Review: The Golden Wolf (The Golden Wolf Saga #3)

5 stars. This is officially one of my favorite trilogies of all time. I'm definitely, you know, into Vikings (and I've come at them from a couple different angles), but you wouldn't have to be to enjoy this intense, captivating story. These characters read as so real and layered and warm and earnest they feel like family. The women, especially, are wonderfully distinct from one another - mysterious and complex and intelligent and flawed as the women I've known in real life. (And the men... well, you know, are men lol.)

This is one of those stories that includes the big - the battles, the betrayals, the epic journeys - and the small - everyday chores, concerns, homely details. Don't go into it expecting a fight scene in every chapter; it's so much fuller and richer than that. You can definitely expect relationships to thicken and thin as time goes by, and a lot of time has gone by since Ragnvald became half-drowned. I think we all knew where this story was headed, but that makes it no less heartbreaking.

I have to say this might be my least favorite of the three, only because I hate goodbyes, and I never quite felt fully accustomed to new characters like Freydis and Einar. I almost felt more affection for Harald, who is so powerfully constant... and constantly powerful. Even Svanhild, though, who was my favorite character in the series, felt a little wrong here... stubborn in the wrong ways, I think. But I completely trust in the author's choices and admire the way she concluded these people's stories so much.

Oh man... I just love her writing so much. I hope she's working on a Part 2 or an equally immersive work of historical fiction. These books provided true escapes during truly hard times and I can't believe they're finished.

The Golden Wolf on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: All the Old Knives

4 stars. This was fun! A perfect pageturner with nice, short chapters and a satisfying spy thriller edge. I've never read anything by this author, but it caught my eye after seeing the trailer for the adaptation. If you love bottle episodes, ex-lover angst, a super zoomed-in version of politics (kind of like an episode of Homeland ... obviously the world is very big and complicated and full of diverse players but somehow the whole damn thing rests on Carrie's shoulders), and predictable twists, you'll enjoy it.

Oh okay so this is about two spies, who happened to have a relationship once upon a time long ago in Vienna. But a super tragic and deadly terrorist attack pulls them apart - professionally and personally. Years and years later, they meet up in California to put the matter to rest once and for all.

Yeah, yeah. So I found it predictable. One of our main characters, Henry, is really.. truly... honestly... not a very good spy, bless his heart. I was reading the room from miles and miles away. I appreciated the effort, though, and the narrative requirement to make him a little... dumbish. It didn't actually make the story any less exciting, because I couldn't wait to get... there. You know, there. And it was awesome, and I absolutely loved the ending.

I saw a headline recently shouting that we love heist movies because they are basically competency porn. I wonder how we feel about spy novels - competency porn with a patriotic twist? Who knows, but I'm in the mood for more.

All the Old Knives on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Only Human (Themis Files #3)

4 stars. Full of surprises! I think I originally thought this series was going to have a sort of fun, light, superficial, popcorn sci-fi flavor, and while it's pretty casual in tone, thematically it's quite heavy and dark. The big questions: are we alone in the universe? What if we are not? Are darkly answered in ways that made me think. (At one point I remember thinking - was this published pre-2016 or after? Boom. 2018. That explains a lot, TBH.)

After the devastating destruction in Waking Gods, Vincent (I loved, by the way, how snarky Vincent became by the end - Kara really rubbed off on him. I know the love triangle existed narratively for the purpose of his legs being broken/transformed, but that whole thing still felt... so weird to me), Eva, Dr. Rose, and Eugene land on the planet from which their beloved Themis originated. And they can't return home. But don't worry! Politics exist fucking everywhere! There's plenty of intrigue and culture to explore.

Meanwhile, humans have made a real mess of things (shock), and it all goes from bad to worse when our heroes are finally able to return after nine years. Suddenly it's country versus country, robot versus robot, human versus human with alien DNA. Jokes aside, this depiction of humanity's worst instincts - it's innate racism and willful ignorance - was really sobering, but not surprising. Like I said, this is a post-2016 world, and I'm a millennial. I think I know how things would go.

As a trilogy, The Themis Files is completely successful. Each book is fast-paced and creative, with compelling characters and epic twists. I can't emphasize enough how, whether due to the constrictions of the format or intentional choice, the story is simply not weighed down. Time moves quickly, characters move on and evolve, situations and circumstances shift without too much attention paid to the details. I loved this aspect. It felt fresh and springy and I felt swept along for the ride, in a great way.

But I will say I was hoping for a few things to happen that didn't. Primarily, the return of our nameless friend. I fucking loved him, and his presence was missed. If you have a device that can bring back the dead, why not use it on him?! Man, he was the best. He anchored the story down in ways I really appreciated. Plus, he was funny. I was hoping - really, truly hoping - right down to the very last page that his grey text would appear out of nowhere. I would've cheered. Sigh. Oh well. Can't have them all.

ANYWAY. I am so, so, so excited that I was able to close out another series. And it was such a fantastic one! Highly, highly recommend these books for the beach, or for a plane ride, or for anyone who just wants to slip into exciting sci-fi for a while. TEAM THEMIS!!

Only Human on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Waking Gods (Themis Files #2)

4 stars. I'm trying so, so super hard to stick to my goal of finishing series/catching up on things and look! Doing it! Loving it! Honestly I don't know how well I'll be able to recall this book, because shit has really hit the fan recently in terms of life stuff, but I have to say, it was such a relief to read about alien robots every time I picked it up. Part of me wonders if I’ll remember it even more vividly because of that. Either way, I can't wait to read the final one and find out what happens.

Waking Gods picks up where Sleeping Giants left off and then immediately broadens its scope to ... well, global. Universal. Robots similar to Themis appear all over the planet and, well, they don't exactly come in peace. Dr. Rose Franklin, robot pilots Kara and Vincent, our unnamed friend, a few other familiar faces plus some refreshing new ones work together to try to save the world facing incredible stakes and unexpected threats.

I will say this - these books are totally unafraid to really go there. The death and destruction in this book occurs on an insanely widespread scale. And also a personal one. I don't think it's a spoiler when I say that not everyone survives this particular battle for humanity (what like there's only one?). It's good stuff.

A couple of questions: the solution that ended up "defeating" the robots was... well, what the fuck was that? Still not exactly sure where that came from, but it was obviously a kind of clumsy way of setting up the cliffhanger at the end of the book. Also, bringing back Ryan was a little unnecessary. Also, I get that this is kind of a pitfall, or maybe an expected hurdle for readers to jump over when it comes to epistolary novels, but wow some of these characters are really long-winded LOL. It's cool. It's an easy book to skim.

Okay I have a massive headache, so I'm out of here, but I really recommend this series for fans of science fiction. It's an interesting spin on a classic story told in a unique, compelling format.

Waking Gods on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

4 stars. The basics: told in multiple POVs, Nine Perfect Strangers follows nine folks - of various backgrounds, ages, professions and idiosyncrasies - when they check into a health spa for a 10-day retreat. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but the spa's leader, Masha, is a bit mysterious and odd. Things get weird when she reveals that they will all be subjected to a new method of transformational therapy - a "new protocol" ... one that could potentially do more harm than good.

This is going to sound kind of harsh, and I don't mean it to: the characters in this book are really messy. And I don't mean messy as in a trait, I mean messily-written. All of them are all over the place. Frances gave me actual whiplash. Characters can be complex, multifaceted, hypocritical, confused, hormonal - they can have conflicting motivations. But these particular characters lacked strong cores. I truly didn't understand any of them, and frankly wasn't quite sure why some of them even existed... looking at you, Lars!

But, importantly, I rooted for them all the same. Nine Perfect Strangers earns a lot of points for premise, short chapters, old-fashioned charm, and some truly spectacular moments. It's compelling and fun and worth a read IMO. The way Moriarty ties in weight loss - so often it's practically a theme - is brilliant (if not a little too much like being inside my own head all day every day). She's razor sharp about that sort of thing, and also very witty. I like that she explores the concept of "health" and self-improvement through each perspective; our reliance on technology; our varying ideas of perfection; our traumas; our inability to process trauma; our inability to communicate and connect honestly with others...

Anyway, this is a particular type of book for a particular type of reader. It's superficial at times but also carries a lot of emotional depth (please check TWs). It’s entertaining and a fast read. I enjoyed it and will definitely check out the adaptation. Absolutely loved the ending. Honestly every star was earned during one particularly perfect use of corporate speak. I gasped.

