Review: Secret Santa

Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was an easy enough read but mostly terrible! I wanted it to be both spookier and Christmas-y-er.

Christmas Buddy Read with Juliette!

Man, if we had that book podcast and we talked about our feelings of this book, I feel like we'd kinda destroy it haha.

The story starts with Nazis, then transitions ever so smoothly into a girl interviewing at a super creepy publishing house. What follows is just as nonsensical. There are some strange things occurring but nothing that was really creepy enough to satisfy my horror urges.

It gets good (and then really strange) about two thirds in, but it just wasn't enough to save it.

Then again, we did only pay like $8 so it's not like I was expecting a Christmas Miracle in the writing.

Still, no real holiday vibes here - this could easily have been set around a birthday with no change to the story.

I think it was trying to be funny and that's why the horror is lacking, but since I didn't find it really funny, either, it was mostly just a dud.

I wouldn't really recommend it, but as a buddy read it was a fun one to suffer through together!

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Review: One Dark Night

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this is the book I was reading at the same time as A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and there are some eerie similarities!

This one tells the story of school counsellor, Rachel, DCI Ben, and their daughter Ellie, as they each deal with the murder of Ellie's classmate. The circumstances around the death are unusual, and remind many of the old legend of 'Sally in the Wood' - a woman said to have been murdered at the same place, many years ago.

I thought this was a great crime novel, and the alternating points of view contributed to a well-rounded story. I liked each of the three main protagonists and their decisions throughout the book. The pace was fantastic, and there was enough progression in the case that I was satisfied while still hanging out for the truth.

The 'Sally in the Wood' folktale seemed a bit like a gimmick to add something extra, and it didn't really work for me. I think this could have been just as good a story without it. Which is quite interesting, in hindsight - apparently the entire premise of the story came about from the author's wanting to use the very real location in a story.

All in all, I did rather enjoy this one. I saw a few things coming but ultimately was surprised and captivated by the way things unfolded.

I'd highly recommend this for crime fans.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: Vandemere

Vandemere by Kimberley D. Tait
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Narrated by Kyle Shive

Sorry to say this one was not for me. It follows circus brat Vandy, who does tricks on horses and also has magic of some form thanks to his gypsy blood?

It's set in 1930s Southwest USA, but aside from a few references to the heat I never really felt it. The language - particularly as it was first person narration - didn't seem to suit the setting at all and there wasn't enough description of the environment for me to fall into the location.

Aside from that, the characters weren't great. Vandy is an arrogant kid determined to hate everyone and everything, and he actually kinda cries a lot for someone constantly being told 'you don't have to be tough all the time!' I guess those more familiar with teenage boys might be kinder to him, but to me he was an unlikable protagonist. The rest all seem pretty stereotypical, with the bully, the mean girl, and the mum's awful boyfriend all here, along with more. I didn't warm to any of them at all.

Horse lovers will enjoy the amount of detail in this story, but it was too much for me. It detracted a bit from the story, I felt, because there were so many descriptions I almost had to google horses to work out what was what. It slowed down a story that already felt rather dragging.

The narration I had to bump up to double speed, and the accents were AWFUL. Vandy's mother's accent seem to fluctuate between Spanish, Russian, German, and who knows what else. Some of the other voices put on were terrible, and I hated the tonal change for Vandy's visions. It just rubbed me the wrong way. Would not listen to this narrator again. But I can see from other reviews that I'm in the minority for that, so listen to a sample yourself before taking my word for it.

The pace was too slow for me, and I think the setting never changing added to the dull feel of the story. I just didn't really care about anything being related. It felt more like it wanted to be historical fiction, and the 'magie' element was more of a gimmick that seemed out of place.

Perhaps horse fans will get more out of this, and those who prefer slower fantasy and who have more time for angsty teenage boys. It really wasn't for me at all.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: We Who Hunt The Hollow

We Who Hunt The Hollow by Kate Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Grace Laing
Presented by Bolinda Audio

Absolutely delightful!

Will happily read more of this series.

The plot follows Priscilla, a Hollow Warrior who assists her family in tackling monsters that appear to threaten the world. That's an over simplification, but the general gist.

Priscilla is tortured by feelings of not being good enough to fit in with her warrior family - her power is weak and she rarely goes into the field. I was frustrated with her a lot in this regard, because her family unit is quite clearly supportive and loving.

Still, the characters are defined well enough that I believed what I was reading, and Priscilla is a likeable heroine with natural teenage feelings of inadequacy compared to those she greatly admires.

I adored her family with all of its chaotic energy, and it made the story really enjoyable. Added to that, there are monsters, magic and dastardly deeds that keep things happening throughout.

The audio was a special treat for me - it's the first time I've listened to an Australian audio and it made such a difference listening to something read the way I would read it. It was so refreshing, and the narrator did such a brilliant job of livening up these characters and portraying the different personalities. Additionally, her storytelling was delightful and easy to lose myself in.

I was happily surprised to enjoy this as much as I did, and I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel.

Highly recommend!

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Hotel Lucky Seven

Hotel Lucky Seven by Kōtarō Isaka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Pun Bandhu
Presented by RB Media

I liked this so much I finally bought the first book in the series haha.

Following on from Bullet Train, this sees our unlucky Ladybug delivering a painting to a hotel. Naturally, things go awry and dead bodies begin to accumulate.

The audio was an interesting treat, though I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I'd read it physically. The narrator did a decent job, but there are only so many ways you can change your voice to represent different characters, and so a lot started sounding the same. Particularly Pillow and Blanket - men doing female voices always sound a little too odd for me and these two were indistinguishable. I'd love the experience of creating my own ideas of each character in my head, so I'd love to re-read it with a physical copy.

There's also so much action that the details become important, and I'm not as good at absorbing details in audiobooks (usually because I'm multi-tasking). So as much as I really enjoyed listening to the story play out, I think there'd be even more enjoyment to be had slowing down and re-reading the sentences that get really hectic!

The story itself is the same kind of crazy/insane that Bullet Train was, which was thoroughly enjoyable. I really love this series with its unique characters and wild occurrences!

In terms of reading order, this does make several references to the events of Bullet Train which could be considered spoilers, so I'd read that before tackling this. But certainly if you enjoyed that one, this will be no different for you.

Highly recommend this series for people looking for a unique crime/thriller with comedic elements. I'm very much looking forward to going back to the beginning!

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Queens of Themiscyra

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah M. Lynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My biggest complaint about this one is that it was roughly 200 pages too long.

BUT.

Switching between the e-book and the paperback, I realised the paperback has roughly an extra 100 pages?! Which is wild. I can only assume it's an earlier draft, though to be honest it's a neater read.

So I guess e-book is the way to go? It's definitely more concise and I do remember thinking often reading it that I really appreciated the way it didn't linger or drag things out for too long.

Whereas the paperback lingers, so if you prefer the deeper details, go for the print version.

PLOT: It's death to any man who sets foot on the lands of Themiscyra, yet when a boat of them turns up one day it'll change the future for the Amazon warriors who reside there. Queen Hippolyte and her sister, Penthesilea, in particular will find themselves on paths they could never have fathomed.

