Say whatever you may about the writing, the art, the general story. This particular story sets out to illustrate HOW the Joker is a threat. It isn't thSay whatever you may about the writing, the art, the general story. This particular story sets out to illustrate HOW the Joker is a threat. It isn't that he is the most dangerous threat to any particular person, it's not that his chaos makes him unpredictable, it's not even the way he chooses his victims. The whole premise is that the Joker is the one villain that pushes Batman to the edge of his code of ethics. That he is deliberately goding and poking and pushing to try to make Batman cross the line.
Everything else about this is secondary. The story is fun. It's fine. Probably not the greatest Batman story ever told. The little back history on the Joker is even intentionally set up to feel like a delusion of the Joker's. Maybe it's his true back story, but its probably just something spawned out of his madness. Who could ever know with certainty?
The Joker is wonderfully drawn though and his madness really punches through in every image. Loved that....more
Having found Nestlings to be an entertaining and imaginative horror novel, I thought I would check out Mary. I really struggled with this one.
I will Having found Nestlings to be an entertaining and imaginative horror novel, I thought I would check out Mary. I really struggled with this one.
I will say that Nat Cassidy has a knack for writing very colorful and interesting characters. Many of them will have so much definition that it's hard to forget them afterwards. He writes visually punchy scenes which grab you by the visualize portion of your brain and etch it in deep. This makes his work memorable and emotive. Unfortunately, I also find that I detest most of his characters. The scenes are often evocative of dark and unsettling emotions. In my experience this was more to leave me feeling uncomfortable and disliking the story that was being told.
Mary is a book supposedly about a woman's struggle with mysogyny. It heralds itself as inspired by Stephen King's Carrie. I found both of these takes to be misalligned. There wasn't much Carrie to be had here. The plotline seems to bounce from one idea and focal point to another and this leaves the overall story feeling a bit like you are reading a woman with dementia's violent outburts as she struggles with seeing ghosts. That is NOT the actual plot...
Ultimately it's hard to read a book when you hate ALL of the characters. Nestlings did enough good with intriguing creature appeal that I was able to drive through without agonizing over it much. But Mary is an atrocious portrayal of a suffering woman and any jabs at mysogyny feel more like a justification for the awful content and interactions than actually doing anything to put forth a message, speak for, or give any redemptive substance to the story. In fact the women were often more awful in this book than the men were. Especially the main character.
I'm never going to forget Nadine though. Such a colorful character. Even if you despise her you have to admire the ability to craft up someone that feels so over the top, but believable at the same time....more
Extinction definitely pulls some inspirations from Jurassic Park. It's got an ok mingling of murder mystery, experiments gone wrong, and evils of corpExtinction definitely pulls some inspirations from Jurassic Park. It's got an ok mingling of murder mystery, experiments gone wrong, and evils of corporate greed going on. As a mixed grab bag of elements it manages to work, but it doesn't really stand out in any exquisite fashion. It also never traipses into anything so egregious as to render it poor.
The character work is fair, but mostly uninteresting as the bulk of the characters are very one-dimensional and borderline caricatures. The plot plinks along at a steady pacing, but you pretty much figure out the mystery right away and that keeps the reveals feeling a little slow-coming.
Overall it's a general good time in spite of not feeling overly remarkable. Probably more memorable for its similarities to other works than it is on its own standing....more
As far as Creature Features go, this one does all the right things to keep it engaging and fast. There is good solid character development time dedicatAs far as Creature Features go, this one does all the right things to keep it engaging and fast. There is good solid character development time dedicated to building up stored potential for tension and fear of harm to characters you have grown to like. The creature is given enough time and presence to show you how dangerous it is while also keeping it just out of view enough that the reveals are dripfed to you at a good pacing. What is it really? You get little bits about how it moves, parts of its anatomy, etc.
This keeps you curious about the specifics long enough to get drawn in. It's considerably cleaner and more straight forward than Jaws. There's a lot of violence but most of the deaths are so sudden and fast that it never feels gratuitous.
In the end I felt surprised that Benchley managed to have me worried about a few of the characters as we approached the climax. That was quite refreshing. Character work really sells horror. If you don't care about people dying, then the "bad" of the story loses all its presence and deflates like a balloon.
Enjoyable. Science Fiction horror set in the 90s. ...more
Short stories based on nightmares coupled with some very sketch-like illustrations to help set the tone make this one a fun little adventure. Fun if yShort stories based on nightmares coupled with some very sketch-like illustrations to help set the tone make this one a fun little adventure. Fun if you like demons, monsters, murderous cults, and lots of dismemberment. Overall, it's very dark and full of detailed physical violence and harm.
The quality never dips to below midling and the bulk of the 11 stories within, all roll forward with a system of drop you into a scenario and it runs to a sudden and often violent conclusion. The punchy sharp endings really give this that sort of horrifying tales to tell just before turning in on a camping trip feeling. And some of the stories are absolutely gut-wrenching.
None of the stories are too long and some of them are quite quick. Felt like a good measure of pacing to pick it up and read one in a few moments while taking a break from life, then set it down and go about my business.
Overall a good time if you like extremely dark and twisted material. Some are pretty forgettable, but there are some moments bound to stick with you for a while....more
Western Horror set in 1870. Highlight points are a lot of callbacks to dark actions taken during service in the civil war haunting the two main charactWestern Horror set in 1870. Highlight points are a lot of callbacks to dark actions taken during service in the civil war haunting the two main characters, strong character work that roots you in the setting easily, and grusome violence.
You might forget this is a horror novella until it gets horrifying and even if you manage to predict what's coming, you won't predict how it comes.
Highly enjoyable for a quick read with a cringe-inducingly violent climax....more
More Victorian Era murder mystery work here. The Poisoner's Ring picks up where A Rip Through Time left off. Mallory is still trapped in another personMore Victorian Era murder mystery work here. The Poisoner's Ring picks up where A Rip Through Time left off. Mallory is still trapped in another person's body. Out of time, place, and form. However, now she has a comfortable cushion of friends who know her secret. This proves to simultaneously take away from some of the fun while also allowing the actual murder mystery to take center stage.
A lot of the fun of the first outting was in the various mishaps and fumbles that she made as she adjusted to her position and tried to make her way forward. That is almost entirely missing here. Although there is a lot of lens viewing of the period and the people from her more modern mindset.
The plot here is actually more of a fully realized murder mystery plot than the first, this one involving a poisoning, trying to determine how the victims are connected, and then link that together to determine a motive then figuring out who did it. It's pretty solid stuff.
Overall the main cast feel more at ease with one another and this book in many ways feels like a more complete investigation on a murder mystery case. ...more
I struggled with this one. Two pronged perspective story-telling bouncing between the two main characters from chapter to chapter. They are also simultI struggled with this one. Two pronged perspective story-telling bouncing between the two main characters from chapter to chapter. They are also simultaneously decades apart in the story. Which isn't explicitly stated in a way that makes it clear what is happening. It's actually incredibly easy to miss these signposts that would indicate the time branch and how much time has progressed between each.
In one storyline Louie is a young teen boy. He watches out for his very young niece, Noemi, who is perhaps five years old at the time. The other side of the story is Noemi who is in her mid to late 30s during her chapters. With Louie being much older.
Tonally the two characters are completely different. Their viewports are tinted by their character and it leaves you feeling like Louie's chapters are some sort of Stephen King-esque story about a young boy seeing bizarre deaths and post death occurences. People seem to be possessed at times. There are ancestral graves being desecrated and more... It's intriguing, but he comes off as a bit of a petulant dolt. Noemi's chapters feel more problematic and confusing though. She doesn't FEEL like a 30 something woman. Her character voice could very easily be that of an adolescent herself. Not once in the entire reading of this book did I feel as though she were a woman with a half a life's living done.
This left me, unfortunately, feeling like I was confused about the story. I felt like perhaps there were more than the two timeline points. That perhaps I was reading about a girl in her late teens or early 20s and then also her later.
Overall the story feels like a spiritual murder mystery. The earlier timeline is quite engaging if a little slow and meandering. The revelations come late in the book and when they do you are left wondering what the point was because they felt like the answers had all been found decades before the later story branch... ...more
Incredibly informative. Focuses heavily on the eel fishing market, including the black market, and history of eel demand.
I had no idea eels were so souIncredibly informative. Focuses heavily on the eel fishing market, including the black market, and history of eel demand.
I had no idea eels were so sought after or that there were entire mafia organizations sneaking young eels across borders. It also goes on to great length about the history surrounding the mistery of eel breeding and all the various theories that scientists had over the years.
Very enlightening, but ultimately a bit depressing as the tone is very focused on their overfishing and pushing the idea that eels may be more in danger than any one suspects....more
This is a fun and informative book that focuses on teeth in the animal world. How teeth work, what they are made of, why some animals have the types ofThis is a fun and informative book that focuses on teeth in the animal world. How teeth work, what they are made of, why some animals have the types of teeth they do, the current up to date theories on tooth evolution in some animals etc etc. It's all here.
It's delivered in a smooth somewhat informal cadence that comes equipped with jokes and side notes. That keep it from ever feeling too dry or clinical. Gives you that vibe that you are following along with a professor who likes to keep things fun.
but... The author meanders. He is a bat expert so he starts on bats. Comes back to bats later. Doesn't really stay focused on teeth. Taking the time to discuss the tenants of evolutionary mechanisms. The colors of butterflies and more oddities. Parables about horses...
It never quite feels all inclusive. There isn't much discussion of insect chewing mechanisms, but a lengthy bit about animals that don't have teeth. A whole chapter on frogs who lose their teeth. A chapter about George Washington and his dentures.
