What if Mr. Rochester had, not a wife, but a deadly curse. Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood reimagines Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel within an Ethiopia-inspired fantasy setting. Last year I posted about the surprising number of Jane Eyre retellings that all came out in 2021. Obviously, I’ve got to go down the list and read them all! I’ve already posted reviews of The Wife in the Attic and John Eyre, so Within These Wicked Walls was up next. Continue reading Within These Wicked Walls Review
Category: Genre
Review of Manhunt—Sex & Gender in the Apocalypse
Men are monsters. This sentiment is literalized to a terrifying degree in Gretchen Felker-Martin’s post-apocalyptic horror novel Manhunt, which came out just last week. This book is gruesomely violent and goes to a lot of dark places, so it won’t be for everyone. But it gives a unique take on a gendered apocalypse from a transgender perspective. Continue reading Review of Manhunt—Sex & Gender in the Apocalypse
Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris Review
What has the power to terrify an immortal? Only a god…. An ancient Egyptian king comes face to face with his one great fear in this latest installment of the Ramses the Damned series. Back in 2017, I reviewed The Passion of Cleopatra, Anne Rice’s first co-writing project with her son Christopher and an unexpected sequel to her 1989 novel The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. Anne and Christopher Rice teamed up again for a third book in the series, The Reign of Osiris, which came out last week. Notably, The Reign of Osiris is also the first posthumous book to be published after Anne Rice passed away in December. Continue reading Ramses the Damned: The Reign of Osiris Review
Review of My Heart Is a Chainsaw
What if your life suddenly turned into a slasher movie? For most of us, that idea is fodder for our most terrifying nightmares, but Jade Daniels is thrilled by the prospect in Stephen Graham Jones’s My Heart Is a Chainsaw. From the moment I read The Only Good Indians just over a year ago, I knew that Stephen Graham Jones was one of the horror writers to be watching right now. Reading his latest novel has only confirmed that assessment. My Heart Is a Chainsaw came out in August of 2021 and is a brilliant self-aware homage to the horror genre. Continue reading Review of My Heart Is a Chainsaw
Review of Death on the Nile
Can you believe I had never read an Agatha Christie novel before? As the reigning queen of the detective novel scene for much of the twentieth century, Christie’s contributions to the genre are immeasurable. She gave us two of the best-known detective characters after Sherlock—Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple—and some of her major works such as Murder on the Orient Express have been adapted so many times over that they’ve become cultural touchstones. Despite all this, and my love of mystery novels dating back to my earliest reading years, I just had never gotten around to picking up one of Christie’s classics. Thankfully, the Romancing the Gothic book club has been working hard to improve my literary education. Last month we read Christie’s 1937 novel Death on the Nile. And I have to say, I’ll definitely be coming back for some more Poirot! Continue reading Review of Death on the Nile
Review of Comfort Me with Apples
Catheryn Valente is known for drawing on fairy tales and retelling classic stories, such as in her Russian folklore-inspired novel Deathless. But her latest book takes quite a different approach, obscuring exactly which story it is retelling until the very end. Comfort Me with Apples, which came out just last week, is a bite-size horror novella that packs quite a punch for its small size. Continue reading Review of Comfort Me with Apples
Review of Nothing But Blackened Teeth
“It gets lonely down in the dirt….” Five young adults make the mistake of partying in a haunted, Heian-era manor in Cassandra Khaw’s hotly anticipated horror novella Nothing But Blackened Teeth. I had the pleasure of interviewing Khaw last month to get their thoughts on haunted houses and the horror genre. And then I devoured this bite-size novella in just a few sittings. If you’re looking for a horror story to eat like candy on Halloween, grab Nothing But Blackened Teeth when it comes out next Tuesday, October 19. Continue reading Review of Nothing But Blackened Teeth
Review of The City Beautiful—Jewish Historical Fantasy/Thriller
“The body cannot sustain two souls….” A young Jewish immigrant is possessed by the dybbuk of his murdered friend in Aden Polydoros’s debut YA novel The City Beautiful. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book since Aden first announced his book deal several years ago! As a Jewish teen growing up, I rarely got to see my culture reflected in anything other than “issue books” about the Holocaust, so I’ve been delighted by the recent uptick of Jewish-inspired YA fantasy with books like Spinning Silver and The Sisters of the Winter Wood. But The City Beautiful is the first book I’ve encountered that really reaches into the deep well of Jewish folklore and draws up its horror elements. The City Beautiful comes out tomorrow, October 5. Continue reading Review of The City Beautiful—Jewish Historical Fantasy/Thriller
Review of Lakesedge—Monsters and Magic in YA Gothic
What would you trade for the power to protect those you love? Violeta bargains with gods and monsters in Lyndall Clipstone’s debut YA novel, Lakesedge. Described as a “lush gothic fantasy,” Lakesedge comes out tomorrow, September 28. Continue reading Review of Lakesedge—Monsters and Magic in YA Gothic
Review of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
I know and love Zoraida Córdova for her contributions to the YA urban fantasy genre, including the books in her Brooklyn Brujas series and her more recent anthology of YA vampire tales. But this year, Zoraida is back with something quite different! The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, which came out just last week, is an adult fantasy novel that takes a very Gothic approach to exploring family and identity. Continue reading Review of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina