Book Review: I Am Agatha by Nancy Foley

Title: I Am Agatha

Author: Nancy Foley
Genre: Literary Fiction - LGBTQ+ 
Publisher: Avid Reader/Simon & Schuster - Copyright 2026
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781668098578
Read: March 3-8, 2026
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Agatha, a bristly painter fleeing her own darkness, decamps to rural New Mexico to live the reclusive life of a small-town curmudgeon. It is there she meets Alice, a mild widow with a deepening case of dementia who keeps steady vigil at her daughter’s backyard grave. Despite Agatha’s rough edges and fierce aversion to sentimentality, she surprises herself by falling in love, and her well-worn convictions begin to upend. 

As Alice’s condition worsens, Agatha hatches a plan for them to live together at her remote residence at Mesa Portales. But when Alice’s wayward son comes along with different ideas—and Alice suddenly goes missing—Agatha takes matters into her own hands with the help of a faithful thirteen-year-old-neighbor, a pair of shovels, and her trusty pickup, embarking on an unusual mission that calls into question whether some secrets are better kept buried. 

Sharp, watchful, at once thrillingly perceptive and hidden from herself, Agatha is as imposing as the vast landscape her rustic adobe home overlooks. Loosely inspired by the life of Agnes Martin, I Am Agatha introduces us to this irascible, indelible character who learns—over a stretch of strange, singular days—new ways to fathom life, death, and her own heart.

Review: I loved Agatha's character. Her dark wit seems to be endless, but her tolerance for idiocy is not. Agatha has a dark past which colors her present and all of her relationships, including that most important: Alice. 

Agatha is a "big city" artist from New York who makes her way to New Mexico to accept a guest professorship at a university and settles in a nearby small town. Preferring to live a hermit's life, Agatha has little tolerance for the drama that engulfs all small towns. Then she meets Alice, a local widow, and things rapidly change for both Agatha and Alice. 

Their relationship is at times tender and at others trying, especially once Alice's health begins to decline. The drama that quickly surrounds Alice and Agatha soon escalates and eventually comes to a heartbreaking conclusion. Overall, Nancy Foley (This is her debut novel, by the way.) has written a darkly witty, heartbreakingly accurate depiction of what happens when small town life clashes with big city personalities and the price we all pay for love.

Book Review: The Iron Children by Rebecca Fraimow

Title: The Iron Children

Author: Rebecca Fraimow
Genre: Science Fiction - Fantasy 
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Ltd - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781786189882
Read: January 28-29, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Asher has been training her entire life to become a Sor-Commander. One day, she'll give her soul to the gilded, mechanical body of the Sor and become a commander to a battalion of Dedicates. These soldiers, encased in exoskeletons, with extra arms, and telepathic subordination to the Sor-Commanders, are the only thing that's kept the much larger Levastani army of conquest at bay for decades. 

But while on a training journey, Asher and her party are attacked, and her commander is incapacitated, leaving her alone to lead the unit across a bitterly cold, unstable mountain. Worse, one of the Dedicates is not what they seem: a spy for the enemy, with their own reasons to hate their mechanical body and the people who put them in it. 

To get off the mountain alive, Asher and her unit will need to decide how much they're willing to sacrifice -- and what for.

Review: The Iron Children is hard to categorize as a story. It's definitely a novella in length--less that 200 pages--and outstanding in the world building. It's part fantasy, part science fiction, part religious commentary, and all fascinating. 

I was blown away by Rebecca Fraimow's mastery of story craft. In the space of roughly half the length of most novels, Rebecca creates relatable characters, a complex world, high-stakes conflict, an established military hierarchy, and a complicated belief system. I've read (and enjoyed) novels with more pages and less substance that The Iron Children. Seriously, my hat's off to Fraimow.

Told in alternative points of view, the reader is given insight into the world via Asher, a Sor-Commander novice; Barghest, a Dedicate sergeant; and the unnamed spy among the troops. Asher and Barghest's points of view are written third person while the spy's is written as first person. This is a clever writing choice because it keeps the reader questioning the spy's identity and building suspense until the pivotal "big reveal." 

Overall, The Iron Children is an outstanding addition to both the science fiction and fantasy genres and is worth a read by anyone who enjoys blurring the lines between these genres.

Book Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

Title: Witch King

Author: Martha Wells
Genre: Fantasy - Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Tordotcom - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: May 31, 2023
ISBN: 9781250826794
Read: May 11-31, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. 

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? 

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. 

He’s not going to like the answers.

Review: Witch King by Martha Wells is filled with complex magic, expansive world building, complicated characters, badass action, and one seriously snarky demon. I fell in love with Kai from the start. First, he wakes up to find that he's not only been murdered and entombed at the bottom of the sea--a move that limits his powers--but someone thinks they can ensnare him to use as a magical familiar. Talk about starting the day off on the wrong foot. Then things seem to go from bad to worse the more Kai and his ragtag band of compatriots try to solve the mystery of who killed him and why.

The world Wells has created is as complex as Tolkien's Middle Earth and filled with magic both complicated and subtle. While the magic isn't fully explained and can be a little confusing at times, it all makes sense within a world that features demons, witches, and humans working together against a common foe. The powers welded by the characters is defined and includes limitations, such as Kai's abilities being weakened by water. Some may find the lack of full disclosure of the mechanics behind the magic frustrating, but I didn't mind it because the action surrounding the use of the magic served as enough of an explanation. 