I picked this one up as both a fan of mythology and of Wonder Woman (who of course hails from Themiscyra). Fans of the latter will be mostly disappointed, but fans of the former will get plenty of bang for their buck.

The main focus here is on Queen Hippolyte, and she's not quite the powerhouse from the WW comics that we know and love. In fact, she's my other main complaint. She's supposed to be the leader of this super powerful race of warriors, known for their lack of tolerance for the BS of men. She's supposed to be fearsome and wise and strong. So when her actions began to contradict all of those traits, it infuriated me.

I spent so much of this book frustrated by Hippolyte and her behaviour. I wanted her to see the very obvious red flags. But as I read on and thought more and more about her behaviour in situations, I was reminded of the very real issues of domestic violence in our own world. My compassion towards women in these situations transferred to this character for me, and I found a little more understanding. I didn't like it - it was tough to read - but I understood her actions a little better in this light.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed how Penthesilea lived up to the Amazon name. She's exactly the ferocious sort of character I wanted to read about, so I really enjoyed her story. Mostly.

I do really feel there were too many events covered in this story. I think the last little bit was unnecessary and dragged on for too long, and it just felt like the ending kind of tapered out into nothing. I wanted a strong finish but I guess it's just not that kind of story.

Mythology fans will love all the references, but may also be let down by the absence of endings for other characters that play a role. This is very much focused on the Queens of the title, and no other resolutions are to be found.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this one but did struggle emotionally with some of the content. I loved the mythology, but also was disappointed that some parts seemed unfinished. The paperback seemed too long, but the e-book was wonderfully streamlined.

I'll still go ahead and recommend this one, particularly for the feminist angle. This is a book full of strong women, and that's never a bad thing. I also think this will be a win with fans of mythology retellings.

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Review: Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know

Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know by David Hone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Graham Mack
Presented by Highbridge Audio

Aw man, there were a lot of big words in this book!

I'm a dino enthusiast, and I thought the narrator was fantastic, and yet somehow I still found it a little too hard to follow.

Very thorough, though.

This is more of a reference for people who work in a relevant field, so lots of technical terms for the uninitiated. I found it quite difficult to absorb the information because there were too many scientific names and terms to navigate before arriving at the point. Those who understand such terms, however, will find some interesting ideas.

Another thing that bothered me was its readiness to fence sit. I think reiterating the point that we can only speculate on many things related to dinosaur behaviour allows freedom TO speculate. Yet rather than do so, this book works its way AROUND things rather than drawing any possible conclusions in the face of no support.

Basically? I wish this book had more courage.

The narrator did a great job of pronouncing everything and differentiating between parentheses etc, though unfortunately I did find his voice a little monotonous at times. Once again, it was all about straight up technical details - no room for frivolity here. The audio does a decent job of referencing pictures and diagrams in the print and e-book editions, though, so I wonder if seeing those images would alter a reading of this one and add a little more curiosity to the reading.

Some really interesting ideas here, but I think the author has designed it more to be a resource, rather than an interesting exploration that might appeal to all fans of uncovering dinosaur behaviour. I recommend it for those with a closer scientific knowledge, but casual dino fans might be a little underwhelmed.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Dangers of Smoking in Bed

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An intriguing collection, but not as satisfying as I hoped.

There are some really great, horrifying ideas here - undead children, haunted cities, creepy obsessions ... a lot of brilliant, unique ideas absolutely perfect for a collection of horror stories.

But almost every single one of them ends in such a way that the story seems unfinished, and it's incredibly frustrating. In many cases it's an unsatisfying ending, where the reader can infer many things. I don't mind this kind of thing every now and then, but when it's every single story it's kind of brutal.

I did, however, get sucked into every single story - I think that's why the abrupt endings hurt so much. This stuff is GOOOOOD.

So I really love the ideas she's produced for this collection, but I wanted more.

I'd still recommend it for horror fans, because the ideas in it are crazy. And I feel like maybe these are the kinds of stories that would hit harder on a second read or even just further contemplation. So horror fans, absolutely give it a shot.

For those who need clear cut resolutions with their short stories, though, prepare to be frustrated.

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Review: Everyone Has Secrets

Everyone Has Secrets by A.J. McDine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Tamsin Kennard
Presented by Bookouture Audio

Not quite the scandalous read I was expecting - more like a mother's trials and tribulations.

Eve has a 'perfect life', which changes when her best friend's daughter winds up in a coma after attending a birthday party for Eve's son, Joe.

I was expecting the classic trope of terrible rich people suddenly discovering their perfect lives aren't actually perfect, and while that is kind of the case, it was lacking drama and a little too predictable.

I didn't love or loathe any of the characters, really, which meant I wasn't fully committed to the story, and I thought some parts just seemed a bit too unbelievable - like it was trying to wring drama out of plot points that didn't really have any.

A lot of the story focuses on Eve's trials as a mother - how she has to stick up for her family, and look after her son in the process.

I do think mothers may find this resonates and so will enjoy it more thoroughly for that.

The narration was pretty decent, and distinguished each voice well. They played the part of Eve really well.

Wasn't quite enough for me to really lose myself to it, but I can see how this would be a thrilling read for others.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Dream Haunters: A Metaphysical Mystery of Magick

The Dream Haunters: A Metaphysical Mystery of Magick by Megan Mary
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Pearl Hewitt
Presented by Inner Realms Publishing

A cosy fantasy perfect for Halloween season.

This was a Listen Now on NetGalley and I needed something to listen to, so this ticked the box.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't cosy fantasy! The story follows Hannah, who heads to Maple Hollow after the mysterious disappearance of her Aunt Jewelia (and I'm glad I was listening, because the spelling of that name alone would have done me in - yikes!)

The atmosphere is perfectly Halloween-y, with dark and stormy nights, pumpkins and cats. Hannah is a likeable enough protagonist - very wholesome and sweet. She introduces herself to everyone in the town as she meets them, and quickly becomes a friend to several. Meanwhile, she sets about trying to learn more about the town's history, in order to solve the mystery of her Aunt's disappearance.

I liked the narrator, and her voice enhanced the vibe of the story. On paper, this would likely have disappointed through lack of excitement, but with this narrator it was like I got exactly what I was supposed to out of it. Low stakes and easy clues leading to a simple resolution.

Admittedly, the easy nature of the story meant I wasn't 100% tuned in, 100% of the time. I also had to listen at 2x speed so that I didn't doze off. Still, it was easy enough to follow and I didn't seem to miss much.

Overall, it was an easy listen that was a pleasant way to kill some time. I'd recommend it for fans of cosy mysteries - particularly those who like a sprinkling of fantasy and a dash of Halloween.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Chain of Feathers: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure

Chain of Feathers: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure by Seth Ring
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was definitely more middle-grade than I expected; like Yu-Gi-Oh meets Ranger's Apprentice.

The story follows 14-year-old Mateo as he's betrayed by his master and sent to a military training camp. Here, he'll learn how to survive, and hopefully how to become a Duelist.

