Review: Watersnakes

Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was decent, but I feel like there was a lot of symbolism that was just lost on me.

It's a whimsical tale about two girls forming a friendship, one of whom has a bit of a teeth fetish? There's water and skeleton dogs and ethereal characters coming up from the depths.

The artwork is eerie but sweet, giving the characters elfin features, unrealistically thin figures and moist eyes. There's a dark, creepy quality to it which layers over the whimsy of the story quite well.

The story itself was interesting enough; short and sweet. I wish I hadn't read the blurb as I feel part of the story would have landed harder without foreknowledge of it.

All in all, this was a decent read to spend an hour or so with. Strange, but entertaining.

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Review: We Don't Talk About Emma

We Don't Talk About Emma by J.D. Barker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Piper Goodeve
Presented by RB Media

Can't say this one really did much for me.

A cop goes out to kill a man who got away with rape, only to discover he's already been bumped off. The main suspect is the girl he got away with raping, and she's fled into the belly of New Orleans.

The story gets pretty messy from here, and for some reason Nikki has zero concerns about the fact that she was at the crime scene. Instead, everyone just assumes Emma is the killer and ignores any kind of actual crime solving while they commence the manhunt. So the biggest pull this story had is immediately swept under the rug.

I'm gonna be honest - I didn't really like any of these characters. There's a lot between Nikki and Keith that makes it seem like this is a sequel, yet it's supposed to be a standalone. Not sure what's up with that. The romance between the two felt clunky and awkward and mostly pointless.

There's also a confusing cast of villains with similar personalities and the audio had most of the voices sounding the same so I found it difficult to keep straight who everyone was. I was getting names mixed up a lot and not sure where other characters were relevant.

Aside from that, there's just really not a lot to this story. It's mostly just cops chasing Emma, and a couple of creative deaths here and there to try and stay interesting.

The narration was okay, with enough inflection to keep the story clear, but as mentioned the voices all sounded the same to me so it was hard to tell people apart. I'd give this narrator another go, though, as I think it's more a fault of generic characters.

All in all, okay for a freebie but I wouldn't go out and buy it, and crime fans won't find anything special here.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Batman vs. Robin

Batman vs. Robin by Mark Waid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a fun read, but it serves ultimately as a prequel to DC's Lazarus Planet event.

As a consequence, the first four issues are fantastic, but the fifth jumps to the AFTER, so it's place as the final piece of the story is clunky. If you'd like the whole story, make sure you get the Lazarus Planet story alongside this one, so you can read that between issues 4 and 5.

I loved the way this plays with Batman's history with each Robin. Ultimately, it's about Bruce and Damian, but there are some great moments featuring the other Robins as well.

I do enjoy the magic side of things, though I've found it hit and miss within DC's different stories. Here, I enjoyed it, and I liked how the villains came together. It seemed logical enough for me so I was happy to be along for the ride.

The final issue makes things a bit messy and changes the tone completely, but up until that point it's a great story.

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Review: TILL THE LAST PIECE: THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR MURDER

TILL THE LAST PIECE: THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR MURDER by Kenneth Cruz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Dena Kouremetis
Presented by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op

Macabre Minutes #1.

This was fine I guess for a 30min free listen.

It's quick to the point, and the story is decent enough, though it's definitely easy to suss from a mile away. I feel like it's the kind of plot you read and then swear you've read before elsewhere. So it was okay, but nothing outstanding.

My biggest issue was the narrator - she was fine, but she sounded more like a lil old grandma reading a bedtime story than a vengeful young wife. I just never got into the true horror headspace of the story because I was waiting for some kind of grandma/little old lady twist.

There's not enough here to really recommend, but if you're after a short listen and you have NetGalley it's an easy way to kill 30min.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Prince Without Sorrow

The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked it, but it also wasn't as memorable as I wanted it to be.

Plot: Shakti is a badass (persecuted) witch, and Ashoka a pacifist prince. Naturally their lives entangle.

Although not all that much? I expected there to me more interaction between the two, but this book is mainly focused on Ashoka and his sibling rivalry. I enjoyed it, but it was a little tiresome after a bit and Ashoka never felt properly fleshed out to me.

Shakti was a fantastic character, and I loved that she's a bit morally grey. She makes emotional decisions that are not always smart but are always justifiable. I appreciated that. If this book had followed her a little more and given her more chance to shine, I probably would have given an extra star.

The writing was decent enough for a debut, but I do feel it was a little flat. There's not a lot of emotional depth to the story besides hammering home the point of how badly the witches are treated.

I enjoyed it well enough, but I don't think there was enough in this one to get me to pick up the sequel.

*Buddy read with Juliette*

With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC

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Review: The Labyrinth House Murders

The Labyrinth House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Me while reading: I mean, it's good, but it's a bit predictable.

Me at the end: HOLY HECK DID I NOT SEE THAT COMING.

Yet another Japanese locked room mystery that I really enjoyed. There are puzzles throughout, and even when I thought I knew what was happening there were parts I couldn't solve. Really kept me guessing.

Fascinating characters, fun explanations, and appropriately ghastly deaths.

Also really enjoyed the brief reference to my other current favourite Japanese Detective, Kosuke Kindaichi.

I'll definitely be looking for more in this series.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: Victorian Psycho

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Anna Burnett
Presented by RB Media

I think this would have been better as a read, as opposed to a listen.

It's told first person by a governess, who is driven by the homicidal thoughts she tries to stifle.

Sentences transform in the middle and it can be quite disorienting when listening, but I suspect it would come across as quite clever in written form. I found it a little too strange to listen to and actually listened twice in a row as I was convinced I'd missed things. Turns out I hadn't missed much at all - the book just changes that abruptly.

Some of it was a little too bizarre for me, and it seems more like black comedy than horror. There are elements that are quite absurd and just don't fly as realistic, giving this a more satirical feel.

The audio narrator matched the book's narrator really well in my mind, and her performance was fantastic for the content. I do feel the audio format lessened my enjoyment of this book, but this was never a fault of the narrator.

I think there were some really interesting elements to this story and I can see it gathering a cult following for its bizarreness. I would be interested to read a physical copy because I feel like maybe the audio format doesn't do it justice. I'd happily recommend it to horror fans looking for something a little more unusual.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fantastic read this was!

I was unaware whose crimes this was actually based on, and I appreciated that the author chose not to name him. This is a fictional account that considers the lives he destroyed, and I think it's a powerful statement to refer to him simply as The Defendant.

The story is told by two women - Pamela, who witnessed the perpetrator leaving the crime scene after the brutal assaults and murders of her sorority sisters, and Ruth, a victim. Pamela's story switches between 2021 - 43 years later - and 1978, the year of the murders.

I enjoyed the rounded approach to the storytelling, though at times it did get a little confusing jumping back and forth. Sometimes during the 1978 chapters, Pamela would reflect as though she were writing from present day which made it even more confusing. There's also a main character that is involved for both girls, which didn't help.

Aside from trying to keep everything straight, though, this was a fantastic read. This is very much about the fallout, and the treatment of the victims. There's definitely a feminist angle, where the treatment of Pamela becomes increasingly frustrating as she's clearly intelligent yet is often treated like a 'hysterical woman'.

There's not much detail about the crimes themselves, so true crime junkies might be a little disappointed by that. I myself enjoyed the fresh perspective - the focus on the people who matter rather than the scumbag who would be better off forgotten by all.

This was a great read to get the wheels turning, and for women in particular I think it's a truly valuable read. There are parts that are quite sickening to read, but it's those parts that hammer home the impact of the book.

I really got a lot out of reading this one, and was fascinated to follow up with a little research. Some women survived and have gone on to lead courageous lives, which I think is truly inspiring.

Highly recommend this for those interested in crime stories that focus on the lives of the victims, and I think women in particular will get a lot out of the empowering subtext.

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Review: The Autumnal

The Autumnal by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

RIDICULOUSLY GOOD.

This was done so well that I'll now be looking twice at Autumn leaves.

The story follows single mum Kat at she and her daughter, Sybil, move back to Kat's hometown after the death of her mother. People in the town are sketchy AF strange and have a weird fixation on leaves.

The suspense builds slowly but by the end it's sheer terror. The pace is perfect and there's enough flesh for the story that it never feels rushed or flat.

The art style complements the story perfectly, with Autumn colours bringing the story to life in an extra eerie way.

Everything about this made a perfect horror story for me. The pace, the characters, the art, the ending. EVERYTHING.

Really loved it, and highly recommend if you're looking for a cleverly original horror graphic novel.

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Review: Babylonia

Babylonia by Costanza Casati
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Side note: by the time I was done with this, I'd reached 104% on the audio. LOL

Narrated by Ayesha Antoine
Presented by RB Media

An excellent historical fiction that I really enjoyed, though it felt a little too long by the end of it.

Babylonia tells the story of Semiramis, a nobody who rises to become the only female ruler of the Assyrian empire.

Knowing that's how it'll end does not make this story any less enjoyable. I really enjoyed her ruthlessness, and how she was so determined to just live.

The story gives us multiple viewpoints, so we get a well-rounded story that takes into account the thoughts and opinions of those close to Semiramis and allows a glimpse into the motivations of several. I appreciated having more insider knowledge of these other characters.

The story gets brutal at times, but I liked that about it. It added a realness that this story truly benefited from.

I do think the romance side of things worked against it - I loved Semiramis climbing the ranks for power, so as soon as questions of love were raised it started to soften and I wasn't wholly convinced. At the same time, the romance was never drawing the focus away from the progression of the story, so I appreciated that.

The narrator's performance was excellent - I was entranced by her voice and its strength suited this story so much. It was easy enough to differentiate characters, even without huge variations in pitch. A brilliant job and I'd happily listen to this narrator again.

Towards the end, it did feel like it was starting to drag - like the rest of the story had been so spread out that there was more but it had to be squashed in at the end because time had run out. It felt like a cramped ending that perhaps needed more time, or just less time spent elsewhere to balance it.

Still, I was entertained throughout and would happily recommend this to fans of historical fiction.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Body Parts: A Serial Killer’s Deadly Compulsions

Body Parts: A Serial Killer’s Deadly Compulsions by Caitlin Rother
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firstly, this was such a fascinating read. I was both horrified and absorbed completely.

Secondly, despite this claiming to have 'new and updated information' about the first victim, that evidently wasn't present in the copy I read (from NetGalley). I had to look up further information, so I'd be curious as to what this was supposed to include. I'm glad she now has a name.

Overall, though, this was a great true crime novel. It's such a controversial case because it follows a serial killer who did horrendous things but also turned himself in. There were so many elements to this case that really made me think.

The research for this book has clearly been extensive and as a consequence we get a clear narrative, despite the confusion of the perpetrator. There are plenty of transcripts and testimonies included to authenticate what is being told, and the author lays out the facts while allowing us to relate to every person that figures in this story.

On that, it can veer into tedious at times as we get background info on almost all of the sheriffs, detectives and lawyers involved in the case (however briefly) which can make it drag a little. I don't know that these small biographies really added much for me personally, but it did add a fullness to the book I suppose.

Roughly half the book details the trial proceedings, so this may bog down some readers. Personally, I found the grey areas of the case quite fascinating, since the arguments of the lawyers were rather black and white.

At the end of the day, Wayne Adam Ford was a brutal killer and his crimes are not pretty to read about. Yet his apparent remorse over his crimes adds exploration of an element not often considered with serial killers - conscience.

I really enjoyed this read, and I'd love to check out a finished paperback copy to read the extra materials this book claimed to have.

With thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC

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Review: The Flying Sorcerers

The Flying Sorcerers by David Gerrold
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Narrated by Patrick Lawlor
Presented by Brilliance Audio

DNF @ 67%

This one was straight up infuriating.

The plot revolves around a scientist strange magician being stranded amongst a primitive culture, where he must teach them his science strange magic so that he can build a craft to get him back to his homeland, 'up there in the sky beyond the dust cloud'.

The 'jokes' end up all being the same, where essentially some basic scientific principle of our world is described from the perspective of morons simple folk who believe magic is the source of all. And funny old Shoogar the Magician taking everything literally and getting offended about everything.

So as if that's not enough stupidity, this is such a primitive culture that, not only are women treated like slaves, they're constantly referred to as useless, stupid, pointless and only good for what they do for men. I get that the misogyny is supposed to be a 'funny' reflection of society but, jeez, give it a freaking REST now and then. I found zero humour in any of this 'ho ho ho, what a primitive sort these folks are.'

So I made it over halfway but then switched to 2.5x speed to try and get through the rest and it STILL wasn't enough. I think this is the first time I've ever DNF'd an audiobook because they're always so easy to just kinda half-listen to if they get dull, but I found this one was just too insulting to put up with. Life's too short.

The narrator did a decent job with what he had but the screeching voices just made this story all the more unbearable. Not his fault, though, so I'd easily give this narrator another go.

I guess this is for the dudes who enjoy low-brow humour and generally hate women but it was very much not for me.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Rhino Keeper

The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt
Presented by: History Through Fiction

A sweet story. A little too soft for my tastes but an interesting account of a strange morsel of history.

Once upon a time, a baby Rhino crossed the sea to travel around Europe.

This is a fictional account of that very true story - Clara the Rhinoceros lived til 1758, and in her 20-odd years toured Europe in the care of a man named Douwe Mout van der Meer (had to Google that spelling lol). They visited kings and queens, and Clara's likeness was captured by painters, sculptors and other artists.

If you're yearning for more details, this book will deliver. It gives a fictionalised account of each visit Clara made while adding heart and humour to the story through the characters. You can tell Clara's story was researched meticulously by the author because a Google search of Clara will essentially provide a synopsis for this story. I like that; I enjoy reading historical fiction and, through it, learning more about true figures of history.

The narrator does a great job in differentiating the characters, and she had quite a job pulling off so many accents. I found it easy to listen to, and easy to follow the action. Some of the names are quite unusual (to this modern-day Australian, anyway) so I had to look up the spelling of some to round out my comprehension a little.

I did find it a little slow at times - Clara makes many visits, so after a while they do tend to get a little same-same. But I am an impatient reader who loves action, so the pace grated on me a little. I think those with more patience will really enjoy the rich details of this novel, and be absorbed by Clara's story.

I do recommend this one because it's such an unusual, uplifting kind of story. Despite a rather short life, Clara seems to have made quite an impact on many and I think many readers will get a lot out of learning her story.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Rhino Keeper

The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt
Presented by: History Through Fiction

A sweet story. A little too soft for my tastes but an interesting account of a strange morsel of history.

Once upon a time, a baby Rhino crossed the sea to travel around Europe.

This is a fictional account of that very true story - Clara the Rhinoceros lived til 1758, and in her 20-odd years toured Europe in the care of a man named Douwe Mout van der Meer (had to Google that spelling lol). They visited kings and queens, and Clara's likeness was captured by painters, sculptors and other artists.

If you're yearning for more details, this book will deliver. It gives a fictionalised account of each visit Clara made while adding heart and humour to the story through the characters. You can tell Clara's story was researched meticulously by the author because a Google search of Clara will essentially provide a synopsis for this story. I like that; I enjoy reading historical fiction and, through it, learning more about true figures of history.

The narrator does a great job in differentiating the characters, and she had quite a job pulling off so many accents. I found it easy to listen to, and easy to follow the action. Some of the names are quite unusual (to this modern-day Australian, anyway) so I had to look up the spelling of some to round out my comprehension a little.

I did find it a little slow at times - Clara makes many visits, so after a while they do tend to get a little same-same. But I am an impatient reader who loves action, so the pace grated on me a little. I think those with more patience will really enjoy the rich details of this novel, and be absorbed by Clara's story.

I do recommend this one because it's such an unusual, uplifting kind of story. Despite a rather short life, Clara seems to have made quite an impact on many and I think many readers will get a lot out of learning her story.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Core

The Core by Peter V. Brett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I AM NOT OKAY.

I put this book off for a year because of the size of it, but as soon as I picked it up I was lost again in this incredible, epic world.

Everything about this series has been fantastic. The world building has been incredible, and the questions around religion and worship in particular have had me fascinated. I loved reading about the Krasians, despite them being a rather backwards, brutal people, because the nuances of their faith were so absorbing. I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss these characters, and this world.

Beware ahead: This review will likely contain spoilers for previous books.

This book throws our heroes straight into the deep end. Arlen and Jardir - working together in an uneasy truce - have decided it's time to venture down into the Core to take care of this demon problem once and for all.

So straight up, I'm a happy girl because I LOVE Arlen and Jardir together. They're so different, but both honourable in their own ways (we'll just ignore that whole betrayal thing). They believe rather opposite things, but through the course of this book we see them start to finally understand one another a bit more. They've got a couple others along for the ride, and the group works well together.

Meanwhile, Leesha's making things happen as always in Hollow County, Abban's in a world of trouble, Inevera is plotting more plots, Ragen and Elissa are getting some decent air time, and a handful of other characters are stepping more into the spotlight here.

I do feel maybe it was a few too many perspectives - it does tend to slow the book a little and I can see how this might frustrate other readers. I think because I love the world so much, I was happy to hear a bit more about people and places and what was going down. But I did miss some characters and I wish we'd been able to spend more time with people like Abban, who has been such a crucial player in the previous books. I do think a few things were included mostly so that they could be tied up at the end. It all worked okay for me and I still blitzed through this book, but some may be frustrated by the diversion from Arlen's journey.

There's also a few things that I feel like we didn't get any kind of resolution for, but since I know there's a sequel series I'm not mad about it yet. I'm hoping a lot of my questions will be answered there while introducing a new generation. Otherwise, there's a few things that were included in this book that maybe weren't entirely necessary.

I did enjoy the array of demons we had in this book, but there were also some really badass ones that I wish we'd met before this book! The author was holding out on us, man! But the fight scenes and the creativity of the battles was just epic; the scale is always massive and there's a particular moment where a character makes an observation that really hammered that home for me.

There are just so many things about this series that I've loved. The pace has always been perfect for me, with plenty of action and horrific scenes of slaughter (both demon and human) that keep the stakes high. This is one of those series where you know no one is safe, and I loved that. The character building across the series has been brilliant, so by the end of this book (or their part in the story) you do feel like you really knew them and why they made the choices they did.

Honestly, I just can't gush about this series enough. It's been such a brilliant read and I'm so glad I started off my 2025 reading with this epic conclusion.

Really looking forward to reading The Desert Prince because I'm desperate for more of this world.

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Review: Don't Let the Forest In

Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy heck this was wild. WILD.

The author has such a unique way of writing that allows for full immersion in the scenes. The similes are crafted in such a way that you can easily feel what's happening and it enhances the reading experience so much. I know not everyone will love her style, but I personally can't get enough of it!

'He was so tired of suffering because he moved through the world differently from everyone else. This wasn't only about goddamn monsters. It was about how he never seemed able to cope, how the world didn't fit against his skin, how he felt too much and hurt too often and couldn't pack his emotions into neat, palatable boxes.' - page 288

I noted this quote because it sums up the book better than I could with my own words. The plot is about two boys fighting monsters, but it's also about Andrew and his personal struggles.