In addition to being powerful, Kai is snarky, and I'm totally here for it. Demons should be snarky, in my opinion. His relationship with Ziede is like that of siblings in that they care deeply for one another, are comfortable enough to call out the other's BS, tease one another, and kick anyone's ass who seeks to harm the other. Despite being a demon, the relationship with Ziede makes Kai seem more human in many ways, but then he "eats" an attacker and we're reminded that he's most definitely not human. He's a complex character and I'd love to see more of him in the feature. 

There was one aspect of the book I found a little jarring at first but quickly adapted to and that was the alternating time lines. The story begins in the present but jumps back in time around the third chapter. Even though the chapters set in the past are clearly marked as "the past," some reads may find the alternating time lines to be headache inducing since everything is told from Kai's point of view. However, once I got into the rhythm of Wells's writing style, I found the dual time lines to be a clever way to fill in backstory for Kai, Ziede, and other characters while maintaining forward plot movement. In order to understand the present events Kai is facing, the reader must know the history of this world. Rather than have endless conversations or huge info dumps in the middle of the story that bogs down the plot, alternating the chapters works well to provide the reader with that crucial background information.

Overall, Witch King is a fun read, and anyone who love epic fantasy will find it a worthy addition to their shelves.

Book Review: Blood Born by Shelley Wilson

Title: Blood Born

Author: Shelley Wilson
Genre: YA Horror - YA Vampires - YA Fantasy
Publisher: BHC Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: May 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781643973401
Read: May 5-8, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Emma's brutal death at the hands of a vampire should have been the end, but a mysterious hooded stranger steps in, changing her life forever. 

As seventeen-year-old Emma struggles with her new vampire gifts and cravings, her grandmother isn't surprised at all. Hinting that she knew this day would always come, she leaves to get help, promising to explain everything when she gets back, but she never returns. 

Instead, the beautiful and enigmatic Cara, a fellow vampire, shows up at her door. Promising to help her locate her missing grandmother and uncover her ancestry, she brings Emma to the Haven, a sanctuary for half-blood vampires. 

Thrust into a war between the Immortal vampires and the half-blood rogues, Emma's simple life begins to unravel as blood and secrets entwine to reveal a dark history and an even darker destiny. She'll need to survive long enough to discover who she really is and which side she wants to be on.

Review: Vampires. I love them. From the folklore to their modern re-imagining at the hands of authors like Anne Rice, Jay Kristoff, Charlaine Harris, Jonathan Maberry, and so many more, I can't get enough of the Fanged Folk. (As long as they don't sparkle. Sorry, Twilight fans, but no...just no.)

Shelley Wilson has created a blend of the old and the new vampire tropes. Each vampire has their own set of abilities and powers with a few commonalities. Yes, they're stronger than humans but not supernaturally strong. Yes, they're faster than humans but not supernaturally faster. Yes, they require blood and have issues with sunlight. But the uniqueness of Wilson's vampires makes for interesting reading.

Blood Born is definitely aimed at a young adult audience, and the younger side of YA, truth be told. While it's fun to learn about the vampires and the differences between them, especially the Immortals and the Rogues, from Emma's point of view, we never really dive deeply into the relationships she's forming with the other vampires in Cara's group. I would have like to have spent a little more time exploring these budding relationships, and perhaps this will be something Wilson plans to cover in the continuation of the series. 

Overall, Blood Born is a promising start to a new series. How Emma and the others develop over time will be interesting to watch.

Book Review: The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowena Miller

Title: The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill

Author: Rowena Miller
Genre: Fantasy - Historical Fantasy - Folklore 
Publisher: Redhook - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9780316378475
Read: March 14-19, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings: Abuse (spousal), classism

Synopsis from Publisher: In the early 1900s, two sisters must navigate the magic and the dangers of the Fae in this enchanting and cozy historical fantasy about sisterhood and self-discovery. 

There is no magic on Prospect Hill—or anywhere else, for that matter. But just on the other side of the veil is the world of the Fae. Generations ago, the first farmers on Prospect Hill learned to bargain small trades to make their lives a little easier—a bit of glass to find something lost, a cup of milk for better layers in the chicken coop. 

Much of that old wisdom was lost as the riverboats gave way to the rail lines and the farmers took work at mills and factories. Alaine Fairborn’s family, however, was always superstitious, and she still hums the rhymes to find a lost shoe and to ensure dry weather on her sister’s wedding day. 

When Delphine confides her new husband is not the man she thought he was, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her sister escape him. Small bargains buy them time, but a major one is needed. Yet, the price for true freedom may be more than they’re willing to pay.

Review: I'm on the fence with this book. On one hand I love Fae bargains and how they can go so very wrong. The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill feature such a bargain, which pleases my dark little heart. However, it take fooooorrreeevveeerrr to get to it so on the second hand, I wanted to slam the book against the wall far more times than I care to count and scream, "Get to the freakin' point already!" My antagonistic view of the first half of the book wasn't helped by the disconnect I felt as a reader to the two sisters, Alaine and Delphine.

The sisters don't exactly see eye-to-eye on several issues, but that's to be expected. I have two sisters and if the three of us ever agree on anything, then chances are Hell has frozen over. I do like the naturalness of that sibling relationship, especially once it become obvious that Delphine is in over her head, both with her abusive husband and with the Fae. 

The writing is beautiful, I must admit. It has a lovely lyrical quality that's hard to capture and reminds me of so many fairy tales I read as a child--and still love to read, if I'm honest--and yet, the slow pace of the beginning almost made this a DNF for me. But once the plot truly clicked into place--namely the major bargain demanded of the sisters--the pace picked up and I blew through the pages. Getting to that point, though, was more of a chore than it should have been.

Overall, Rowena Miller has crafted an interesting blend of fantasy, feminism, and Fae bargains. If you enjoy a slow build fantasy book with a fast payout at the end, then you'll be happy with The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill. 

Book Review: What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin

Title: What Walks These Halls

Author: Amy Clarkin
Genre: Young Adult Horror - YA Dark Fantasy 
Publisher: The O'Brien Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 10, 2023 (Kindle edition); June 10, 2023 (Paperback edition)
ISBN: 9781788493734 (Kindle edition); 9781788493734 (Paperback edition)
Read: April 2-3, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: A prickling sensation grew on the back of her neck, spreading up her scalp. It was the feeling of being watched. She whirled to face the doorway but it was empty. 

Raven O’Sullivan doesn’t remember what happened in Hyacinth House five years ago. When her father died during a paranormal investigation there, everyone said it was an accident, but she’s pretty certain it’s her fault. 

Her brother, Archer, wasn’t there that night. When asked to investigate the supposed ghost of Hyacinth House, he can’t resist saying yes. Even if his sister wants nothing to do with it. 

Éabha McLoughlin has grown up seeing and hearing things no one else does. Now that she’s starting college, she finally has the freedom to find out why. The daring Archer and his eclectic team seem like a good place to start. 

But everyone has their secrets, and they all lead back to Hyacinth House …

Review: I love ghost stories, haunted houses, and paranormal investigations so I was excited to come across What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin. With it being in the young adult genre I wasn't expecting the same level of thrills and chills as would be in an adult market novel. However, I was surprised by the level of creepiness Clarkin attains while still keeping the writing suitable for younger readers.

The cast of characters is varied, and there's a touch of romance peppered throughout the story that seems a little forced or out of place. The standard teenage/young adult angst is in full swing among the characters. I did appreciate the inclusiveness of the author by representing LGBTQIA+ people among the romance. However, that doesn't make up for the seemingly forced nature of said romances. It's as though the romance angle was an afterthought rather than an organic byproduct of the story itself.

As for the characters, I struggled with them from time to time. Sometimes they read a well-defined and other times they seemed underdeveloped. This inconsistency made it hard to fully connect with the characters, but as for the plot of the story, I was all-in. The plot was intriguing and the pacing was good because it kept my interest. I wanted to know what happened next, and that's the hallmark of a good plot.

Overall, What Walks These Halls is a good book and definitely a positive step for a debut author. I'm curious to see what comes next from Amy Clarkin.

Book Review: Big Bad Me by Aislinn O'Loughlin

Title: Big Bad Me

Author: Aislinn O'Loughlin
Genre: Young Adult - YA Urban Fantasy - YA Fantasy
Publisher: Little Island Books - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781915071040
Read: April 2-4, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings: Animal harm (brief), blood drinking, self-harm, drugs/being drugged without knowledge, and mild gore.

Synopsis from Publisher: Canadian teenager Evie Wilder just found out she’s a werewolf. Now her mom’s gone missing, she and her sister Kate have to go into hiding, and there’s not a single helpful vampire slayer to be found. 

With the help of Kevin, the dorky-hot manager of the guesthouse where she and Kate lie low, Evie starts to harness her wolfish side. But Kevin seems to know a suspicious amount about vampires… 

Meanwhile, animal attacks are increasing, local teens are going missing, and Evie is about to find herself at the centre of a supernatural showdown.

Review: I loved this book! As a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I was often reminded of the beloved series, and yet Aislinn O'Loughlin's writing comes across as fresh and immediate.

Told from the dual perspective of sisters Evie and Kate, Big Bad Me is a fun romp filled with werewolves, vampires, slayers, snark, and humor. Evie is just learning that the slightly odd life she thought she had is actually much, much weirder because she's a werewolf and her mom and sister have been trying to keep that fact from her. Now their mom is missing and it's up to Kate--who's a Buffy-esque hunter--and Evie to find her. Throw in a hot guy who knows far more than he should, Kate's crush on the girl next door, general teenaged mayhem, and it's a party!

O'Loughlin's world definitely pays homage to Buffy, Scooby-Doo, Stranger Things, and others in the young adult urban fantasy genre, but also stands on its own as a new voice within that genre. The characters are multi-dimensional and the world is familiar and yet new in its approach. Some of the pop culture references may not hold up over time, but that shouldn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. Overall, Big Bad Me is worth the read simply for the pleasure of having read a great book.

Book Review: Fractured Oak by Dannie Boyd

Title: Fractured Oak

Author: Dannie Boyd
Genre: Thriller - Mystery - Magical Realism
Publisher: Indigo Dot Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781958160046
Read: March 19-21, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: It’s hard to catch a killer when the only witness is a tree. 

In 1853, after Catherine Miller is murdered for daring to become a doctor in a field full of men, a molecular fusion between human decay and natural rebirth transforms her into a Northern Red Oak. One hundred and seventy years later, she remains a mute but sentient tree, rooted near a secluded Northeast Ohio house. After she watches in horror as the newest homeowner murders one of his PhD students, Catherine is resolved, somehow, to see that justice gets served. 

Fortunately, present-day Catherine has an unwitting ally: Lani Whitaker, a fourth-generation detective facing mandatory retirement and sick of being treated like a dried-up relic by her young chief of police. When the body of that same PhD student turns up in the woods, Lani is determined to solve the case and go out with a win. 

Two women, generations apart, linked to each other through murder. Can solving a twenty-first-century homicide shed light on a nineteenth-century killer?

Review: First, let me say that Dannie Boyd is a pen name for author Carrie Rubin, who has several medical thrillers published under her own name. Apparently she chose a pen name for Fractured Oak because it deals with magical realism, a departure from her normal books, in addition to the mystery of who killed whom. With that being said, on to the review...