So, essentially the story is a training montage only lengthy and drawn out. Mateo meets a couple of other misfits that he bands together with immediately - him telling them what to do because he's a know-it-all whereas the other two are incompetent idiots. Obviously.

Mateo is definitely the kind of character that always rubs me the wrong way. He's a brown-noser who always figures things out first and is the pet of whoever is in charge, and he tells everyone else what to do and they generally obey without question. He's such a bland character.

I did like the other two, though - nothing particularly new, but I did like that they had their own things going for them. The characters on the whole are nothing particularly fresh, and as such a lot of the interactions are familiar scenes. I didn't care too much for any of the characters, but young ones who don't read a lot should find themselves relating to at least one of them.

The card/duelling system was a little too much for my fantasy tastes. Cards slot into a person somehow which I didn't totally understand, but then I was never a big Yu-Gi-Oh kid. I think collectors of 'duelling' cards like Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering will understand this a little better and appreciate it on a whole other level. For me, it seemed like a bit of a gimmick that just wasn't enough to save a rather bland story from being completely unoriginal.

After reading, I can conclude that I'm very much NOT the target audience for this one. It wasn't for me at all, but I think there's plenty here that younger readers will enjoy. It's an adventure story which keeps things relatively simple while setting up for a grander adventure to come.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: A Cure for Sorrow

A Cure for Sorrow by Jen Wheeler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
Presented by Brilliance Audio

Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.

Firstly, this book sold itself to me with the promise of supernatural happenings, and I was sadly disappointed on that front. Also 'haunted secrets' - where were the secrets?? I was bored, bored bored.

My favourite part of this entire novel was the building of the relationship between Nora and Euan, and how it spoke about the loss after. This evoked some really strong feelings in me and I was sucked in completely.

However, once Nora starts to move forward it all just became a tangled mess of love affairs and damaged people and relationships and also FARMWORK which was so incredibly dull. Nora went from a character I adored to a character I loathed, and nothing interesting justified how long this story dragged on for. When the 'supernatural' finally turned up, I rolled my eyes and that was me emotionally done. From then on it was listening just to be done.

On the plus side, the narration was well done. She did a great job of defining characters with different voices, and added a lot of feeling to the story. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.

If this hadn't been an audiobook I think I would have straight up quit halfway. As it was, it really became a chore to listen to, and I was happy when it finally ended.

Perhaps fans of historical fiction will enjoy this more than I did, but there wasn't much beyond the narrator that could redeem it for me.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Withered Hill

Withered Hill by David Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was SO GOOD. Very eerie!

The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be in the unusual town she finds herself in.

From the get-go, I had no clue what was going on and loved every second of it. The people of Withered Hill are completely nuts, but at the same time there's a sad logic to the way they behave and the choices they make. Even their bizarre rituals make their own kind of sense.

The grey morality of this book was my favourite aspect - questionable things are done that have a clear logic, making the reader question who is really in the wrong. At the same time, there is a real menace over the town, creating an atmosphere that will make your skin crawl.

The book alternates between 'Inside' and 'Outside', so we witness the days leading up to Sophie's entry to Withered Hill, which are equally menacing. I really enjoyed the contrast, and followed events in each section with rapt attention.

I did enjoy the ending, but it felt a little heavy-handed on the exposition. Honestly, the way it wrapped up was mostly perfect but I still want MORE.

This was easy to devour, and is the perfect book to snag for Halloween season. It's an extraordinary blend of horror, thriller and mystery, with a fast pace and some clever considerations.

Highly recommend for horror fans!

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: The Wonder of Lost Causes

The Wonder of Lost Causes by Nick Trout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A sweet, heartwarming story but a little too cheesy for me by the end. Still solid, though.

The story revolves around Jasper, a young boy with Cystic Fibrosis, and his mother, Kate. Kate's a vet and as a consequence Jasper meets Whistler - a beat up senior mutt that he forms an instant connection with.

Personally?
Dogs -> yes
Kids -> no

I particularly dislike when a story (or part of) is narrated by a child, who misunderstands things and generally talks like a child. I get it, I get why people like it, but it's really not for me.

That said, Jasper was sweet enough. He's a bit of a unicorn, here- he's the kid who has a rotten life but is always beaming sunshine and rainbows. Nothing can get this kid down, and he's the one that's going to teach us (and his severely over-protective mother) how to appreciate the little things in life etc etc.

I'm not against the message, and I think it was told well through this specific trio of characters, but I feel it was a little long as by the end I was quite tired of hearing this child drop all these big quotes about life. He's twelve, for crying out loud. It really grated on me by the end. For most of the book, though, it's very wholesome. Jasper and Whistler are very sweet together and I think dog-lovers will really fall for the pair.

Kate has no character development until all of a sudden she does and that's equally unbearable. I needed subtle progression instead of 0-1oo. Harried mothers may see themselves in her a little and grant her a little more patience, but for me she was too much.

It was a great story, but a little too long to stay believable for me. I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't pull me in quite as much as I hoped for.

Still, a great read for the dog lovers.

With thanks to A&U for an ARC

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Review: The Fabled Earth

The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Presented by Harper Collins Focus

A sprawling, tangled weave of lives and stories.

I enjoyed it, but I did tune out a couple of times.

This is a historical fiction that follows three different women in two different times - Cleo in 1932, then again in 1959 alongside Frances and Audrey. They've all found themselves on Cumberland Island for different reasons, but their paths inextricably intertwine.

I enjoyed the flicking between times, and meeting Cleo at two very different points in life. It was fascinating to see how the times and events had changed her, and our first meeting left quite an impact that echoed well throughout the story.

Frances and Audrey were equally interesting characters, though admittedly not quite as fascinating to me.

There's a mystery and dead boys looming over everything, so there's a drive to get to the bottom of things there and work out what happened. Once it was solved, however, I felt the story dragged on a little. I think part of that may be because I tuned out a little, so had no burning desire to see what became of everyone afterwards.

The narration was decent and eloquent, but never particularly inspiring. The characters sounded similar, and nothing in the narration really stood out for me. It was okay, but I think it was part of the reason I found myself tuning out.

With that in mind, I think this would make a really excellent physical read. I think there's a lot of substance in the details here, so reading physically would really draw out that pleasure.

For fans of historical fiction, this is an excellent read. The characters are well rounded, and the writing will thoroughly drag you in. The fables were a little lacking for my tastes, but the story was entertaining enough to survive it and I found myself getting caught up in events easily.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: Leave the Girls Behind

Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thought-provoking, but a little too jumbled to hit as hard as it could have.

Another novel that focuses on the women behind crime, this book follows Ruth as she investigates the three women that may be connected to the murder of her friend 19 years ago.

I did enjoy the angle and I really love the way this author considers the impact of murder from multiple angles. There's some interesting insight here into the women vs women mentality that is so common in today's society, and I really enjoyed turning those thoughts over. Ruth is not a perfect heroine - her thoughts are flawed and coloured by her own traumas, and so it was interesting to try and read between the lines of what she was saying and doing.

