Summary

Publication Date: June 3 2025
Publisher: Ezeekat Press / Bindery Books
416 pgs
Audio: 8h 20m
Narrator: TBD

Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception.

Demeter just wants to do her shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.

To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.

The queer love child of pulp horror and ​classic ​sci-fi, Of Monsters and ​Mainframes ​is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human

About the Author:

Barbara Truelove is an Australian author and game designer who writes about werewolves, monsters, space, and sometimes other things. Her interactive novel, Blood Moon, released in 2023. When she’s not writing, she’s adding to her motley collection of rocks. 

Review:

If you love classic movie monsters, witty AI, and fast-paced sci-fi adventure, Of Monsters and Mainframes is a must-read.

This book delivers on its promise of “pulp horror meets classic sci-fi” with plenty of action, humor, and a touch of heartfelt storytelling. While light on romance, it’s packed with thrilling monster mayhem and sharp, character-driven storytelling that brings both its human and AI protagonists to life.

Written with the wit and energy of a light-hearted Scalzi novel, Of Monsters and Mainframes reimagines legendary monster now lurking in the deep reaches of space, centuries after their heyday. The story not only captures the hilarious POV of the AIs, but also the human protagonists Agnes and Isaac—two wayward kids raised by the ship Demeter’s AI, now grown and pulled back into its orbit under unexpected (and monster-filled) circumstances.

While reading, i felt the shipboard AIs—and the adorble spider-drones— steal the show with their banter, rivalry, and unexpected moments of genuine camaraderie. Their dynamic is laugh-out-loud funny and adds an extra layer of charm to the book’s high-stakes thrills. (there’s even some Demeter interludes written in binary that are a real treat to decipher!)

Sharp, fast, and wickedly fun—Of Monsters and Mainframes is sci-fi with bite!

Would Recommend for fans of John Scalzi, ‘The Monster Squad’, Science Fiction with humor and heart.

Summary:

When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue is a note claiming that she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids.

Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastic than he ever could have dreamed.

As he unearths locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he’s not careful, he could be the next one to disappear.

Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin’s novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive and fast-paced story of how far a father will go—even delving into impossible worlds—to save his daughter.

Info:
400 pages
Published: September 12, 2023 by Del Rey
Audio: 11hr 34m
Narrated by: Full Cast

Review:

Dan Frey’s Dreambound takes the classic “lost in a fantasy world” premise and twists it into something darker, more conspiratorial—a noir-tinged mystery layered with ancient, ritualistic lore. What makes it especially compelling is how seamlessly the fantastical is embedded within the everyday. The world of Dreambound isn’t hidden away in some far-off realm; it’s right under our noses. You just have to know where to look—and how to open the gateways.

At the heart of the novel is Byron, a skeptical investigative journalist who refuses to believe in anything remotely supernatural—until he has no choice. As he searches for his missing daughter, he’s dragged deeper into an unsettling, hidden reality, inching further down a rabbit hole from which there may be no return.

The antagonist is just as intriguing as the mystery itself, and the novel’s climax delivers a satisfying confrontation. Frey also strikes a careful balance when introducing the book’s mythology. Rather than overwhelming the reader with exposition, the lore unfolds naturally through Byron’s journey, allowing us to discover the truth alongside him.

For those who love stories that blur the line between our world and the uncanny, Dreambound offers a gripping descent into the unknown—one filled with conspiracies, hidden doorways, and the kind of magic that might just be lurking in plain sight.

Summary:

In this genre-bending novel, there is no such thing as chance and every action is carefully executed by highly trained agents. You’ll never looks at coincidences the same way again.

What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed, or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random occurrence? What if it’s all part of a bigger plan? What if there’s no such thing as a chance encounter? What if there are people we don’t know determining our destiny? And what if they are even planning the fate of the world?

Enter the Coincidence Makers—Guy, Emily, and Eric—three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carrying out coincidences. What the rest of the world sees as random occurrences, are, in fact, carefully orchestrated events designed to spark significant changes in the lives of their targets—scientists on the brink of breakthroughs, struggling artists starved for inspiration, loves to be, or just plain people like you and me…

When an assignment of the highest level is slipped under Guy’s door one night, he knows it will be the most difficult and dangerous coincidence he’s ever had to fulfill. But not even a coincidence maker can see how this assignment is about to change all their lives and teach them the true nature of fate, free will, and the real meaning of love.

Review:

If there’s ever been a book that’s been on my TBR the longest, this one may be it. First published in 2011 and then re-released by St. Martin’s Press in 2018, I’ve always been intrigued by the Serendipity effect and the nature of coincidences (made even stronger after reading Terry Miles ‘Rabbits’) this seemed very intriguing though i never seemed to pick it up until now.

The premise here is something I really love and wish was completely real. That there is a secret organization of ‘Coincidence Makers’ out there making things happen. The questions of fate, free will, and who is really in control is something I’m a sucker for. This book is more ‘magical realism’ that science fiction, it’s speculative in a way that these ‘organizations’ exist like something within the ‘Severance’ universe is going on.

The dichotomy of personalities with Guy, Emily, and Eric feels truly authentic and getting flashbacks that allow us to see them as they grow within their ‘field’ through the anticipation of the ‘current day’ timeline really layered on the context and made the characters full-formed and authentic.

The intricacy of some of these coincidences is extremely entertaining and there are some spectacular reveals and a dramatic conclusion.

For Fans Of: This really hit the ‘This is How You Lose the Time War‘ vibes and the character connections seemed like something out of a Matt Haig novel or even Mike Chen’s ‘Quantum Love Story‘.

Did you choose to read this whole review? Or were these very words planted here by someone? Pick up this book and see the world with a whole new light.

Summary:

Dalton Greaves is a hero. He’s one of humankind’s first representatives to Unity, a pan-species confederation working to bring all sentient life into a single benevolent brotherhood.

That’s what they told him, anyway. The only actual members of Unity that he’s ever met are Boreau, a giant snail who seems more interested in plunder than spreading love and harmony, and Boreau’s human sidekick, Neera, who Dalton strongly suspects roped him into this gig so that she wouldn’t become the next one of Boreau’s crew to get eaten by locals while prospecting.

Funny thing, though—turns out there actually is a benevolent confederation out there, working for the good of all life. They call themselves the Assembly, and they really don’t like Unity. More to the point, they really, really don’t like Unity’s new human minions.

When an encounter between Boreau’s scout ship and an Assembly cruiser over a newly discovered world ends badly for both parties, Dalton finds himself marooned, caught between a stickman, one of the Assembly’s nightmarish shock troops, the planet’s natives, who aren’t winning any congeniality prizes themselves, and Neera, who might actually be the most dangerous of the three. To survive, he’ll need to navigate palace intrigue, alien morality, and a proposal that he literally cannot refuse, all while making sure Neera doesn’t come to the conclusion that he’s worth more to her dead than alive.

Part first contact story, part dark comedy, and part bizarre love triangle, The Fourth Consort asks an important how far would you go to survive? And more importantly, how many drinks would you need to go there?

Published: Feb 25, 2025
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Length: 288 pgs
Audio: 8hrs 25m
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik

Review:

With a synopsis like that, there’s little room to break down the story. But i will say this, Ashton’s ability to make you love the ‘hapless hero’ trope is pretty spectacular and I can’t get enough of it. His main character is the space-faring everyman whose sharp wit and just dumb luck gets him into some pretty interesting situations.

The supporting characters here are also where this book shines. I enjoyed this on audio so the uppity-british accents for the second and third consorts were very comedically received. The ‘Stickman’ and Neera were also quite well developed as we learned about the opposing motivations and the alien cultures, and customs of Dalton’s companion.

Overall, I really enjoyed the pace of this and the mix of light-heartedness with a mix of harrowing scenarios and tribal feuds – which is what is to expect from an Ashton story. Come the for great story and stick around for the sharp wit and eccentric alien characters.

Summary:

For fans of psychological SF novels like THE GONE WORLD and SIX WAKES

Economics professor Clay West has always explained the world through the lens of his profession. But after his girlfriend Karla takes Dying Wish—a drug that supposedly reveals the nature of reality moments before it claims your life—Clay is devastated. No amount of rationalization can explain Karla’s actions.

Distraught, Clay joins a mission into the dark emptiness of space where answers are promised to reside. But when the ship begins to malfunction, Clay and the surviving crew members suspect there’s more to the mission than they’ve been told. They’ve been lied to, and they’re drifting into dead space.

Clay’s memories of Karla haunt him even more than the ship’s chaos, and there’s something wrong with his memories: he has too many. The ship’s Al tells Clay his false memories are a normal side-effect of the hibernation, but to Clay, the memories suggest something far more insidious.

He’s been on this ship before…

Published: March 26 2024
Pages: 451
Audio: 11hr 27m
Narrator: Craig Brewer

Review:

Ryan Leslie has entered the ‘New School of Sci-Fi Frontrunners’. Colossus truly holds up to it’s title, this is huge-spanning ‘deep’ Sci-fi with a focus on the psychological drama between characters. Colossus explores themes such as AI moral dilemmas, immortality, multiverses, and the nature of consciousness.

After reading Ryan Leslie’s debut horror novel ‘The Between’ I was intrigued by the new author and some of the pretty cool elements he brought to that novel. It wasn’t shortly after I had finished reading The Between when I had heard that he had a Sci-fi book in the works and I knew I had to keep an eye out.

The story revolves around Clay, and we’re introduced to him drinking himself silly on wine, talking to the ships AI on wether he should ‘wake up’ the others. Immediately we’re presented with intriguing questions on who this narrator claims to be and what has happened to the others.

Later on in the book, we take a flashback shift through diary entries, as well as the POV of the on-board AI. There are a lots of layers happening through the mid-section of the book, which does take a bit a of a shift from the first section, building the reader up to the sweet-sweet conclusion.

You’ll be taken for a ride in alternate universes, context in terms of flashbacks, and surrounding it all is ‘Dying Wish’ the pill that unlocks the mysteries of the universe before taking the life of those who choose to take it.

Colossus is quite an ambitious, multi-layered journey and the more it sinks in, the more appreciative you are for the masterwork that Leslie has pulled together. To some it may feel overwhelming and messy, but to others a masterwork of threads twisting the reader into a whirlwind. It’s about revealing what’s truly driving someone to re-connect with a lost love, but also the complexity of human existence and what the mind observes vs what an AI may comprehend.

If you enjoy multi-verse-al, multi POV and timelines smothered with some delicious philosophical sci-fi gravy, and strong character moral-compasses, then you must have a go at Colossus. It’s such a packed meal within these 451 pages, I’m truly hoping this Leslie will maintain momentum, continue to hone his Sci-Fi skill and be at the forefront of a ‘Deep-Sci-Fi’ revival.

For Fans of: ‘Interstellar’, Anne Leckie, ‘Passengers’, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’
If you enjoyed this I also recommend: Stringers by Chris Panatier

Follow the author – https://ryan-leslie.com/

Summary:

A standalone darkly humorous thriller set in modern America’s age of anxiety, by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin.

Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.

He cannot ask questions.

He cannot tell anyone.

They must leave immediately.

He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war.

The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.

Review:

Jason Pargin is known for his dark humor, and ‘High Weirdness’ with books such as ‘John Dies At The End’ (of which I had actually first read earlier this year) and blurring the lines of reality with strange visions and coincidences. With ‘…Black Box of Doom’ Pargin nestles us down with real characters in a real work setting, no strange machinations or strangeness here.

This is a story about eccentric real-world characters that end up crossing paths and embark on a cross-country adventure. This story is plastered with online commentary and is certain to ‘call out’ the reddit trolls and live-stream chatters as the world watches these events unfold and provide their un-substantiated opinions. While the main characters are cut-off and unaware of the viral phenomenon they’ve created, the characters often wax poetic about how online culture is the downfall of society. These diatribes often take a close examination of the dark lurkers of the internet, though Pargin skillfully laces in a dose of positivity to make it all go down smooth.

The pacing of this book was that of a nationwide manhunt. as the main character pair become ‘fugitives’ and hav to travel through the heartland to get from LA to Washington DC. The book keeps you on the move from one town to the next as fervor grows.

The characters were not too far fetched, which is also unfortunate how plausible this story could become.

I’m a sucker for the dark humor, quirky, and offbeat stories, however, overall I felt it may have been a bit too heavy on the internet subcultures and too light on the humor. It was an examination of the glorification of the reddit counterculture and the crowd-sourcing of rumors and information from various anonymous vulgar-forum-usernames. While entertaining and latent with social commentary, I wasn’t entirely ‘struck’ by this story.

Pargin has carved out his niche and if you’re a big fan of his other works I would suggest that you check it out. Otherwise it your mileage may vary.

But don’t take my word for it! (back cover)

Summary

The lore and legends around the underground game known as Rabbits gain new dimensions in this twisty tale set in the world of the hit Rabbits podcast.

After nearly winning the eleventh iteration of Rabbits, the mysterious alternate reality game so vast it uses the entire world as its canvas, Emily Connors suddenly finds herself trapped in a dimensional stream where the game does not exist. At all. Except . . . why do sinister figures show up to stop her every time she goes looking? Does Rabbits truly not exist, or is it being hidden? And if it’s being hidden, why—and by whom?

Meanwhile, architect and theme park designer Rowan Chess is having the weirdest month of his life, full of odd coincidences and people who appear one moment and vanish the next, with no trace they ever even existed. The game that is hiding from Emily seems to have found Rowan—with a vengeance.

But only when Rowan and Emily meet do things start to get dangerous, for together they uncover a conspiracy far deeper and deadlier than either of them expected—one that could forever change the nature not only of the game, but of reality itself.

Review

The The Quiet Room is an enthralling addition to the Pacific Northwest Stories universe, home to the acclaimed podcasts TANIS, Rabbits, and The Black Tapes. This captivating narrative pulls from real world elements, blurs elements of ‘Alternate Reality Gaming,’ reminiscent of the enigmatic Randonautica, where seemingly random things are often more than what they seem.

Terry Miles masterfully weaves an intricate and expansive web that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are multi-dimensional and full of surprises, each twist and turn revealing new layers of complexity. The story’s rapid pace alternates between the gripping perspectives of Rowan Chess (a newcomer to this world of ‘Rabbits) and Emily Connors (the aficionado who is looking to win the game) as they struggle with their ‘dimensional drift’ and try to piece together their fragmented memories.

Fans of Rabbits will feel right at home with the atmospheric tension and mind-bending puzzles that The Quiet Room offers. If you were captivated by Book 1, prepare to be equally, if not more, enthralled by Book 2. There’s no hint of a ‘sophomore slump’ here; instead, the story challenges your perception of reality, ignites your imagination, and drives your curiosity to unprecedented heights.

If you’re looking for the excitement of those serendipitous coincidences but with a modern flare of the multi-verse: The door is open. Let The Quiet Room transport you to a world where the boundaries of reality blur, and every page turn reveals a new enigma waiting to be solved.

Synopsis

Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time.

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

Details
Publihed: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Tordotcom
Pages: 384
Audio length: 12h 21m
Narrator: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Review

(Disclosure, as much as i’m ashamed to admit – this was my first book i’ve read by Tchaikovsky)

This book was a breath of fresh air for those who have too many ‘serious’ sci-fi books in their minds. This was light, fun, intelligent, witty, and exciting all at the same time. The narration performed by the author was excellent!

The quest of Charles is a plight for a purpose. One that all humans can relate to. We want to be wanted, and we want to be needed. In whatever capacity it may be, however small. Seeking purpose is what this book is about and it will reflect your own life upon you as you read it. To what lengths will you go just to simply be what you truly are.

The pacing of the store was quite well done, we traverse through different ‘trials’ and interactions that keep the ball rolling to quite a climactic fued of wits and intelligence.

The dialog between Charles and The Wonk was pretty great and the supplementing characters were always something special.

This book is meant for those who long for the touch of satyrical and adventurous but can appeal to any fan of sci-fi.

Would Recommend.

In this curated selection, I’ve selected books where Horror and Technology collide. I hope that whether you’re a seasoned fan of the genre or a curious newcomer, prepare to be captivated, disturbed, and utterly enthralled by these chilling literary works.

Craig DiLouie – One Of Us

390 pages, Hardcover
First published July 17, 2018
File Under: Monsters

Summary:

Known as “the plague generation” a group of teenagers begin to discover their hidden powers in this shocking post-apocalyptic coming of age story set in 1984.

They’ve called him a monster from the day he was born.

Abandoned by his family, Enoch Bryant now lives in a rundown orphanage with other teenagers just like him. He loves his friends, even if the teachers are terrified of them. They’re members of the rising plague generation. Each bearing their own extreme genetic mutation.

The people in the nearby town hate Enoch, but he doesn’t know why. He’s never harmed anyone. Works hard and doesn’t make trouble. He believes one day he’ll be a respected man.

But hatred dies hard. The tension between Enoch’s world and those of the “normal” townspeople is ready to burst. And when a body is found, it may be the spark that ignites a horrifying revolution.

Lena Nguyen – We Have Always Been Here

355 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 2021
File Under: Psychological Thriller

Summary:

This psychological sci-fi thriller from a debut author follows one doctor who must discover the source of her crew’s madness… or risk succumbing to it herself.

Misanthropic psychologist Dr. Grace Park is placed on the Deucalion, a survey ship headed to an icy planet in an unexplored galaxy. Her purpose is to observe the thirteen human crew members aboard the ship—all specialists in their own fields—as they assess the colonization potential of the planet, Eos. But frictions develop as Park befriends the androids of the ship, preferring their company over the baffling complexity of humans, while the rest of the crew treats them with suspicion and even outright hostility.

Shortly after landing, the crew finds themselves trapped on the ship by a radiation storm, with no means of communication or escape until it passes—and that’s when things begin to fall apart. Park’s patients are falling prey to waking nightmares of helpless, tongueless insanity. The androids are behaving strangely. There are no windows aboard the ship. Paranoia is closing in, and soon Park is forced to confront the fact that nothing—neither her crew, nor their mission, nor the mysterious Eos itself—is as it seems.

Duncan Swan – Monstre

478 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2020
FIle Under: Post-Apocalypse, Monsters, Survival

Summary:

There is no stopping it.

The Cloud is armageddon, steamrolling the world at a walking pace.

In his thrilling debut novel Monstre, author Duncan Swan crafts a relentless, terrifying, genre-bending tale of courage, desperation, and redemption that shows just how fragile our civilization is… and how far we will go to survive.

Day 0. From the wreckage of a research facility in Switzerland, a plume of toxic smoke and ash pours into the sky, forming an impenetrable cloud that is slowly smothering the world in darkness. As Europe disappears beneath the Cloud, a squad of United States Marines are sent on a desperate mission to find out what went wrong, and how to undo it before it’s too late. Venturing into a cold, dark world, the Marines must travel deep under the Cloud, with no comms, no backup, and no idea of what they will face.

Day 89. Half a world away, the Cloud has reached the East Coast of the U.S. With nowhere to run and no hope of survival, the American people have descended into madness, turning on themselves and each other. From the sidelines, an old Tennessee sheriff watches as his country unravels. But he can’t bring himself to take the easy way out. Quitting isn’t in his DNA. So when one of his deputies asks him to help protect her family, he leads them west, chasing a miracle-a rumor of an old nuclear bunker that just may be their only hope for survival. Because if the Cloud doesn’t kill them, what’s hiding in the dark will.

David Wellington – Paradise -1

681 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023
File Under: Dead Space

Summary:

When Special Agent Petrov and Dr. Lei Zhang are woken up from cryogenic sleep, dragged freezing and dripping wet out of their pods with the ship’s alarms blaring in the background, they know something is very wrong. Warned by the Captain that they’re under attack, they have no choice but to investigate.

It doesn’t take much time to learn that they’ve been met by another vessel—a vessel from Paradis-One, Earth’s first deep-space colony, and their final destination.

Worse still, the vessel is empty. And it carries with it the message that all communications from the 150,000 souls inhabiting the Paradis-One has completely ceased.

Petrov and Zhang must board the empty ship and delve further into deep space to discover the truth of the colony’s disappearance—but the further they go, the more dangers loom.

Anne Tibbets – Screams from the Void

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 2021
File Under: Alien plus The Shining – in SPACE

Summary:

For two years in deep space, the freighter Demeter and a small crew have collected botanical life from other planets. It’s a lesson in patience and hell. Mechanics Ensign Reina is ready to jump ship, if only because her abusive ex is also aboard, as well as her overbearing boss. It’s only after a foreign biological creature sneaks aboard and wreaks havoc on the ship and crew that Reina must find her grit – and maybe create a gadget or two – to survive…that is, if the crew members don’t lose their sanity and turn on each other in the process.

Jeremy Robert Johnson – The Loop

306 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2020

File Under: Zombified killers

Summary:

Stranger Things meets World War Z in this heart-racing conspiracy thriller as a lonely young woman teams up with a group of fellow outcasts to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.

Turner Falls is a small tourist town nestled in the hills of western Oregon, the kind of town you escape to for a vacation. When an inexplicable outbreak rapidly develops, this idyllic town becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence as the teenaged children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and Lucy and her friends must do everything it takes just to fight through the night.

Peter Clines – 14

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 5, 2012
File Under: Scooby Doo meets Eldritch Horror universe

Summary:

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends. Or the end of everything….

Chris Panatier – The Phlebotomist

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2020
File Under: Bad ass evil slayers

Summary:

War brought the Harvest. Willa Mae Wallace is a reaper.

To support herself and her grandson Isaiah, Willa works for the blood contractor Patriot. Instituted to support the war effort, the mandatory draw (The Harvest) has led to a society segregated by blood type. Hoping to put an end to it all, Willa draws on her decades-old phlebotomy training to resurrect an obsolete collection technique, but instead uncovers an awful truth.

Patriot will do anything to protect its secret. On the run and with nowhere else to turn, Willa seeks an alliance with Lock, a notorious blood-hacker who cheats the Harvest to support the children orphaned by it. But they soon find themselves in the grasp of a new type of evil.

Hugh Howey – I, Zombie

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2012
File Under: Twisted zombie POV

Summary:

(Yes the creator of the Silo Saga wrote a zombie book!)

This book contains foul language and fouler descriptions of life as a zombie. It will offend most anyone, so proceed with caution or not at all.

This is not a zombie book. This is a different sort of tale. It is a story about the unfortunate, about those who did not get away. It is a human story at its rotten heart. It is the reason we can’t stop obsessing about these creatures, in whom we see all too much of ourselves.

Michael Rutger – The Anomaly

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 19, 2018
FIle Under: X-Files, Claustophobic

Summary:

Not all secrets are meant to be found.

If Indiana Jones lived in the X-Files era, he might bear at least a passing resemblance to Nolan Moore — a rogue archaeologist hosting a documentary series derisively dismissed by the “real” experts, but beloved of conspiracy theorists.

Nolan sets out to retrace the steps of an explorer from 1909 who claimed to have discovered a mysterious cavern high up in the ancient rock of the Grand Canyon. And, for once, he may have actually found what he seeks. Then the trip takes a nasty turn, and the cave begins turning against them in mysterious ways.

Nolan’s story becomes one of survival against seemingly impossible odds. The only way out is to answer a series of intriguing questions: What is this strange cave? How has it remained hidden for so long? And what secret does it conceal that made its last visitors attempt to seal it forever?

There you have it! I hope you find something you enjoy! Comments welcome.

Summary:

The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. Well-acquainted with the weird, they never shy away from a challenging case.
 
But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake—going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven—the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head. Their effort to expose a royal secret buried under forty years of lies brings them nose to nose with a violent anti-royalist gang, avaricious ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell-like dimension, and a bookish dragon who only occasionally eats people.
 
Armed with a love toughened by adversity and a stick of chalk that can conjure light from the darkness, hope from the hopeless, Iz and Warren Wilby are ready for a case that will test every spell, skill, and odd magical artifact in their considerable bag of tricks.

Info:
386 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Audio: 14 hrs
Narrator: Sarah Slimani

Review:

The Hexologist is an immersive and charming frolic through a land of common magic and whispered arts. This all takes place after the Meridian War, waged from 4012 to 4033 which ended in an armistice that prevented the use of magic on the battlefield, though many still practice the arts. Though the whole thing has a feel of ‘ye olde’ meets current-day almost Steampunk type feel.

Isolde and Warren Wilby are like the ‘Holmes & Watson’ power couple whose talents in the arts render them a valuable candidate for certain investigative tasks, using their knowledge and experience in ways that others could not. Their husband and wife dynamic is the glue that holds this book together. It is that of a strong-bonded couple who can communicate through a glance, keeps things organized, and rarely engage in frivolity. The pragmatic approach allowed me to connect to them on a deeper level than characters who may act irrationally to build suspense or fear. Whatever they were faced with, they would face it together and without fear.

Through the novel you’ll get to learn about the Portalmanteau, Felivox (favorite of mine), Henry, Jess, Victor, as well as a surrounding cast of trolls, talking starlings, and sorcerers.

The pacing of this story was well organized and really kept the plot moving. There were plenty of leads to chase and obstacles along the way. Answers to questions only led to more questions and the suspense kept a steady clip as the mystery started to unfold the stakes get higher. The methods of the investigation is where the excitement and imagination ramp up. The hexes used and methods practiced really portray Bancroft’s level of detail in this world. (There’s even a Glossary in the back for those fun extra details)

Josiah Bancroft’s writing is truly a remarkable thing. His poetic and verbose prose always give such a rewarding and fulfilling experience. The Hexologists is a perfect recipe of magic, fantasy, action, wonder, and charm. I can’t wait to see where this series goes!