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. Catherine, the third woman to graduate from medical school in the United States, is murdered in 1853, discovers her soul melded with that of an oak tree, and then finds herself witness to a modern-day murder. This alone was enough to hook me into the story because trees live silent lives, and honestly, I have often wondered what they may have witnessed over their lifespans--especially the long-lived trees like oaks and redwoods. What horrors have they seen? What joys? What forgotten moments and forgotten people have they known? At least in some way, Boyd has answered a few of these questions by telling part of the story from Catherine the Tree's point of view.

Then there's Lani, the detective trying to solve the murder. Faced with ageism, she's determined to not let everything she's worked her entire life to achieve go down without a fight. I loved her spirit and her humor. I've known my fair share of cops, and Lani would be right at home among any of them. 

The best part about Fractured Oak is that as a reader I got a two-for-the-price-of-one murder plot. Told in alternating points of view between Catherine and Lani, and although the murderer is known for the contemporary death, there's no lack of tension because that comes in the form of the uncertainty of whether Lani will catch the killer. The resolution of Catherine's murder in 1853 is left until the end but is no less satisfying. 

Fractured Oak is a unique blend of mystery, psychological thriller, and magical realism that simply works in a beautiful blend of colorful characters, detailed world building, mysterious clues, and a touch of magic.

Book Review: Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

Title: Piñata

Author: Leopoldo Gout
Genre: Horror - Occult Fiction - Latinx Fiction
Publisher: Tor Nightfire - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781250781178
Read: February 28 - March 5, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warning: Graphic violence including child abuse/death and gore

Synopsis from Publisher: It was supposed to be the perfect summer. 

Carmen Sanchez is back in Mexico, supervising the renovation of an ancient abbey. Her daughters Izel and Luna, too young to be left alone in New York, join her in what Carmen hopes is a chance for them to connect with their roots. 

Then, an accident at the worksite unearths a stash of rare, centuries-old artifacts. The disaster costs Carmen her job, cutting the family trip short. But something malevolent and unexplainable follows them home to New York, stalking the Sanchez family and heralding a coming catastrophe. And it may already be too late to escape what’s been awakened… 

They were worshiped by our ancestors. 

Now they are forgotten. 

Soon, they’ll make us remember.

Review: Where do I begin to explain my love for this book? It's creepy. It's visceral. It's atmospheric. It's dark. It's everything good horror should be and more.

Carmen Sanchez is an architect and single mother of two daughters: sixteen-year-old Izel and eleven-year-old Luna. When she's hired to spearhead the renovation of an ancient abbey to a sleek, modern hotel in Mexico, Carmen sees it as a way for her to give the girls a first-hand view of their cultural heritage. In typical teenaged fashion, Izel hates being uprooted from her friends back home in New York while Luna embraces the experience with open arms. But Carmen's problems are soon to extend beyond her daughters' attitudes. When a job site accident exposes a long-forgotten chamber within the abbey, Carmen finds herself on the losing end of employment. The family returns to their urban home but something seems to have tagged along and is focused on Luna. Can Carmen find a way to save her daughter before an ancient Aztec god can exact its revenge on the world?

One of my favor subgenres of horror is folkloric horror, and Piñata nicely fills that category. Drawing on the rich history of Mesoamerica, Gout creates a new twist on the traditional possession story. Laced throughout the narrative are the echoes of colonialism, past and present misogyny and sexism, indigenous religions, and violence. The imagery is intense and graphic, which some readers may find difficult to read, and the fear is palpable. At times Gout seems to fall into the "info dump" trap and this drags the pace of the story down a bit, and at other times, the dialogue seems a bit stilted and unnatural. However, overall, Piñata is a wonderfully horror-filled dark tale that any fan of dark fiction will enjoy.

Book Review: Gone to the Wolves by John Wray

Title: Gone to the Wolves

Author: John Wray
Genre: Literary - Coming of Age
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Read: April 16-20, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Kip, Leslie, and Kira are outliers―even in the metal scene they love. In arch-conservative Gulf Coast Florida in the late 1980s, just listening to metal can get you arrested, but for the three of them the risk is well worth it, because metal is what leads them to one another. 

Different as they are, Kip, Leslie, and Kira form a family of sorts that proves far safer, and more loving, than the families they come from. Together, they make the pilgrimage from Florida's swamp country to the fabled Sunset Strip in Hollywood. But in time, the delicate equilibrium they've found begins to crumble. Leslie moves home to live with his elderly parents; Kip struggles to find his footing in the sordid world of LA music journalism; and Kira, the most troubled of the three, finds herself drawn to ever darker and more extreme strains of metal. On a trip to northern Europe for her twenty-second birthday, in the middle of a show, she simply vanishes. Two years later, the truth about her disappearance reunites Kip with Leslie, who in order to bring Kira home alive must make greater sacrifices than they could ever have imagined. 

In his most absorbing and ambitious novel yet, John Wray dives deep into the wild, funhouse world of heavy metal and death cults in the 1980s and '90s. Gone to the Wolves lays bare the intensity, tumult, and thrill of friendship in adolescence―a time when music can often feel like life or death.

Review: As a teen in the 1980s, I fell in love with metal, mostly thanks to one of my older brothers, and then, thanks to that same brother, before the decade was over, I knew all too well the pervasive anxiety caused by Satanic Panic. It was a dichotomy that was hard to understand, much less resolve, and John Wray has captured those feelings of belonging and alienation, power and helplessness, life and death, and heavy metal's innate appeal to youth looking for something to call their own. 

Kip, Leslie Z., and Kira are three teens looking for "something real" in 1980s Florida and find one another through their shared love of metal music. They quickly become inseparable and, as many teens vowed they would do during that era, they make the pilgrimage to Hollywood's Sunset Strip after graduation. However, things aren't as shiny and golden as they believed it to be and soon the trio drift apart. It's only years later when Kip and Leslie Z. reunite to save their troubled friend Kira they discover the "something real" they were searching for in their youth. 

Gone to the Wolves pays homage to one of the greatest musical eras with all it's hair-raising, head-banging glory. It's poignant, nostalgic, and humorous while somehow feeling relevant to modern times. At times the writing seems to drag a bit, but it soon picks up again. The characters are engaging with Leslie Z. as a queer person of color into heavy metal being the most intriguing of the three. The ending seemed a little rushed given the build up to Kip and Leslie Z. tracking down Kira in Norway, but overall, Gone with the Wolves is a fun read, especially for anyone who remembers the "good ol' days" of the 1980s.

Closed for New Review Submissions

 

Memento Nerdy is temporarily closed to new review submissions as I work to clear out a backlog of reviews. I apologize for any inconvenience, but this is a necessary step in order for me to catch up on everything. 

Memento Nerdy has always been a one-woman-show and will continue to be so in the future. I don't like closing to new submissions, but it's not forever. 

I hope to reopen for submissions June 1.

Thank you for understanding and for your support of Memento Nerdy.

Jeannie

Book Review: Black Cranes - Anthology

Title: Black Cranes - Tales of Unquiet Women

Authors: Lee Murray, Geneve Flynn, Nadia Bulkin, Ehline Cuyegkeng, Rin Chupeco, Grace Chan, Angela Yuriko Smith, Gabriela Lee, Rena Mason, Christina Sng, Nancy Holder, Alma Katsu
Genre: Anthology - Horror
Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: March 23, 2023
ISBN: 9781947879560
Read: March 26 - April 12, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: *Winner of the Bram Stoker & Shirley Jackson Awards* 

Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect wife. 

Quiet, submissive, demure. 

In Black Cranes, Southeast Asian writers of horror both embrace and reject these traditional roles in a unique collection of stories which dissect their experiences of 'otherness, ' be it in the colour of their skin, the angle of their cheekbones, the things they dare to write, or the places they have made for themselves in the world. Black Cranes is a dark and intimate exploration of what it is to be a perpetual outsider. 

NEW EDITION This Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-winning anthology in which Southeast Asian authors explore what it's like to feel otherness, took the literary horror communities and readers by storm in 2020 when it was first released. Now, Raw Dog Screaming Press is proud to re-release it in hardcover and paperback. The hardcover edition has new cover art by Greg Chapman, synching artistically to other books within the Black Cranes universe. The interior has been redesigned by book guru Todd Keisling who has incorporated images and textures for a lush reading experience. A new afterword by Nancy Holder, six-time Bram Stoker Award winner and New York Times best-selling author has been added to this edition. 

Many of the stories included have been recognized individually. Grace Chan's Aurealis-nominated story "The Mark," was shortlisted for Australia's Norma K. Hemming Award, which recognizes excellence in the exploration of themes of race, gender, sexuality, class, or disability in a published speculative fiction work. The Eugie Foster was also awarded for Elaine Cuyegkeng's story "The Genetic Alchemist's Daughter." Black Cranes was an Aurealis Award Finalist, Australian Shadows Award Finalist, British Fantasy Award Finalist, and was Locus Award Recommended

Review: Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women features fourteen outstanding short stories from women that beautifully capture what it means to be both a woman and Asian.* Each author brings her own voice, perspective, experiences, and cultural history to the anthology, which gives it a robust and dynamic appeal. Whether the stories are based in science fiction, folklore, or the seemingly mundane world, each addresses the central themes in a unique way.

Here is my breakdown and thoughts on each story:

1. The Genetic Alchemist's Daughter (Elaine Cuyegkeng): A twisted tale about the pursuit of "perfection" and who defines it. 

My thoughts: Wow. A fantastic way to start the anthology with hints of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and The Stepford Wives. I'd love to see this worked into a full-length novel. 

2. Kapre: A Love Story (Rin Chupeco): Mythological creatures from the Philippines take center stage in an unconventional love story.

My thoughts: I'm a sucker for mythology and folklore, so this story satisfied on multiple levels. I loved the inclusion of different creatures that have wildly contrasting views on humanity and the relationship their kind should have with humanity. 

3. A Pet Is For Life (Geneve Flynn): Featuring the kuchisake-onna (slit-mouthed woman) from Japanese urban legends, Flynn delivers a dark twist on predator and prey.

My thoughts: I freaking loved this story! Intensely visual and dark. I can absolutely see this as a horror movie.

4. Phoenix Claws (Lee Murray): Rooted in cultural bias and racism with a unique spin on the hungry ghost trope.

My thoughts: So twisted, and yet, despite the supernatural element, I can totally see the events of this story playing out as written.

5. Of Hunger and Fury (Grace Chan): Another spin on the hungry ghost myth, Chan creates a vibrant landscape filled with mystery and complex relationships.

My thoughts: A visceral entry that made me question reality. I'm still thinking about this one.

6. Skin Dowdy (Angela Yuriko Smith): One of the shortest stories in the anthology, this is a dark tale of technology, love, and revenge. 

My thoughts: Although short, this is another story I can see making a great movie or a full-length novel. So many elements to explore and yet presented a complete, satisfying package.

7. Truth Is Order and Order Is Truth (Nadia Bulkin): A delightfully dark tale of Nyai Roro Kidul (Indonesian mermaid).

My thoughts: A little confusing at times, but overall, a dark twist on mermaids and the folklore that surrounds them in different cultures. 

8. Rites of Passage (Gabriela Lee): A tale featuring the Philippine tiyanak (vampiric creature that takes on the form of an infant/toddler) and engkanto (mythic elemental forest spirits) that gives new life to the monstrous birth horror trope.

My thoughts: Dark, disturbing, and wildly imaginative. I loved this twisted-timeline story and again, would love to see it worked into a novel or even a movie. 

9. The Ninth Tale (Rena Mason): Never try to outsmart a huli jing (Japanese fox spirit) or you just may end up reaping what you sow.

My thoughts: Another entry rooted in folklore and so beautifully written I was sad to see it end. 

10. Vanilla Rice (Angela Yuriko Smith): Smith's second entry is no less powerful than her first. With a focus on identity and what makes us who we are, Vanilla Rice is a take of DNA manipulation gone awry.

My thoughts: We all have something we'd like to change about ourselves, but what if the choice of making that change was taken from us? Are we truly who we're meant to be? Short and though-provoking, and definitely one of my favorite.

11. Fury (Christina Sng): Set in the future on another planet, Fury is one of the longer stories and explores what it means to be human.

My thoughts: A solid science fiction story that has a few of my favorite elements: a strong female protagonist, a unique spin on zombies, and best of all, a cat!

12. The Mark (Grace Chan): Chan's second offering is no less disturbing than her first. A woman discovers a strange mark on her husband's torso and begins to question everything.

My thoughts: Vivid writing once again builds a complex relationship that will have you questioning if this is a tale of body snatchers or a woman mad with grief.

13. Frangipani Wishes (Lee Murray): Murray pulls off a rare second person point-of-view story about the lengths one will go to in order to better themselves with the flair of a classic Twilight Zone episode.

My thoughts: This started out a little confusing because of the second person POV, but I soon got into the meat of the story and was not expecting the twisted ending.

14. Little Worm (Geneve Flynn): Playing with the myth of the kwee kia, this story makes you wonder if the characters are actually faced with a "ghost child" or are they simply dealing with generational trauma.

My thoughts: Flynn's second story was my favorite of the anthology. I really wanted this to be longer because I didn't want it to end, and yet the ending was so perfect, I couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up this wonderful anthology.

Overall, I loved Black Cranes and will definitely be seeking out more stories from these authors. They each have strong, powerfully unique voices that must be heard in all their glory, and this anthology is a fantastic way to discover them.

*For the record, I'm not Asian but have been close friends with women who are, including daughters of Asian immigrants--specifically, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines--for years and have witnessed their struggles. However, I do not make any claim to fully understand those struggles as I am, after all, only an outsider to their respective cultures and families despite years long friendships.

Book Review: The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook by Cassandra Reeder

Title: The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook

Author: Cassandra Reeder
Genre: Cookbook - Geek Culture
Publisher: becker & mayer! books - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780760377567
Read: March 18, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: With 50 food and drink recipes, The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook is perfect for fans who want to get a taste of the action along with some fun and interesting trivia. 

There are few movies that can be easily identified by a single word or quote, let alone close to forty. From “As You Wish” and “Inconceivable” to “Have Fun Storming the Castle” and “My Name is Inigo Montoya,” The Princess Bride left an everlasting mark on pop culture. 

In celebration of the movie’s 35th anniversary in 2022, The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook is the perfect book for fans of all its beloved characters, and the indelible quotes that have made it one of the most quoted movies of all time. 

Some of the iconic recipes include: 

• Albino’s Pre-Torture Nourishment 
• MLT: Mutton, Lettuce, and Tomato 
• Shrieking Eel Pie 
• “The Tuna Fish Discrepancy” 
• Fezzik’s Restorative Stew 
• Four White Horses 
• “Mostly Dead” Corpse Reviver 
• And so many more! 

Try out these iconic and fan-favorite recipes and relate to your favorite Princess Bride characters and story through food and trivia with The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook!

Review: I'm a huge fan of The Princess Bride, and like any good fan, I can practically quote the entire movie. So, naturally, when I learned that The Geeky Chef, Cassandra Reeder, was penning an "unofficial" cookbook in honor of one of the most iconic movies of all times, my first thought was "Inconceivable!" but then I wondered just how many recipes could one pull from said movie. After reading through Reeder's take on the movie's food moments, I ask myself how I ever doubted.

Filled with trivia from the film and an array of mouth-watering recipes, Reeder manages to tie in far more recipes than were mentioned in the movie. (If you aren't drooling after simply looking at the pictures, something's amiss.) Covering everything from drinks and cocktails to appetizers to main courses to desserts, you'll marvel at creativity behind each recipe. 

And have no fear fellow vegan Princess Bride fans--Reeder includes suggestions for vegan, vegetarian, and kosher substitutions! (Inclusivity for the win!) A section for planning the perfect Princess Bride party is also included so you can take movie night to a whole new level of geekiness! Why am I using so many exclamation points?! I have no idea! 

Overall, if you're a fan of the film or know someone who is, The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook will be a welcomed edition to the kitchen. Now, don't forget your holocaust cloaks and have fun storming the castle!

Book Review: Vegan Barbecue by Terry Sargent

Title: Vegan Barbecue

Author: Terry Sargent
Genre: Cookbook - Barbecue - Vegan
Publisher: Harvard Common Press - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9780760377895
Read: March 18, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Learn how to slow-smoke all sorts of veggies, fruits, vegan meats, and vegan cheeses in this beautifully photographed book that features 100 soul-satisfying recipes filled with flavor and spice. 

At last! Now vegans and vegetarians, plus the millions of omnivores and carnivores who are eating more plant-based meals, are invited to join the authentic smoke-cooked BBQ party! Barbecue is famous, of course, as a way to cook meat—but meat is not the only thing you can cook in a smoker. Cooking low and slow over natural wood embers, the core method of genuine ’Q, infuses produce and other plant-based foods, like tofu and tempeh, with rich depths of rustic flavor that you won’t get from a stovetop skillet or steamer. 

Author Terry Sargent is the face of vegan barbecue. Southern Living magazine’s “Cook of the Year” for 2021, Terry has perfected the art of vegan barbecue at his renowned Grass Vegan BBQ Joint outside Atlanta. In this definitive book on the subject, he serves up easy-to-prepare recipes for amazing dishes like: 

• Smoked Pineapple Salsa 
• Glazed Smoked Asparagus 
• Smoked Creamy Pumpkin Soup 
• Smoked Mushroom and Vegan Carnitas Tacos 
• Smoky Ratatouille 
• Smoke-Roasted Faux Turkey 

You can master these and nearly a hundred more healthy, plant-based, smoky, and vibrant recipes with Terry’s masterful and fun book as your guide. From sides and desserts to dozens of meat-free main courses, from skewers and kebabs to burgers and tacos, this is a book that takes vegan cooking—and BBQ itself!—in an incredibly exciting new direction.

Review: Being vegan in the South isn't easy, and one of the hardest examples of "going vegan" is the ubiquitous BBQ-culture. After all, barbecue is comfort food around here, and well, Terry Sargent has given Southern vegan a reason to rejoice and fire up the grill just in time for summer!

There are so many recipes in this book that I hardly know where to begin. Sargent takes you on a culinary journey through the South, but everything is vegan so you can enjoy your barbecue without feeling guilty. Not to mention the recipes are so hearty and mouth-watering that even the most die-hard carnivore will be asking for a bite. Covering everything from spices, rubs, and sauces to sandwiches and "meaty" main courses to sweets and drinks, Vegan Barbecue has something for everyone--even the little ones! (Carrot "hotdogs"...mmm, sooo good!)

Whether you're an established vegan, a newbie, or just looking to try a few meatless dishes to see what all the fuss is about, Vegan Barbecue is sure to please. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a grill to light. 

Book Review: The Aleister Crowley Manual by Marco Visconti

Title: The Aleister Crowley Manual

Author: Marco Visconti
Genre: Thelema - Magic - Witchcraft
Publisher: Watkins Publishing - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: February 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781786787361
Read: March 1-18, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Marco Visconti has taught Aleister Crowley's Magick to hundreds of aspirants, proving to himself and others its transmutative powers. This book brings together the effective techniques and practices from those lessons. We all live very busy lives in increasingly small spaces, but this book shows that to practice magick you don’t need fancy tools or robes or marbles halls. Magick is truly for everyone, because all you need to practice it is a will set in stone. 

Each chapter in this manual is a lesson, which will add a new tool to your magical arsenal: 

• the nature of the Body of Light 
• what Prana is and how to harness it 
• the 4 Hermetic Elements that make up the foundations of the Magical Pyramid 
• the Quintessence 
• the Pentagram 
• Hexagram rituals 
• the Astral Light invoked through the Middle Pillar 

The benefits gained from bringing Magick into your life are manifold. You will gain a deeper understanding of your role in the universe, the ability to communicate with the Other, and the wisdom that comes from such relationships. Overall these practices offer a new and deeper sense of awareness of your own role in the universe.

Review: I freely admit my understanding of Thelema as a philosophy and spiritual path are limited, as is my overall knowledge of Aleister Crowley. After reading Marco Visconti's book, however, I don't feel as though either has increased all that much.

While Visconti seems to know his subjects rather well, his explanations of Thelema are rudimentary and lack true depth in what is an otherwise complex area of study. I've read other Thelema and magick-based books, some of which are reviewed here and accessible via the archives, and Visconti covers nothing that isn't already available in other books and with more clarity. Also, it's difficult to take an author who claims to have years of experience and accumulated knowledge seriously when they quote Wikipedia as their primary research source. Sorry, but Wikipedia doesn't even pass muster in the most basic of English composition courses. Either provide actual scholarly works or resources that are considered "sacred" to your particular philosophy/spiritual path as a backup or don't include the information at all.

Perhaps the only true reason to read this book is for the list of other books and websites on the subjects of Thelema and Crowley included at the back. However, even these can be found with a quick Google search so...yeah....

Book Review: How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Title: How To Sell A Haunted House

Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror - Supernatural Thriller - Ghosts
Publisher: Berkley - Copyright 2023
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
ISBN: 9780593201268
Read: March 28-30, 2023
Disclaimer: I purchased a hardcover copy via Amazon. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world. 

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market. 

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…

Review: Dear Grady Hendrix... Get out of my freakin' head!

As a born-and-raised Southerner, How To Sell A Haunted House hits just a liiiiiittttllllle too close to home. (No pun intended.) Why do I say this? Well, let's see... 

Book: Protagonist suddenly loses both parent. 

Me: Lost both parents suddenly but years apart.

Book: Protagonist must contend with colorful family members.

Me: I mentioned I'm from the South, right? Colorful family members are the only family members we have down here.

Book: Puppets are central to the plot.

Me: Was a part of a puppet troupe in high school and knows the ins and outs of such all too well.

Book: Creepy dolls galore.

Me: Loves creepy dolls...except clowns. Clowns are creepy in general.

Therefore, I must kindly ask Mr. Hendrix to please refrain from getting into my head when searching for material for his next book. (Naturally, I jest. I have no relationship with Mr. Hendrix--personal, professional, puppet-based, or otherwise in this realm of existence or any other.)

Needless to say, I loved this book. Even though the arguments between Louise and her brother, Mark, became a little tedious because they kept stomping over the same patch of ground, they were still believable as siblings. It's in the nature of Southern siblings to drag up every hurt and slight ever committed against one another. If there's one things Southern family are good at it's holding grudges. The other is keeping secrets, and there are plenty of both in How To Sell A Haunted House. There are also plenty of creepy dolls. So many creepy dolls.

Overall, if you're looking for a modern-day Gothic ghost story, check out How To Sell A Haunted House. You'll never look at dolls, or your family, the same way again.

Book Review: Taming Flame by Therisa Peimer

Title: Taming Flame

Author: Therisa Peimer
Genre: Science Fiction - Romance
Publisher: FriesenPress - Copyright 2022
Publication Date: July 15, 2022
ISBN: 9781039125629
Read: January 25-27, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher:  Flaminius's days of bouncing between beds are snatched away the instant he sets eyes on his perfect genetic match, Aurelia. Suddenly, the tedious task of claiming his rightful place on the Arkhnuetian throne doesn't seem as daunting with his whip-smart wife by his side. But it's not like Aurelia had a choice; Flaminius is the only soul she can reproduce with, and she's not about to play a role in her people's extinction. 

After a swift wedding and passionate honeymoon, an assassination attempt plummets the lovers back into the reality of ruling. Fueled by their indomitable matched hormones and fierce loyalty to each other, together they must evade his mother's Machiavellian schemes, hunt down the mysterious cause of death plaguing the match making Keys, and protect their people from a violent supremacist cult, the Oradagra. But it turns out the greatest threat to their existence is something neither of them could have seen coming, and it's a race against time to save the entire Arkhnuetian planet.

Review: I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Science fiction is a genre I've loved since childhood, and while romance can often overpower a lot of scifi, Taming Flame had a decent balance between the two. However, the book is split into two parts with the first part of the book being the more intriguing portion. The second half just fell short, and I can't even really explain why except to say it felt as though one book should've been two. Perhaps if the author had divide the story into more than a single book, I would've like it more. 

The relationship between Flame and Aurelia is interesting. On the planet Arkhnuet, people are genetically matched with their perfect mate. When Flame and Aurelia are matched, a whole lot of political ramifications come into play. Flame is the heir to the throne, even though he's not keen on the idea of taking over as ruler, and Aurelia is "low born," meaning she's not from any of the aristocratic families Flame's mother had hoped (planned) for her future successor's origins. Even though the chemistry between Flame and Aurelia is undeniable, they have issues. Oh, man, do they have Issues. But, that's par for the course with any romance: the push and pull of attraction versus forces that seek to tear them apart. 

Then there is the political and religious matters. Arkhnuetians use Keys, women with the power to ascertain who is genetically compatible through the use of psychic abilities, and when they start mysteriously dying, all of Arkhnuetian society is in jeopardy. Throw in a zealous supremacist cult and Flame's mother's scheming then you get a broadly arcing narrative that at times detracts from the central point: The deaths of the Keys. Or is it Flame and Aurelia's relationship? Or is it really the cult's resurgence? Maybe the mother's desire to remain in power? Honestly, I'm no longer certain what the central plot was anymore. 

The book is well-written and the world building is great. If only the author hadn't tried to pack quite so much into a single book, then, as I said, I might have liked this a lot more.

Book Review: The Boy Who Fell From The Past by Truant D. Memphis

Title: The Boy Who Fell From The Past

Author: Truant D. Memphis
Genre: Young Adult - Science Fiction - Time Travel
Publisher:  TDM, Ink - Copyright 2022
Publication Date: November 1, 2022
ISBN: 9798986893907
Read: January 19-22, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: A passage. This story is a passage. A chapter from my earliest adventures. A moment in time recounting the first time I traveled through time...or something like that. I may have been dimension hopping. We're still not certain. Anyway, I share this with you because it was also the first time (time, time, time...) I met Ezekiel and Jacob Trate, or any other member of the Trate family. I share this with you because it was the first time I met Frank. I share this with you because the whole deal was a portal full of fun (you'll get this joke once you start reading). 

Anyway, open up and come on in. Let me introduce you to these folks. Believe it or not, they've likely saved your life at some point. They definitely saved mine. 

I hope you enjoy our story.

Review: Truant Memphis is both the author and the protagonist of The Boy Who Fell From The Past, in much the same way as Pittacus Lore is the author of the Lorien book series. Yeah, it's all very meta. 

The book is part diary, part science fiction time travel adventure, part metaphysical mind trip. Starting with a literal splash as Truant the Protagonist finds himself in an unnamed body of water, the story goes from strange to weird to psychedelic mind tripping philosophic discussions in the span of 116 pages. 

I don't mind weird stories. In fact, I love them, and this is a decent speculative fiction offering. However, the Author (and I mean the physical person who wrote the book and not their fictional alter-ego) makes liberal use of parenthetical asides that become repetitive to the point of annoyance. Despite this not so charming quirk, the premise of the world in which the story is set in intriguing.

It's the year 3023. The United States is no longer a country, the landscape has changed drastically, and there's a child prophet somewhere out there. Truant finds himself in the company of a father and son duo, the Trates, as they make their way to the last truly free place on Earth. Let the adventures begin!

Overall, The Boy Who Fell From The Past is a quick read, if you can get past some of the more annoying author side comments, and when viewed as speculative fiction, it's a decent futuristic romp.