That said, involving the other women did make this feel rather complicated, and it was hard to keep the stories straight. There seemed to be a lot of questionable coincidence, and I lost the thread a few times.

The writing was wonderful and lyrical, with some beautiful phrases and a powerful atmosphere, particularly where we met Rose. I did enjoy losing myself in the language, even if the story felt a little stilted.

I felt the idea was really clever and the themes important, but I think ultimately it was too much to keep straight. It was beautifully written for what it was, but I feel the important parts got lost a little bit in an over-complicated story.

Not quite the follow-up I'd hoped for after the standout debut, Before You Knew My Name but still some solid ideas here with beautiful writing. Worth a shot for the crime fans looking for something a little deeper.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Lynnette R Freeman
Presented by RB Media

A really fun read enhanced once again by Freeman's narration.

This is my first from this author but certainly won't be my last. It had a perfect blend of action, fantasy, and wit, and Eveen is tough and sassy but not obnoxiously so. Exactly the kind of blend I like.

The story follows our assassin, Eveen, when she's tasked with a kill she finds she can't carry out. It's one of the unbreakable rules, though, so trouble will inevitably follow if she doesn't commit the crime.

I don't quite know what I was expecting from this one, but it certainly wasn't what I got. This was funny and fast, and strayed into some interesting corners. The characters were delightful and I liked the variety.

The narration was fantastic, just as it was with the last book I listened to with this narrator (The Poisons We Drink - Review Here). I love the way she brings the story to life and infuses characters with personality flawlessly. She gives these characters their own unique voices so brilliantly that if you told me this was narrated by multiple people, I'd believe you. I didn't think I'd ever be the kind of person to choose a book based on narrator but you can bet I'll be looking for anything this woman does from now on.

Admittedly, with this being audio I did zone out a little more than I would have liked, but I'd happily listen to it again - it was just that fun.

Solid story, fun characters and superior narration. Happy to recommend this one to fantasy lovers and audio fans!

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Death on Gokumon Island

Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not quite as fast as the first, but equally addictive.

Book Two in the series, this sees Kindaichi returned from war, and traveling to Gokumon Island to share news of the death of his comrade with the man's family. The information he keeps to himself, though, is that the man's dying words requested Kindaichi go to the island to save his sisters from murder.

A noticeably thicker story than the first, this has a lot more detail leading up to perpetration of the crime(s). Clearly a product of its time, the story takes a little time to reflect on war and its consequences. However this is first and foremost a detective story and the author never forgets that.

The pacing was a little slower, but once the first crime happens there's a pretty puzzle to solve with many clues (and red herrings) to consider. There's an extensive cast of characters, all with their own quirks, and Kindaichi himself is loveably strange.

I really enjoy this series, and Kindaichi is a great character. He's smart and makes some clever deductions, but he's not without his flaws and he's not always greeted with open arms.

The story has plenty to think over, and will keep you guessing. Another fantastic installment in the series.

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Review: Goth

Goth by Otsuichi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oooh this was really fun! Lots of dark twists.

It's a book of short stories all tied together by the two main characters, who constantly find themselves entangled in the happenings of the many serial killers in their town.

Morino is the weirdo 'Goth' that our unnamed male narrator strikes up a friendship with - they're both fascinated by the morbid, so are drawn to one another. As the stories progress, you can see the dynamic is a little different than first expected, and it's quite fun to see things gradually become clearer.

The stories themselves are fantastically twisted and macabre. Some are partially narrated by the perpetrators, too, which is a special treat. The storytelling is done in such a way that the twists sneak up on you and in most cases had me exclaiming out loud - I felt tricked, and absolutely delighted by it.

I did pick this up after reading a comment from another reader stating it was the 'goriest book they'd ever read', so based on that I was a little disappointed, but otherwise this is a fantastically disturbing novel.

Highly recommend for horror fans, particularly for its unusual format and clever turns of phrase.

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Review: Houses of the Unholy

Houses of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was decent and the art was PERFECT but I just wanted MORE.

In the Satanic Panic era, a woman goes on the run with an FBI agent, but her past is catching up fast.

The story is short - too short. There's so much in this that I wanted to explore further and in more detail but there just wasn't time. This was fast-paced and chose action over exposition. Not a bad thing, as it keeps things interesting and dynamic, but I loved the story of it so much and I wanted to really lose myself in it.

This era of history fascinates me, so it was cool to get a story set amongst it all. The protagonist is a badass but she's not without her issues. I liked the team up of her and the cop, too - they worked well together. Some of the other characters were easy to loathe, but they also raised some interesting points amongst their villainy, so it was beautifully muddied waters. Plenty to think about, and a hint as to why the Satanic Panic took off like it did.

The artwork is just incredible - such a great use of colour, in particular, which is something I really like from this duo. The art always complements the story well, and that was no different here.

Another hit from Brubaker and Phillips - I'll definitely be sussing the hardcover in person when it releases!

With thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC

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Review: Signal to Noise

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Kyla Garcia
Presented by Spotify Audiobooks

Meche is kind of a terrible person, but I somehow still felt for her.

This was a sweet coming of age tale set in Mexico City, featuring a splash of magic to make things interesting. I enjoyed it.

Essentially, three friends discover magic through music, and decide to cast some spells to enhance their lives. But they're also moody teenagers, so naturally nothing goes smoothly.

It jumps back and forth between 2009, where Meche has returned to Mexico City after her father's passing, and 1989, when Meche and her friends, Sebastian and Daniela discovered magic.

This is very much an ode to music, with countless titles and artists mentioned, and a cheeky throwback to Walkmans and record players. I imagine the nostalgia will hit harder for those who grew up in Mexico City or surrounds, but even as an Aussie I found myself chuckling at my own memories similar to what the characters were experiencing.

As much of the story focuses on the three teens, there are a lot of emotions flying around. It's easy to judge Meche but when one recalls what kids are like, the feelings toward Meche soften. I thought she was a well crafted character, and the different shades of her personality fitted well to make this story interesting, if dramatic in the way only teenage drama can be.

The narrator did a great job of telling the story and injecting personality into each of the characters. I find I really enjoy the audio presentations of books that use foreign (to me) languages, because the pronunciation is naturally better than I'd read in my head and it gives it a much more authentic feel. So I'm very appreciative of the narrator for that. She did a great job.

A fun listen, and a great example of the scope of this author's writing. I believe this is a re-release of her debut novel, so I'm happy to have experienced it.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Mercy of Gods

The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

DAMN this was insane and made me feel things.

The plot sees Dafyd and his friends kidnapped by an alien race and transported to another world, where they're forced to prove themselves 'useful' or suffer the nasty consequences.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot, because I really enjoyed how completely unpredictable it was so I'd hate to spoil that for someone else. But, safe to say, this particular alien race is quite a nasty foe.

So much of how I felt reading this book relates to the contemplations of humanity, and how humans would feel and adapt to such situations. I think that's something Corey does well - they can plant the story in a completely foreign setting surrounded by completely foreign creatures and entities, and you still end up mulling over humanity with all of its strengths and weaknesses.