Nine Perfect Strangers on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Dark Histories: Season Four

5 stars. So awesome. Entertaining, varied, full of the detail-rich writing I'm looking for. I'm such a fan. Favorites: The Chocolate Cream Killer, Alexander Pearce, and the one about Nandor Fodor and the poltergeist. Just like the show's tagline says: the facts are stranger than fiction. The Cardiff Giant was also an extremely hilarious one - I looked it up... pictures exist, and they are fantastic. I hope Ben publishes more of these, in the meantime, I'm lucky to have the podcast.

Dark Histories: Season Four on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review; Danse Macabre

5 stars. I'd recommend this for King fans and horror fans and horror writers... anyone who enjoys reading about horror as much as they enjoy reading the genre itself. King's (delightfully) recognizable voice has been such a comfort during these strange times. In this extraordinary piece of nonfiction, he presents an overview of the horror genre from the 1950s through the 1980s, exploring its origins, mediums, archetypes and all stars. It's an outdated chronicle that I highlighted the shit out of, because I'm an obsessive and I find that this sort of thing charges my batteries. Brain food.

I want to touch on the outdated part - not because it took away from my reading experience, only that it made me thirsty for more. Dear Santa, the only thing I want for Christmas this year is for Stephen King to write a Part II about my last thirty years. Let's talk podcasts, found footage, and creepypastas. Let's talk about the internet, and fan fiction, and STREAMING. I would kill to read this.

Not everything is outdated, though. Many of his theories about why horror is produced and consumed ring true today. Maybe even moreso, today. It was incredibly interesting to read him argue that horror on television never truly took off because it could never be scarier than the news. The way he identifies and characterizes economical horror (using a scene from Amityville Horror as a brilliant example) made me think of, well, Squid Game. There's a reason why that show hit #1 when it did. And the way he describes feeling a sort of maniacal glee destroying the world when he wrote The Stand. Why do you think I read it in mid-2020?

Another idea that stood out to me: "that disbelief is not like a balloon, which may be suspended in air with a minimum of effort; it is like a lead weight, which has to be hoisted with a clean and a jerk and held up by main force. Disbelief isn't light; it's heavy." Only notable because I have had two recent conversations with folks who stay away from fantasy, science fiction and horror because "it isn't real." Devastating, if you ask me.

King is the best, but he's also an expert. As much as he hates on overanalysis and the so-called "critical reading" certain college professors employ (wringing a story dry, essentially), he offers a lot of fantastic writing on the classics. Some of which I agreed with, some of which I did not. But he really, really knows his shit, and I learned so much. I have a long list of books to read and movies to see... I clearly know my way around maybe just one corner of this world. I'm eager for more.

Danse Macabre on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Nothing But Blackened Teeth

Quick status update: I decided at the very, very last minute that 2022 is going to be all about catching up on books that I have or have around but haven't read yet. I desperately need to clear out my KU and my library shelves and also like 100+ books I own - both physically and digitally - that are unread. So far, so good... I'm down to 3 on KU and 2 loans from the library. We'll see if I can keep it up. I'm still on my neverending quest to catch up on series that I started, so that'll be a priority as well. Otherwise I'm going easy on myself this year. Just living is challenging enough.

On to my review...

4 stars. I went in with really high hopes for this, kinda skimmed my way through it dejectedly, but then it ended with a bang that I loved and that shot my rating way up? Not sure that's ever happened before, but here we are. I absolutely adore horror novellas, and Japanese folklore, so this was right up my alley... despite some tortured writing and try-hard vibes.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth features a gathering of old friends, tangled romantic histories very present and very alive, in an ancient mansion so two of them can get married. Immediately it's clear that this web of friendships is unhealthy and tense, which sets things up perfectly for a little supernatural intervention. Okay, a lot of supernatural intervention. Things get crazy fast. Horror is inevitable. Tragedy is inevitable.

The unfurling of this plot is dragged down a bit by prose absolutely dripping - sopping wet - with metaphors (see what I did there?). But it's lightened by the occasional self-aware/meta comment by a character, and by what's left unsaid, which is a whole damn lot. A full-length version of this story might've been a lot of things: scarier, more intimate, less confusing. But the short length crisps up nicely and lets us as readers be smart enough to draw our own conclusions.

