mix of real-life figures and characters created for this book. I did some light research because I was curious and it seems Alma Katsu did keep true to history. This was a very fun and compelling read. I am absolutely going to recommend this, especially if you want a unique historical fiction novel.

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Shared danger is the strongest of bonds: Reviewing The Temple of Fortuna (Book 3 of the Wolf Den Trilogy) by Elodie Harper

Hi everyone! I hope you are all still doing well. Before you read this review, read my reviews for the first two books in the series, The Wolf Den and The House with the Golden Door. I am very excited to wrap up this series with you. I mostly plan on reading standalone books but I might start another series. I’ve been getting some good recommendations via the Internet that I hope to share with you all in the future. For now, let’s talk about the third and final book in The Wolf Den trilogy, The Temple of Fortuna.

Content Warning: Harsh Language, Discussions and Depictions of Abuse, Mild Sexual Content, Some Violence, Discussions and Depictions of Slavery

Amara has fought and bargained her way from the brothel known as the Wolf Den to being an upper-class courtesan to a powerful Roman politician. Her life is far from happy, though, as her daughter and the man she truly loves live in Pompeii. Amara decides to visit her family, torn between the life she has fought for and the life she wants. She is still in danger of her secrets being revealed by her former master. Just as Amara thinks the worst of the danger has passed, Vesuvius erupts. Amara must use her survival skills to save her family from her dangerous past and an uncertain future.

This third and final installment of The Wolf Den trilogy wraps up Amara’s story in a satisfying, albeit sad way. Being that the story was set in Pompeii, I was curious if Elodie Harper was going to include the explosion of Vesuvius. Even though it is a large part of the book, it doesn’t overshadow the carefully crafted interpersonal drama and heartfelt relationships that Elodie Harper pays such great attention to. I appreciate how honestly Harper depicts the various struggles of her female characters. It is hard to find truly complex female characters but Elodie Harper delivers that throughout this trilogy. I can find very few weak points in this series as a whole. Each book holds up as its own with plenty of rich historical accuracy and compelling characters. If you are looking for an exciting novel, look no further than the Wolf Den trilogy.