The characters portrayed those ideas brilliantly; even though I didn't like Dafyd at all, his behaviours made this story so much stronger. I loved reading the different reactions and thought processes, and while I sometimes didn't agree with what a character was doing or thinking, I easily understood it.

This story takes a lot of care to develop its characters, but its never dull. There's always action just around the corner, and it's hard to catch a breath before the next twist knocks you for six. As mentioned, I loved how wildly unpredictable it was.

Such a brilliant, fascinating read, that touched some very deep emotions within me. Easily one of my favourites this year, and I can't wait for the next installment!

With thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC

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Review: Echoes of Memory

Echoes of Memory by Sara Driscoll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
Presented by RB Media

An interesting premise, but the story was a little too slow for my tastes.

A woman with a traumatic brain injury witnesses a murder, but her condition means she has to write everything down before she forgets what's happened. But once the memories fade, how does she tell what's real and what's not?

I really liked the idea of it, and Quinn was likeable enough as a protagonist. I appreciated the detective and that, for the most part, Quinn wasn't treated like a nutjob. There was a lot of respect given to her and her condition, and the inclusion of her TBI support group helped explain the condition in a compassionate way.

Aside from that, I never really became as invested in the story as I wanted to be. I found myself tuning out a lot and losing interest and therefore focus. There's a lot of attention on Quinn's injury and how she goes about everyday life with it, so it took away from the crime aspect a lot and really slowed the story down.

The narrator did a decent job bringing the characters to life, though some sounded similar enough that I was a little confused as to who was speaking. I also got genders mixed up a bit and lost track of some of the less distinctive characters.

I did enjoy it, but it wasn't particularly memorable. It was an easy enough listen with an interesting premise, but not quite thrilling enough to hook me.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Lauren Ezzo, Mel Foster
Presented by Brilliance Audio

A rather disturbing crime novel, presented well through audio.

I think it probably would have been more satisfying as a read, but I also wouldn't have got around to it as soon as I did, so split the difference, I guess! It was still an easy 4-star read - tense, intriguing, and disturbing, with plenty of twists and questions to keep you guessing.

Maya tells FBI agent, Victor Hanoverian, about her time in 'The Garden' - where a serial killer keeps his 'Butterflies'. The wings tattooed on Maya's back mark her as one, as do those on the backs of the other women the FBI has recently rescued.

The story moves easily between the past in the garden and the present, where Maya brings the detectives up to speed on what happened there. The short version? Nothing nice.

The story is first and foremost a crime novel in my eyes, but it does indeed border on horror. Less jump scares and atmosphere, but plenty of horrific things are done to these girls to warrant the label.

I found it easy to fall into, and the narrators did well to bring these characters to life. It was a little strange to have Maya narrate her parts, but then the male narrator voice her during his own parts, but not so much that it took me out of the story.

This is an addictive story that will keep you guessing til the last moment. I really enjoyed it, and I'm curious enough to look into the sequel.

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Review: The Honjin Murders

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is exactly how I like my detective novels - clever and straight to the point!

The story is set in late 1930s Japan, in a small town where a murder has been committed.

This book sets it out perfectly: set up, crime scene, clues, suspects, resolution. There's no side story about the tragic past of the grizzled detective on the case, there's no romance, there is no empty apartment with a lone cat for companionship. It commits to being a murder mystery with no extra fluff and I honestly could not have been happier.

The storytelling is quite fun, with it being penned by an unnamed chronicler, much like John Watson told the stories of Sherlock Holmes. Our detective Kosuke Kindaichi bears a strong resemblance, too - he's determined to use logic to solve the puzzles of crime and often notices the minute details others easily miss. He enjoys the thrill of solving a well-perpetrated crime and, as a consequence, often expresses joy at the most inappropriate times.

The crime itself was fascinating, with many random clues that didn't at all seem to relate. I loved how random it all seemed, and thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion. It's nice to read such a tangled, unpredictable story after so many crime novels with the same formula.

I picked this one after listening to book #5 on audio and enjoying it thoroughly, and I wasn't disappointed. It was great to read the first book introducing Kindaichi, and I've got the second one ready to go!

Highly recommend to lovers of detective novels and crime puzzle-solving.

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Review: When the Moon Hatched

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok so I'm gonna need a happy ending to this story ASAP.

The story follows our Friendly Neighbourhood Assassin, Raeve, who gets caught doing assassin things and finds herself in hot water. In the process, she meets a mysterious (devastatingly handsome) male, who seems to have met her before. Naturally, things are gonna get dangerous, and things are gonna get spicy. There are also dragons.

I'm honestly so torn over rating this one. It was such a beautiful, addictive story, full of insanely good world-building, delightful characters, and a deep, meaningful love story. But I also just have such a low tolerance for smut in fantasy. I'm still mad at Sarah J. Maas for causing this massive surge of graphic sex scenes in what would otherwise be epic fantasy novels.

That said, everything about this book that would normally annoy me seemed so fresh here. Raeve is the hardcore tough female who refuses to get close to anyone because otherwise they get hurt, and Kaan is the classic brooding male who will move heaven and earth for his true love. Raeve's stubbornness definitely frustrated me at times but still I liked her and her tenacity. Her trauma feels real and genuine and I think because of the way that aspect was handled, it made her stubbornness more believable. I could see why she was hurting so much.

Kaan's love, on the other hand, was so pure and unconditional that I couldn't help but be moved by it.

Outside of the romance, there's such a great story here about tyrant kings, corrupt government, missing memories, trauma, friendship and, of course, dragons. There's a trigger warning list in the back of the book, so check it out if you have some concerns because this book does not pull punches.

I was completely enamoured with this world. The setting is richly detailed but simple enough to follow easily. The world is easy to fall into and vibrant with colourful creatures. The dragons were spectacular, and this is easily one of the best dragon stories I've read. There are just not enough dragons in fantasy these days, so it's incredibly satisfying when they're as well done as they were in this book.

But.

I'm a bit old school in that I feel like graphic sex scenes kinda tarnish the romance. I think you can tell an epic love story - and more effectively - without needing to talk about how much they want to jump each other's bones. I believe the intimate details about their physiological responses reduces the relationship to base needs, and detracts from the emotional connection being formed.

I wanted to be swept up in their love story, not their sex lives.

Still, I couldn't help but love this story. There was so much to it that had me reading compulsively, and I still have so many questions. The characters were so easy to love, and I want more of characters like Veya, whose chapters were rare but so incredibly fun.

There's a family tree, glossary and pronunciation guide at the back of the book, which I found didn't really give me any info I hadn't drawn from the story but still added to the depth of the world. I'm so keen to jump back in and learn more details about this place and its creatures.

This would have been an easy 5-star without the smut. Still, even with the smut this is a 4.5.

I'll call it 4 for now since I'm very picky about giving 5 stars, but may round it up later if it stays on my mind.

With thanks to Harper Collins for a copy

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Review: Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hectic.

This is a Joker origin story and it's wild. Joker's determined to prove it only takes One Bad Day to turn the sanest person crazy.

