One of the best things about visiting small towns is venturing into the horror section and finding unknown gems like this one. Ah yes, supernatural romance novels are nothing new. What a cover!!! What an inside blurb:
IF I DIE WHEN I’M YOUNG
I VOW I’LL COME BACK TO HAWKWOOD.
I’LL BE A SPIRIT,
AND MAKE PEOPLE DO TERRIBLE THINGS.
DO YOU BELIEVE ME, KATE,
DO YOU BELIEVE?
I emerged from 2010 with an unfortunate backlog of books I don’t really have much to say about, so I’m going to slip them by with another gaggle of mini-reviews.
After reading another of Jay Lake’s books, Green, I was left intrigued by the author’s… well… genuine oddness. So my rat army has orders to bring books by Lake to me whenever they can be found used. Thus, MAINSPRING came into my possession. The bad news is that Mainspring isn’t really dark enough to review here in detail. It’s a nice piece of fantasy with some major steampunk stylings. It was also unexpected, being a tale about a boy with unshakable faith and where that faith takes him. Besides embarking on a mission to save the world, our hero finds himself falling in love with a hairy little monkey-woman named Arellya. Like the afore-mentioned Green, Arellya likes it on the wild side. And how! I give it a three out of five, mostly because I couldn’t figure out what was really going on half the time, but wanted to know.
Fans of strange stories with a European flavor should hunt down a copy of UNPLEASANT TALES by Brendan Connell. This is a collection of short tales that are indeed unpleasant, but in a way that people who read dark fiction will most likely appreciate. Yes, here we have the callously murderous, the darkly insane, the bloodied royalty, and the loathsome victim. All these up to no good. The dull-witted musical student is corrupted by his mentor. The last mermaid meets its end in the gullet of a loathsome, impotent king. We grimace and hope that we are wrong about the strange girl. The stories are reminiscent of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood, except more like fairy tales and with a rich, dark undercurrent of humor. Publisher Eibonvale certainly can stir up some good authors.
I’ve reviewed two books from the Supernatural TV series here and here, so the publisher of the Season Companion sent me a copy of SUPERNATURAL – THE OFFICIAL COMPANION – SEASON 5 – By Nicholas Knight. The Supernatural season guide seems to be rather thorough. It includes summaries of every episode along with production notes, production stills and photos of the stars. Also included are trivia balloons in the margins, clarifications and definitions of terms used in the show, a section of color photos from the show, extensive notes on all the characters, and more. Thanks to Titan Books for the copy.
I’ve managed to rack up quite the backlog of books lately. So I’m taking a page out of the book of Arbogast, and have dialed up some mini reviews. Those pressed for time may wish to check the executive summaries (in italics) at the end of each mini where I rate each book for creepiness, suspense, violence, and erotic factor. Each executive summary ends with a one word summary of the book.
Civil War re-enactment has never been more terrifying as the Winchester brothers tangle with demonic powers unleashed by a 19th century unholy relic in SUPERNATURAL – THE UNHOLY CAUSE. Should the brothers trust the kindly single dad and his earnest boy, or the aggravating town Sheriff, Jacqueline Daniels, who seems to be keeping something big to herself? What is causing so much friction between the Winchester brothers? Who is Castiel looking for? Where the heck are the black helicopters? The book is a fun read and is suspenseful. Joe Schreiber is probably not going to win the Bram Stoker award for it, but nobody I know picks up a novel based on a TV series because they want to sink their teeth into some Literature. I found this one a little more entertaining than the last one I read: Supernatural – Heart of the Dragon by Keith R.A. Decandido. Creepy, suspenseful, and violent, but not sexy. Entertainment. (Titan Books, 2010)
Lorin Morgan Richards charts the paths of weird clouds that pass far overhead and then maps the changes that their rain makes on the lives of people living below. His writing has become better and more interesting in his newest collection of very odd stories, A BOY BORN FROM MOLD. The stories are amusing and make me think of the likes of Shel Silverstein and Tim Burton. As I reported with his last book, I was left wanting more outrageous tragedy and monsters and wished it wasn’t printed in ALL CAPS. If you like zines, Tim Burton, and nonsense stories, you may wish to check it out. Maybe creepy, maybe suspenseful, not violent and not erotic. Odd. (Published by the artist, 2010)
Depending on your tolerance level for bigger-than-life heroes and melodrama, your good humor and fascination may or may not turn into irritation by the end of THE NAME OF THE WIND. Patrick Rothfuss chronicles the boyhood of a traveling musician (bard? gypsy?) who loses his parents to a violent supernatural gang, barely survives as a child beggar on the streets, and then studies to become the greatest wizard of all time. The fantasy is thick, the world-building is complete and amazing, the story and characters are compelling. Be warned: The childhood is more tragic than you can imagine; the woman is more beautiful, confounding, and mysterious than any you will ever meet; and the love affair is more painful and exultant than any normal heart could bear. I can see that many will love this book and look forward to the next (it is the first in a series). At some point I grew a brand new callus on my heart and could no longer be moved. Lightly creepy, suspenseful, sometimes violent, and romantic. Magical. (DAW Books, 2009)
You may think that your house is haunted by the ghost of a notorious satanist, a pair of tragic lovers, or maybe someone interesting like Clara Bow. If that’s the case, then WHEN GHOSTS SPEAK is here to set the record straight. Your ghost probably has more in common with your great aunt Mildred, who still feels awful because she flushed your grandmother’s wedding ring in a fit of spite, but who never fessed up to the crime. Mary Ann Winkowski assures us that ghosts are not dangerous and recommends that they should always be directed into The Light. Lie to them if you must and let the afterlife sort ‘em out, she advises. Just get them there. Other important facts to remember: 1) Your dog or cat can become a ghost. 2) NEVER EVER play with a Ouija board. 3) Your chronic respiratory ailment might be due to a haunt. 4) If you’re a ghost and you’re haunting Jennifer Love Hewitt, it’s probably because you want to watch her in the shower. How many ways can I say it? The book is not fascinating. Creepy in a voyeuristic way, not suspenseful, not really violent, and occasionally titillating. Ghost-gossipy. (Grand Central Publishing, 2009)
Many thanks to the Hachette Group for the review copy of When Ghosts Speak, Titan Books for the review copy of Supernatural – the Unholy Cause, and Lorin Morgan Richards for the review copy of Boy Born from Mold.
Fhtagn Spoken Here.
© 2008-2011 Dark in the Dark * Book reviews, dark stuff * All Rights Reserved
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