The imagery is on point if not a little repetitive, though what stands out to me is the ending. It's so difficult, maybe almost impossible, to land perfectly with horror... but the final pages of NBBT left me relieved, satisfied, and unsettled (in a good way) all at once. Not to sound too much like a weird neighbor or a toxic boss, but I'll be keeping an eye on Cassandra Khaw. This book is badass.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Between Two Fires

5 stars... the easiest 5 star rating I've ever awarded. I highly, highly recommend this exquisite book of religious, medieval horror. Wow. My high expectations were absolutely blown to smithereens. I wish I had read this in school because the urge to dive into these words and do the whole analysis/dissection/discussion thing is very strong.

Between Two Fires takes place in mid-1300s France; the Plague Years. Thomas, a disgraced knight who has fallen into thievery with a group of brigands, encounters a young girl in a Norman village. She is alone and innocent and he feels, almost inexplicably, protective of her. But then she starts spouting religious lore and prophecies, and seems to know things - and possess skills that she shouldn't. Despite his questions, Thomas follows the girl on a sort of pilgrimage for the sake of his soul and for the sake of the world.

While I could definitely argue that this book hit me so right because it checks a lot of personally-interesting boxes (medieval horror, religious horror, plague stuff, disturbing monsters, found family), I would also say that it is simply on its face a tremendous and successful story. There is lightness and humor and hope written in ways that don't seem cheesy... these elements just add to the fullness and richness of the narrative arc. And the details! Christopher Buehlman really knows what he's talking about. The world he drops us into is immersive and vivid.

I don't usually gush over characters (I read a review on this godforsaken website recently in which the reviewer wished a certain male hero would "slap her ass like a drum"), but I really, really love Thomas, Matthieu and Delphine. They are as admirable as they are askew, and lovable in that I know you are doomed sort of way. Thomas especially ... oof. Not saying he could slap my ass, but I'd love to give him a hug, lol.

I can't go without mentioning that I happen to be a non-religious person who really enjoys religious stories, especially religious horror. I mean look - an epic battle between heaven and hell over the souls of earth? That just makes for a damn good story. It's good vs evil, a classic, and it simmers with fun, disturbing possibilities. But there is a quality to the war as it is depicted in this book that is especially heartwrenching and gorgeous. I studied art history in school, and I swear I could see the angels and demons fighting like in the paintings I've memorized.

My first read of 2022 and I already know it'll be on my Top 5 list for the year. I can't wait to read it again - was tempted to turn back to page 1 the second I finished it. Phew. Again: wow. This is so my fucking cup of tea. More, please? How about a Between Three Fires, just for the fun of it?

Between Two Fires on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Lost Village

4 stars. This is pretty much a perfect thriller, or at least, perfectly suited to my reading interests (Scandinavian, well-paced, super dark and super spooky). It reminded me of an elevated slasher - cinematic in tone but sophisticated in premise, execution and resolution.

The Lost Village is about a group of five filmmakers who travel to an isolated ghost town in remote Sweden to make a documentary about an old mystery: in 1959, the murdered, mutilated body of a resident was found in the center square, and all other residents of the town had disappeared. Alice, whose grandmother's family vanished along with the rest, is determined to trace her way from the past to the present and find some answers along the way. Narration alternates between the present and the past... throwing that out there because I know flashbacks are an annoyance for some readers.

I'll say upfront that I docked a star because I absolutely could not stand the protagonist (being inside her head made me itch), but I wonder if the author intentionally made her a little naive/prickly/selfish because she's more realistic that way... insecurities battling headstrong determination at every turn. I can relate to that. Something about her just didn't quite click, though. I suppose she acted when it mattered, in the end.

Beyond that, I completely admire the author's presentation of mental illness. We owe mentally ill women especially patience, time, and comprehensive, accessible care, even in fictional worlds that are often dominated by men, or by inappropriate villainizing. It's a shame that such a stigma still exists around something that causes so many so much suffering, and we should reckon with the past by doing better in the future. I'll look to authors like this for hope when I feel like I'm screaming into the void.

LOVED the atmosphere. LOVED the creepy moments and the dread - this felt full-on horror during certain moments. A story like this must go horribly wrong for the characters at some point, and the author really went there, painfully. I could barely put this down except when I needed a breather. LOVED the ending.

The Lost Village on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads