Time Immemorial Out Now on Scribd!

Some of you may not know this, but not only do I review books, I also edit them! Lately I have been working together with an author whose books have been central to this blog from its inception: Leanna Renee Hieber. Leanna’s debut YA novel, Darker Still, was the first book to ever be reviewed on The Gothic Library, back in June 2015. Since then, Leanna has written several guest posts for the blog and I’ve reviewed a dozen of her other novels. Spending so much time in deep analysis of her stories laid the perfect groundwork for our editorial relationship.

Time Immemorial cover

And now the first book we’ve worked on together is out there in the world! Time Immemorial: A Dark Nest Adventure is a science-fiction novella centering on the character of Elizabeth Marlowe, whose consciousness is spit between lifetimes in four different eras. As Elizabeth timeslips from Druidic Britain to a spacefaring future, she discovers a dangerous enemy set on eradicating all those with psychic powers. As the subtitle suggests, Time Immemorial is a companion story to Leanna’s Dark Nest Chronicles, though you don’t need to have read any of the prior books to jump into this one. You may also recognize the character of Lizzie Marlowe as the Visitor, who makes several appearances in The Eterna Files. But if—despite my constant rambling—you haven’t yet read any of Leanna’s books, this is a great place to jump right in. Time Immemorial is the first in a trilogy and is available now in ebook and audiobook format on Scribd. I particularly recommend the audiobook, as it is narrated by the author, herself!

If you’re unfamiliar with Scribd, it is a book subscription platform where you can get unlimited access to ebooks and audiobooks for $10 per month. And even better, if you don’t have a subscription yet you can get a 30-day free trial. The site contains a wide variety of books from major publishers, along with user-uploaded content and and original works published through their own independent presses like Bryant Street Publishing. So hop on now and check out Time Immemorial. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Classics: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner coverThough a bit more obscure than the classics I usually discuss here, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) by James Hogg is an iconic work of Scottish Gothic that mixes elements of religious and political satire with truly harrowing depictions of demonic forces. I recently read this novel as part of the Romancing the Gothic book club, and am much indebted to Dr. Sam Hirst for walking us through the theological and political context behind the story. Continue reading Classics: The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

Review of Ninth House–Dark Academia and Ghosts

Ninth House coverWhen the wealthy elite have access to unlimited magic, someone needs to keep them in line…. Alex Stern dives into the dark world of parties, privilege, and paranormal dealings in Leigh Bardugo’s debut fantasy novel for adults, Ninth House. This book caught my attention back when it came out in 2019 along with a slew of other books with gorgeous, snaky covers. It took a while to make it to the top of my TBR pile, but the wait was worth it. Ninth House is definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year. Continue reading Review of Ninth House–Dark Academia and Ghosts

#MonstrousMayChallenge Recap

If you follow this blog on Twitter (@gothic_library), you may have seen my daily tweets participating in the #MonstrousMayChallenge. The #MonstrousMayChallenge is a series of creative prompts created by Johannes Evans (@JohannesTEvans on Twitter) that approach the theme of monsters from a different angle for each day in May. [Please note: Johannes’s Twitter account and the content he produces is designated as 18+ and contains mature content. Some of the tweets by others under the hashtag may, as well.] You can find Johannes’s master thread detailing the prompts here. These prompts are primarily aimed at artists and fiction writers, and if you peruse the #MonstrousMayChallenge hashtag on Twitter, you’ll find everything from tweetfic to short stories, essays, and excerpts from works-in-progress, alongside sketches, comics, and digital art. Since I, alas, lack these creative talents, I decided to put my own spin on the Monstrous May prompts. 


Continue reading #MonstrousMayChallenge Recap

Review of The Price of Meat–A Modern Penny Dreadful

In an alternate London, there is a pit of depravity at the heart of the city where no law can reach…. The Price of Meat by K.J. Charles is a horror novella loosely inspired by the story of Sweeney Todd. After reading Charles’s adventure-filled romance Spectred Isle, I knew I had to check out some of her darker work. And you can’t get much darker than a network of murderous cannibals in the bustling city of London…. Continue reading Review of The Price of Meat–A Modern Penny Dreadful

Review of Beasts Made of Night

In the walled city of Kos, sins are made manifest into shadowy beasts and consumed by the downtrodden caste of sin-eaters. But are those who have transferred their sins to others truly pure and blameless? Beasts Made of Night is a Nigerian-influenced YA fantasy novel and the first in a duology by Tochi Onyebuchi. It came out back in 2017 but jumped to the top of my reading list while I was searching for a book to meet the “Feeding Time” category for the #MonstrousMayChallenge on Twitter. Continue reading Review of Beasts Made of Night

Review of Sorcerer to the Crown–Ambition and Fairy Bargains

Sorcerer to the Crown coverMagic is drying up in Great Britain and the blame is about to be placed on the country’s most hated magician.… Sorcerer to the Crown was the debut novel by Zen Cho, which came out back in 2015. It’s a striking read-alike to a more recent release, The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk. Both explore sexism and clashing cultures in a magical alternate Regency setting. But Sorcerer to the Crown adds one more element that I love—the fae. Continue reading Review of Sorcerer to the Crown–Ambition and Fairy Bargains

The Women of Lovecraft

H. P. Lovecraft is not particularly known for his varied and nuanced depictions of female characters. In fact, he’s known for barely depicting women in his tales of cosmic horror at all. Discounting female eldritch gods and dead queens, I’ve come up with a total of three women across Lovecraft’s oeuvre that play significant roles in his stories. Let’s take a look at how they fit into the mythos: Continue reading The Women of Lovecraft

Review of Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor

The Haunting of Bly Manor posterA few months ago, I reviewed the much talked-about Netflix television show The Haunting of Hill House. And as requested, I’m back with a review of the follow-up season The Haunting of Bly Manor! Like Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor was created for Netflix by Mike Flanagan and it features many of the same actors, but it is not a direct sequel. Instead, while Hill House took on Shirley Jackson’s most famous novel, Bly Manor tackles the works of another beloved American author, Henry James. Loosely inspired by James’s ghostly novella The Turn of the Screw, with plot elements from a few of his other stories thrown in, the nine episodes of The Haunting of Bly Manor debuted on Netflix on October 9, 2020—just in time to be the perfect mid-pandemic binge. Continue reading Review of Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor

Gothic Vocab: The Grotesque

Perhaps more so than the other vocabulary words we’ve discussed thus far (the sublime and the uncanny), “grotesque” is a term you’re just as likely to hear thrown about in casual conversation as in academic discourse on Gothic literature. We might use it to describe anything that’s bizarre, incongruous, unnatural, or gross. But where does it come from, and what does it mean in a literary context? Much like the word “Gothic” itself, grotesque has a convoluted and roundabout history that covers a wide range of meanings and takes us back to ancient times. Continue reading Gothic Vocab: The Grotesque