The story is super dark but it's fascinating to finally get a reason for Joker's descent into madness. He's a proper villain here, showing why he stands as Batman's greatest adversary. It was chilling to read at times.

Artwork is solid and matches the tone of the story so well. Some really clever style choices, and the colours are just as insane as the Joker. Brilliantly complements the story.

This is one of the big stories that all Batman fans need to read. It's brilliant and important and short enough that it won't take too much reading time.

A little too dark to say I enjoyed it, but it was really well done and I highly recommend it to Batman fans.

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Review: The Paleontologist

The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

An okay story with some interesting info about paleontology, but ultimately disappointing.

Simon has returned to his hometown to take a job at the Hawthorne Museum - the same place his little sister went missing from when they were kids. He's determined to figure out what happened to her, but he's also being haunted by the dinosaur ghosts of the museum.

I am always here for dinosaurs, but I think this one tried too hard to be for real. I mean, dino ghosts?? I'd have been fully on board if this had just embraced the supernatural but instead it introduces South African spiritual beliefs (among other strange excuses) to justify the bizarre occurrences. As such, the happenings and explanations were a massive stretch and I couldn't get involved as much as I wanted to.

Simon is a deplorable character who I never warmed up to. He's whiny and makes a lot of dumb decisions. I found myself constantly frustrated by his behaviour. He also jumps to conclusions constantly which is one of my pet hates. Just stop and THINK for a second!

This is set in peak Covid era, so there's plenty of talk of masks, social distancing, isolation, and of course the museum is closed as a consequence. That works for the eerie hauntings, but wasn't entirely necessary. That said, I kind of appreciated that it was part of the story. It's officially part of our world, now, so it makes sense that more recent stories set in our world should mention it.

Still, the hauntings were dismal. It was more jumping at shadows than any decent scares or horror.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I wish the dino-ghosts were given more time and respect, and I wish this book had just run full throttle with the idea.

I'd have a hard time recommending this for the horror, but there is still plenty of info on dinosaurs and paleontology. The story is kind of sad and pathetic, but it's still curious enough to hold the interest.

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Review: Werewolf: The True Story of an Extraordinary Police Dog

Werewolf: The True Story of an Extraordinary Police Dog by David Alton Hedges
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Michael Puttonen
Presented by Post Hypnotic Press Audiobooks

I think I would have liked this more with a different narrator, but it was an okay listen for a freebie.

This is the true story of Police dog, Brag, and his handler. The author starts with the beginning of their relationship, and how things were rocky at first, but eventually the two developed a close working partnership, which did of course graduate to friendship.

The relationship between dog and handler was sweet, though it was hard for me to imagine such a fierce, cold dog. Brag is tough, arrogant, and clinical in his work. It was quite fascinating listening to the different anecdotes about how a dog fits in with police work, but it was hard to get to like this dog in the beginning.

That said, there's a lot more to being part of a K9 unit than I suspected, and I did get a quiet joy out of knowing these dogs are out there biting bad guys.

There was a great balance of police work and details of the relationship between the two. I found the author's behaviour questionable at times, but the pair seemed to suit each other quite well. The structure of the story was clever and followed a logical progression.

The narration really didn't work for me. He seemed to inject feeling and emotion that didn't match the words, and I found myself thinking about how I would have read it different. I was frustrated with how it kept pulling me out of the story. It's also a bit of a weird complaint, but with this being an autobiography I found it frustrating that the voice didn't really match the person I envisioned. Basically, the story sounded much more hardcore than the guy telling the story. Sorry!

Overall, though, it was an interesting listen. It's not the kind of book I would normally pick up for myself, so I'm glad it was a 'listen now', otherwise I probably wouldn't have bothered.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Murder on Devil's Pond

Murder on Devil's Pond by Ayla Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Maria Ru-Djen
Presented by Dreamscape Media

This was a sweet lil cosy mystery!

Hannah Solace runs a sweet lil inn with her sister Reggie, until one of her close friends - an 80yr old recluse - is murdered. Now she has to solve the mystery in order to clear her name.

This whole story felt very wholesome.

Hannah strikes me as an old lady at heart - her bond with Ezra forms over birds and bees, plants and gardening. Their relationship is sweet, and there was certainly no harm in a dog being involved, too. I really liked the setup.

Ezra naturally has a greedy family, greedy neighbours, and a secret past, so there's plenty to keep you guessing. Most of the characters beyond Hannah and Ash are frustrating and shallow, helping us sympathise with Hannah and what she's going through.

I thought the characters were well-written, and brought to life well by the narrator. Not too many pauses, and a lively voice helped the story to flourish and kept me entertained.

The mystery didn't suck me in too much, but at the same time it was just pleasant to listen to the story flow along. I enjoyed travelling along with it and the conclusion was satisfying. A little bit of a stretch in places, but ultimately sweet enough to be entertaining throughout.

I'd recommend this easily to fans of cosy mysteries. It's the first in the series, too, so we can look forward to more of Hannah and her delightful little inn.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Elsewhere

Elsewhere by Sarah Tierney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Lorna Bennett, Kat Rose-Martin
Presented by Dreamscape Media

Pretty thin in the suspense department. I was expecting a dead body at some stage though so that's probably on me and my misguided expectations.

The story here follows estranged sisters Catherine and Anna as they come together for a couple weeks at a cabin off the grid. No wi-fi, no electricity, just each other and a bunch of strange happenings. Hmm.

So things get a little creepy for the sisters when someone trashes their outside area early on, and then suddenly their water runs brown. A local explains it's just peat in the water and that this is a regular occurrence after rain, but Catherine is convinced it's something more sinister.

Basically, this book is a lot of Catherine being convinced someone is out to get her with not really much reason.

I found her chapters almost unbearable. She comes across as paranoid and a little crazy, rather than the story seeming eerie and thrilling. Her chapters were slow and frustratingly deluded. I didn't like her at all and I found myself eager to get back to Anna.

Anna was much more fun, and her chapters injected a little more cheer. She seemed a little more logical, and more likely to think things through. She was able to think of solutions, but she was also very boy-focused which does get a little tiring after a while.

Ultimately, I just didn't really like the characters, and there wasn't enough happening for this to feel like a thriller to me. There was an interesting twist but it didn't seem to fit the story at all - it seemed more like the story was built around the twist and, as a consequence, there wasn't a lot of substance.

Narration was kind of awful - Catherine's chapters were morose and slow, hard to understand at times and there wasn't a lot of character coming through her voice. Anna's narrator was a little better, but there still seemed to be times where the emotions didn't seem to match the words.

I thought this would be an eerie murder mystery but it's really just two lonely girls hanging out in an isolated cabin for a little bit. There just wasn't much here for me to get into.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Assassin of Venice

The Assassin of Venice by Alyssa Palombo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella
Presented by Dreamscape Media

Exceptional!

This was such great fun!

Valentina is a courtesan, but also happens to be an assassin. She loves what she does and she's good at it, too. But her next assignment leaves her questioning everything.

