It’s the little things that will drive you mad.… “The Gown” is a brand new short story by musician-cum-author Emilie Autumn that explores the concepts of madness and obsession. Over the past couple of years, Emilie Autumn revamped and re-released her pseudo-autobiographical novel The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, which combines an account of her experiences in the psychiatric ward of a hospital with a dark tale of her fictional Victorian alter-ego trapped in an abusive asylum. (I reviewed the interactive ebook of TAFWVG back in August.) In February, Emilie Autumn surprised her fans by releasing a new short story that presents similar themes. “The Gown” is available now on Amazon as either an ebook or paperback. Continue reading Review of “The Gown”–Emilie Autumn’s Short Story
Category: Genre
Review of Clockmaker—A Steampunk Spinoff
In most good books, there’s always that fascinating side character that you wish you could learn more about, even though you know they’re not the focus of the story. That’s how I felt about Captain Melek, the mysterious female airship captain who features briefly in Ghost Machine by Kristen Brand, which I reviewed on this site just over a year ago. Lucky for me, my wish came true! Kristen Brand just released a new spinoff novel all about Captain Melek and her crew. Clockmaker: A Gothic Steampunk Novel comes out today, March 5, and is available on Amazon. Continue reading Review of Clockmaker—A Steampunk Spinoff
The Guns Above—A Feminist Steampunk Military Drama
The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis is the humorous, female-led steampunk military drama you didn’t know was missing from your life. This debut novel, which came out last May, tells the story of Josette Dupre, Garnia’s first female airship captain, and her fight to keep her position, her ship, and her crew. The book gives an intimate and unromantic look at the harsh realities of war, while also managing to be an uplifting tale about trust, leadership, and unlikely friendship. Continue reading The Guns Above—A Feminist Steampunk Military Drama
Beneath the Haunting Sea–A Mythic Debut
Talia doesn’t believe in the old gods and the legends that her mother used to tell her beside the fire. But just because she doesn’t believe, doesn’t mean they aren’t real.… Ancient curses and buried prophecies rise up from the depths in Joanna Ruth Meyer’s Beneath the Haunting Sea. What better way to start off the new year than with a brand new book from a debut author, right? It’s the perfect time for fresh voices and new perspectives. Beneath the Haunting Sea comes out tomorrow, January 9th. Find it at your local retailer, or scroll to the bottom of this post to buy it online and support the blog by using my Bookshop.org affiliate link. Continue reading Beneath the Haunting Sea–A Mythic Debut
Down Among the Sticks and Bones–A Gothic Tale of Twins
If you discovered a door to another world, would you go through it? What if it gave you the opportunity to change who you are, to escape the pressures of who you’re expected to be? Twelve-year-old twins Jack and Jill face these questions in Seanan McGuire’s Down Among the Sticks and Bones. This book, which came out back in June, is the second book in McGuire’s Wayward Children series. (You can read my review of the first book here.) Rather than being a sequel to Every Heart a Doorway, however, Down Among the Sticks and Bones is more of a prequel that can also be read entirely as a stand-alone. Ostensibly a fantasy story about discovering a dark world full of monsters, the book is really a deep dive into questions of identity and family relationships. Continue reading Down Among the Sticks and Bones–A Gothic Tale of Twins
Ink Stains, Vol. 6–A Dark Literary Journal
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure to meet N. Apythia Morges, the head of Dark Alley Press. Among other publishing projects, N. Apythia edits a recurring series of dark literary anthologies called Ink Stains. Released quarterly, each volume includes a collection of unconventional short stories in a variety of genres from black comedy to paranormal fantasy and dark literary fiction. I just picked up the most recent volume, which came out back in October, and found it to be an interesting exploration of short form gothic fiction. Continue reading Ink Stains, Vol. 6–A Dark Literary Journal
The City of Brass Review—A Tale of Deliciously Dark Djinn
My favorite part of being a book reviewer is when I find a brand new author to absolutely fall in love with. I stumbled upon S. A. Chakraborty a few weeks ago at a reading for the New York Review of Speculative Fiction. After hearing her read the first chapter of her debut novel, I immediately went home and requested a review copy so I could find out what happens next. The City of Brass is the first book The Daevabad Trilogy, a new adult fantasy series that delves deep into Islamic mythology, particularly those devious creatures known as the djinn. The book just came out on November 14th, so you can find it at your local bookstore or click the link at the end of this post to buy it online. Continue reading The City of Brass Review—A Tale of Deliciously Dark Djinn
Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra Review
Move over, vampires—it’s time for mummies to take the spotlight! This week, Anne Rice is back with the long-awaited sequel to her 1989 book The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. Twenty-eight years is a long time to wait for a sequel, but was it worth it? I can’t speak to how the new book lives up to any expectations set up by the original, but as my first foray into mummy romance, I quite enjoyed it. Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra was co-written with her son, Christopher Rice, and comes out tomorrow, November 21. Continue reading Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra Review
Review of The Eterna Solution–Conclusion to a Thrilling Paranormal Epic
It’s time for a new release from my favorite author, Leanna Renee Hieber! If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know that I’ve been following the Eterna Files series almost since its inception when I reviewed The Eterna Files nearly two years ago. I followed that review up with one for the second book, Eterna and Omega, when it came out last August. And now, I’m here again to give you the goods on the third and final installment of the series, The Eterna Solution. The book comes out tomorrow, November 14. As usual, if you’re local to the New York area, you can come celebrate the release at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in upper Manhattan. Join us at 6:30 on Friday, November 17, for a reading and signing by the author, along with a costume contest, an exhibit of elegant accessories by Wormwood & Gall, and some light refreshments. Continue reading Review of The Eterna Solution–Conclusion to a Thrilling Paranormal Epic
Dracula, Performed
Dracula was always meant to be adapted to the stage. At the time that he wrote his most famous novel, Bram Stoker was working as the business manager for the Lyceum Theatre in London, owned by his friend, the renowned actor Henry Irving. Irving’s performances were often dark and dramatic, and he was best known for playing charismatic villains. It’s even been suggested that he partially inspired the appearance and personality of the Count in Stoker’s novel. Thus, it should come as no surprise that when Stoker finished his masterpiece, he envisioned Irving playing the titular character in a stage adaptation. He even drafted a script and ran through a staged reading of Dracula, or The Undead at the Lyceum, afterwards eagerly asking Irving what he thought. Irving’s answer, however, shut down any hopes Stoker had for his stage production: he summed up his opinion in one word: “Dreadful.”