More than anything, I appreciate how well the different plot points were woven together. There are monsters, there are two boys and their complicated relationship, and there is Andrew with anxiety that never lets up. Everything is connected in such a clever, seamless way that at no time did I feel like the story was slowing down or going off track. Everything moves forward towards a worthy ending.

The characters are disasters, but that's kind of why we love them. The horror is real, with terrifying monsters coming to life and committing horrific acts. The forest seeps into every page.

Like her previous books, I really loved this story for it's uniqueness and strange-yet-perfect storytelling. This one is dark, but not without its wholesome moments.

Ultimately, it was a little too depressing to get the full five stars from me, but it was brilliantly done and I highly recommend it.

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Review: Paying for It

Paying for It by Chester Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was actually way more fascinating than I expected.

This makes a big deal about being an autobiographical account of a man who regularly visits prostitutes, and it is. What I didn't expect was how considerate it was, how thoughtful an account this was of a man and the women he meets through this particular activity.

There's nothing sexy about this book. Sure, there are plenty of depictions of sex, but this is very much about the impact of the interactions, and the conversations that happen either side.

It highlights issues of shame, embarrassment, and the treatment of prostitutes as less than women. I enjoyed the way it challenged my ideas of the profession, and some pre-conceived notions about people who use prostitutes.

Chester Brown is an advocate for the women behind the profession, and the last third of my edition included copious notes on the legality of prostitution in Canada among other useful information. Comic-less pages that I found equally valuable.

Honestly, I flicked through it initially out of curiosity but it ended up captivating me and I found it to be a fantastic read. It's compassionate and will really challenge societal views.

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Review: Toxic Striving: Why Hustle and Wellness Culture Are Leaving Us Anxious, Stressed, and Burned Out—and How to Break Free

Toxic Striving: Why Hustle and Wellness Culture Are Leaving Us Anxious, Stressed, and Burned Out—and How to Break Free by Paula Freedman-Diamond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Narrated by Stefanie Kay
Presented by Tantor Audio

This was BRILLIANT.

Loved it and would happily listen again. Plan to get a physical copy.

Everything in this book just made so much sense. It was easy to digest and logical, without forcing the reader to do an abundance of long activities and set impossible goals.

There's science behind the claims, and there are anecdotes (both personal and otherwise) to help reinforce points.

In particular, I really enjoyed the way the author wasn't claiming to have all this sorted and down pat. She emphasises that she's human like the rest of us, and sometimes that means messing up. I really liked that.

The audio was fantastic, delivering the information in a bright, easy manner. It was easy to take in and understand with this delivery, and her voice was soothing and comforting to listen to.

This just really worked for me. 2024 was a rather disappointing reading year for me so getting this one towards the end of year was a blast of fresh air to clear out all the stale reading energy. Very happy with it.

Highly recommend to those who love a good self-help book, and particularly this time of year where we all want to improve ourselves without having to set unrealistic expectations.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Sirens

The Sirens by Emilia Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this one! Undertones of myth and magic but above all a story about the bond between sisters.

I loved how lyrical this was without being a pain in the ass to read haha. The words are beautiful together but the story unfolds easily. I followed along with rapt attention and enjoyed every part of it.

There's a dual narrative, and I enjoyed jumping back and forth. Some of the links between the past and present were a little hard to believe, but I enjoyed it nontheless.

This is magical realism, so it's a bit of an odd one and for that reason I think it may rub some people the wrong way. The protagonist has a strange skin condition that reacts badly to water, and that on its own raises all kinds of questions. Again, though, I really didn't mind suspending disbelief.

A few twists keep the story interesting, and the Australian setting with the history tied in was quite fascinating to me.

I just really enjoyed losing myself in the story, even though it was a little slower than my normal fare. I enjoyed taking my time with it, and enjoyed how it danced between reality and magic.

I'd recommend this one for those looking for something a little different.

With thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC

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