Man, I was HOOKED! The narrator drew me straight in, had me onside with Valentina and Bastiano instantly, and listening to things unfold was so entertaining.

Valentina is a fantastic leading lady - she's confident without being arrogant, and she's competent. She enjoys what she does and feels no shame, and she creates meaningful connections - it's not all about seduction and manipulation (though there's plenty of that, too). She's easy to root for, and the narrator did such a fantastic job of bringing her to life.

The story is full of intrigue, with plenty to keep you hanging on. Her life as a courtesan is interesting enough, before adding in everything else! There's never a dull moment and the characters do well to hold the story strong.

The Venetian setting is delightful and well crafted, and the historical aspect adds a real romanticism to everything. I loved the time I spent in this world - it was truly fascinating.

Absolute props to the narrator - was not bored for a second. She brought the characters to life, distinguished everyone so well, while somehow conveying the different levels of wealth through voice alone. Masterfully performed and I would happily listen to this narrator any day.

Immensely enjoyed this one, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more from this author AND narrator.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Secrets of Rose Briar Hall

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Sofia Willingham
Presented by HighBridge Audio

Not quite what I was expecting, so a little disappointing, but still some interesting ideas.

I thought this was going to be a murder mystery, but it was really more concerned with feminism and the treatment of women as objects during this time period (early 1900s).

The story's catalyst is a party, during which a guest died. Our protagonist, Millie, hosted the party with her husband, Charles, but remembers nothing of it. She awakens weeks later with a pounding headache and no memory of what's occurred.

From the beginning, everyone is very secretive, and it's instantly frustrating how everyone coddles Millie, refusing to tell her the truth. The story that follows seems more a question of whether she's a victim of gaslighting or whether Millie truly is mentally unwell.

I liked Millie as a lead - she's quite intelligent, and not afraid to speak up for herself. She suspects wrongdoing and makes it known, but then is forced to face the consequences of not being quiet and meek and going along just to get along.

I enjoyed that aspect of it - exploring the discrimination from someone willing to speak out against it, but also seeing those consequences of being so outnumbered. At the same time, I thought there would be more about the events of the party than there was, so I was a little disappointed in that regard. Still, I was kept curious about the truth of what had happened and was happening.

The romance didn't do a lot for me, and I was disappointed in Millie a bit for her actions at times. Some of it made her a little hypocritical I felt, even if it made sense.

The narrator did a decent job of invoking sympathy for Millie, and differentiated the characters well. I did listen at 1.75x speed, so lots of pauses, but otherwise she read it okay.

This was an easy listen - not quite the murder mystery I was expecting, but an interesting historical fiction providing a glimpse into the discrimination women faced during the early 1900s.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings Omnibus

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings Omnibus by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bruh I am NOT OKAY.

You can read my individual thoughts for each part in my reading progress, but basically this was a rollercoaster.

I really loved the beginning - seeing Roland's battle with Cort play out in such vivid detail was a great opener and it made me very happy. Then watching the gang's adventures in Hambry, knowing how things were going to go down, was quite a thrill. I've always loved Cuthbert and Sheemie's relationship so it was cool to see it here.

The road back to Gilead was a new story created for the graphic novels, and while it was nice to have some new material I felt this one dragged on a bit. It was great for Bert and Alain to have their time to shine but I slowed down a bit at this point as overall it just didn't interest me as much.

Seeing Gilead in its glory was a lot of fun, though, and the new stories that came out here were fantastic. There's so much lore to this world, but throughout the seven-novel series we discover very little about Roland's early years in the city. So it was nice to get a glimpse of how things were, even if they didn't fit quite as seamlessly as I hoped they would.

The Fall of Gilead was absolutely gut-wrenching. This is something we readers of the novels knew happened, but details have always been vague. I've always wanted to know how such a magnificent, powerful place fell to ruin, but seeing it all play out was heartbreaking. There was always a polite distance between Roland's past and his present in the novels, so being confronted with that in-between time and witnessing everything falling apart is really brutal. My heart ached for these characters I'd come to know so well.

I do really love the characters of the series, so in the graphic novel format we do unfortunately lose so much of the nuances of who they are. I was glad to have read the novels first, so I knew these characters better.

This is also, I think, why the last volume was not enough for me. I knew tragedies were coming but they were so quickly left behind in the graphic novel version, due to the nature of the format. There's so much awfulness, pain, death, tragedy, but six issues is just not enough time to feel and grieve it all. It wasn't at all like I'd pictured when reading the novels so I wanted more.

That said, Robin Furth and team have absolutely delivered here. Robin's knowledge and understanding of King's world is incredible and she handles it with great respect, understanding and love. The artwork suits the story perfectly, and the characters are vivid and memorable. The way the stories have been transported into the graphic novel format is simply incredible, and as someone obsessed with the novels I was so incredibly grateful for how brilliantly this was done.

The graphic novel collection also includes short stories and insights into mid-world, which was an unexpected delight. This colours in our understanding of Roland's world and enhances the overall experience. I loved all the extra details, but I did get impatient at times so skipped some of the end stories with the intention of going back at a later time.

Overall, this made my heart happy. Bruised, battle-worn and weary, but happy.

A must-read for fans of the novels, and highly recommended for people wanting to access such a massive story in a slightly easier format. Also just a fantastic read for graphic novel fans of darker fantasy and horror.

I loved it - I hope you do, too.

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Review: Do What Godmother Says

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Aure Nash, York Whitaker
Presented by Dreamscape Media

A slow start, but otherwise this was rather entertaining.

I enjoyed the dual timelines (not the narration of dual timelines, but I'll get to that later) and our two protagonists. I really loved Estelle - she seemed so switched on and I was quite sad for how things went down for her. Shanice bothered me a little, but I think a bit of that was to do with the narration. She's a strong character but I thought she was a little dense at times.

The narration was a real pain for me. I loved Estelle's narration - the voice was easy to listen to, it was expressive, and it was easy to tell characters apart. However, the narrator for Shanice was awful. She paused in weird places, added emphasis in strange spots, and often the way she expressed the words didn't match up with what the words were actually saying. She read slowly, with many pauses, and unfortunately had a slight speech impediment that became quite irritating to me by the end. I feel like a d*ck for mentioning it because it's not something I'd normally care about, but along with everything else from this narrator it just ended up pulling me out of the story.

I listened to Estelle's parts at 1.5x speed, but had to bump Shanice's parts up to x2. That was incredibly annoying, especially when my hands were busy with other tasks.

The story itself, though, was really fun. There's 'Godmother', who is the quietly menacing patron that is supposed to be looking after Estelle but is quite clearly swindling everyone. Both girls became acquainted with new fellas and I didn't really like either of them, but I also tuned out the relationship bits a little so that's probably on me. I was sucked into the mystery of what had happened to Estelle and how the painting came to be in Shanice's family.

The atmosphere is sufficiently creepy, and this progresses along with the story, leading to some decent chills towards the end. The historical parts shed some decent light on treatment of black women at this time.

I found the pacing a bit off, and my mind did wander at times. But I did enjoy the mystery and atmosphere.

An interesting, quietly creepy story that kept me entertained throughout.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Arsenic Eater's Wife

The Arsenic Eater's Wife by Tonya Mitchell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Penelope Rawlins
Presented by Dreamscape Media

A slow start for me but it did finally hook my interest.

Wasn't a huge fan of the narrator - her voice was quite soft making it hard to hear at times, even at a higher volume. That said, she still did a decent job filling the characters with life and differentiating between them.

The story jumps back and forth in time, which was a little confusing at first since I was tuning out some of it. But once it hooked my attention I followed it okay and appreciated the glimpses at the past as it related to the case in the present.

I was surprised by how long this went - it covered many more years than I anticipated and took a bit of an odd turn, I felt, towards the end. I started to lose interest again.

I think this is one I would have enjoyed more if I'd read it physically. The premise really interested me but the audio lost me early on, making it a little harder to commit to. But the mystery did eventually pull me in and I enjoyed listening along.

Historical fiction fans will no doubt take special delight in the arsenic angle, but on the whole this is still an interesting murder mystery tale.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: NecroTek

NecroTek by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by Ray Porter
Presented by Blackstone Publishing

BADASS.

My first ever audio 5-stars. Loved it from start to finish!

Wasn't sure how I'd go listening to this one, but it hooked me almost immediately and just refused to let go.

This does a decent character dive while dealing with the fallout of a catastrophic space incident. There are multiple layers to the story told through multiple parts and it progresses rapidly. The action is phenomenal and the moral implications and considerations added an extra depth.

I loved the characters - Bianca particularly stands out as a hero and I loved listening to her and her Lost Souls in action. Soren was quietly sympathetic, and even Lady Death played an intriguing part.

The story progression was well done, with time taken to do things well but not necessarily getting bogged down in detail. I was swept up easily and was always eager to get back to the story.

Narration was fantastic. He went above and beyond with the alien speech and conveyed some truly horrific moments with perfection. I had chills and thrills and even jumped a little at times. Brilliantly done.

I enjoyed this one so thoroughly that I'll be looking to buy a physical copy as soon as it releases. I feel like this would just get better with a second read, so I'm already looking forward to it.

Highly recommend for fans of science fiction.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: City of Books

City of Books by Nicole Meier
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by: Cindy Kay
Presented by: Dreamscape Media

A disappointingly mediocre story, I'm afraid.

A misleading title, City of Books is set in a bookstore that is threatened by the decline in health of its owner. Jo, manager of the store, holes up with the employees in an effort to prevent the family from closing it down.

I found the whole thing to be a bit of a yawn fest, to be honest. As much as I love books, and books about books, there was just not a lot of story here.

Jo and the employees go about boxing up product, filling online orders, and dealing with the publicity their rebellion has stirred up. There's not really much drama or excitement, nor much to get invested in beyond the possible closure of a fictional bookstore.

Even the implied romance was bland, with nothing of note happening until the story is wrapping up.

The narrator was okay, but there were a lot of pauses and I was able to listen at 2.5x speed without much trouble.

Overall, just not a lot in this one to get excited about.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Hera

Hera by Jennifer Saint
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted badass but I got ... mopey. Not quite what I wanted, and sadly kind of dull.

When I think of Hera, Queen of the Gods, I think of petty vengeance and ferocity. I think of her as bold, brave, and confident.

I was excited for a book that would take these things and show us a villain in a new light, but instead this book tries to make her something of a beaten-down heroine? It really didn't work for me.

I didn't like Hera as a character here at all, and I felt the story really washed her out and turned her into a victim. It seemed to be fighting so hard to tell a feminist story that it forgot women can be villains, too. Hera is well-known for her wrath and it was so washed out, here.

The storytelling was also to blame, I feel. It takes all the big stories from Greek mythology and mostly glosses over them all in a sentence or two - as though it was essential to include all these things but the author didn't really want to. I would have preferred less references in lieu of further detail. As a consequence of the sparse detail, it feels like nothing really notable happens - it's just the bland passing of time.

I just wanted so much more story than what I got. It was disappointing to get to the end and feel that I hadn't really felt anything at all.

An ambitious goal, but I do feel it fell flat. Others may appreciate this more sympathetic take on the famous Queen, but it didn't quite meet my expectations.

With thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC

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Review: Running Close to the Wind

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Casey Jones
Presented by RB Media

I honestly have absolutely no idea what happened in this book amongst all the d*ck jokes and sexual innuendo. Something to do with pirates which could have actually been cool but definitely wasn't.

Complete trash.

Unless you're into d*ck jokes, I guess.

I lost hope for this almost immediately, and if it hadn't been a NetGalley read I'd have DNF'd it on the spot.

The barrage of sex jokes is so off-putting that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes and tuning out. There are characters here that deserved better than what they were given, and I found it so disappointing.

Nothing really seemed to happen - there's a serpent at one stage and a ridiculous baking competition (??!) but not really much else beyond a bunch of boys wanting to f*ck each other etc. It got real old, real fast.

Honestly, I just ended up tuning so much of it out. I was actually listening at 3x speed at one stage just to try and get through it.

The only reason this gets a second star from me is for the narration, which was absolutely spectacular. Honestly, if you are into sassy boys who make a LOT of d*ck jokes then you should actually enjoy this immensely and I highly recommend the audio because the delivery was brilliant.

Story, though? Forget it.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This Skin Was Once Mine: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Narrated by Natalie Naudus

I should have known.

It started like a pretty standard story, but damn did it twist! I thought I knew where it was going but of course I had no idea.

Which just made me love it more. It was so tangled and messed up and it kept going. The downside to audio is you can't flick through and work out how many pages left, so you're just swept up and forced to suffer for as long as the story chooses to go. And I mean that as a compliment - after all, we horror lovers to enjoy suffering.

Narration was perfect - interesting and easy to follow characters, with believable performance when it was crucial.

An early standout.

Seedling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Narrated by Andre Santana

Holy wow this was creepy. I got ICK.

A short but definitely not sweet story about things under the skin. The delivery here was perfect and had my skin crawling. Perfectly awful.

Narrator did a great job of conveying the horror of this one.

All the Parts of You That Won't Easily Burn: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Narrated by Michael Crouch

This took so many turns and I had no idea where it was going. It was twisted and odd and yet completely captivating. I spoke a few 'eww!'s out loud, and felt all kinds of uncomfortable sensations listening to this one. Another brilliant job by the narrator.

Prickle: ⭐⭐⭐
Narrated by Steven Crossley

WOW what a banger of a way to finish this collection. It's horrorific but it also made me laugh out loud. Nice.

I really enjoyed the way it escalated. Nasty, nasty lil piece, this one.

Decent narrator, adding believable voices to the characters.

Overall Thoughts
I liked this collection so much more than the author's last. Everything twisted so beautifully, but never so much as to reveal the end destination. Atmosphere was built exceptionally well and I became quickly invested in each story.

Fantastic writing with some excellent, disturbing ideas.

Also appreciated that there was a different narrator for each story - and each one did such a brilliant job bringing these disturbing characters to life.

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