It's fun. Just kinda feels like the author gets off track a bit and tells you what he is excited to share, rather than taking the time to compose a structured approach to delivering the material....more
A somewhat biased examination of how algorithms have detracted from our ability to make unique lived in discoveries and explore culture on our own te A somewhat biased examination of how algorithms have detracted from our ability to make unique lived in discoveries and explore culture on our own terms. It's a fairly thorough dive into the history of big tech giants and the way that the internet along with corporate profit seeking has led us into an inhuman shallowness of experience through the tools available to us.
It can be a bit draggy at times as the author explains most of his viewpoint through his own personal lenses. A heavy use of social media use has clearly driven this person through the trenches of empty click baiting and like farming. He also uses such examples as cafe trends, tourism, and musical interests in his effort to exemplify how limiting a reliance on these algorithmic based sytems can be.
The biggest strengths here are simply explaining how shallow the tendencies are. That you can't really get into the meat of something with the typical stone skipping that we get from feeds given to us by tech. But then... this has always been the case. If you want depth, you have to dive. If you want discovery you have to explore.
It's a worthwhile read. With a strong disdain for the current trend chasing culture laced throughout....more
If you are coming to Somewhere Beyond the Sea looking for more of what you got in its predecessor you will be delighted to find that you will indeed gIf you are coming to Somewhere Beyond the Sea looking for more of what you got in its predecessor you will be delighted to find that you will indeed get more... and less.
The kids are all back and up to their variable antics. The roster has grown ever so slightly and the new addition is every bit as hilarious and adorable as the rest. If you laughed outloud in the first book you will do it again here. Probably bunches.
The narrative shifts from Linus Baker to Arthur Parnassus as the protagonist and the perspective is a bit shifted along with the viewpoint. Linus was a journey of discovery, Arthur is a being of trauma with a long history of pain and this tints the narrative in shades that you didn't get as much of in that first outting. Focus on trauma and abuse brings the tone down into much darker places here than the previous book allowed itself as well. It's just not as happy of a book.
The plot here is way more on the nose. There is no hinting or nodding at particulars. It comes off a bit heavy handed in the political area and casting opponents of ideas as flat heartless villains. Zero gray area, which leaves the characters (even the good ones) feeling a lot more obviously like caricatures.
There is also something about the shifting of tone that happens here which is way more popping gears than smooth transitions. Often characters will rapidly move from one feeling and vibe to an almost complete demeanor shift. People do this but it takes time and there is some lack of transitional flow throughout that felt very jarring at times.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea is touching and heartfelt in an echo of The House in the Cerulean Sea, but lacks the finesse the previous book had. It feels like some of the smaller tools were tossed aside in favor of a sledgehammer in a rush to get through to a point that's been made previously in better ways....more
Harbor is a slowly zigzagging story that has been tagged with descriptors such as horror and thriller. These feel misleading. There is some violence. Harbor is a slowly zigzagging story that has been tagged with descriptors such as horror and thriller. These feel misleading. There is some violence. There are some elements of a supernatural sort. Perhaps a hostility. But there is no horror here. It's also unfortunately not very thrilling. The book is long and it spends a good bit of time telling its story from multiple points of view in multiple points in time, back and forth, back and forth. It's never really confusing, but it does become a bit monotonous as it builds to someting interesting and then hops to something that feels almost entirely unrelated decades before or after.
Eventually it does build up to a climax that feels satisfying, a bit eerie, and well done. Though the good bits really could have used a bit more description to really deliver. This feels like a mystery with some contemporary or near contemporary fantasy mingled in. The antagonistic elements smack of mythology that I'm not familiar with. Perhaps there are some building blocks here that are from Swedish folk lore that would make those portions more intriguing and fun.
Ultimately I found it interesting, but not entirely enjoyable. There is a lot here. The characters are well written and deeply explored. There are moments that are incredibly real and potent, particularly around the losing of a child. Grief and getting stuck within the stages of grief. But also transitions. Transitioning through phases of life. How people can get isolated and trapped by moments in the past and cannot find a way to move beyond them.
But... It is maybe a bit too meandering and explorative to keep me immersed in its depths. I found myself really working at finishing it. Excited to get to the end so I could move onto something else....more
Time traveling murder mystery in which a contemporary woman finds herself in Victorian era Scotland. She happens to be a detective in her own time endTime traveling murder mystery in which a contemporary woman finds herself in Victorian era Scotland. She happens to be a detective in her own time ends up on the trail of a serial killer.
This is a book that knows what it sets out to do and does it well enough. Kelley Armstrong comes at this book knowing it's not a masterpiece of fiction and aiming to entertain. She does a good job of it. It's a bit funny at times. Gruesome at others. There's a fair amount of supposition about what people would be like in this time period without being too clinical about it all.
It's got some seasoning to tickle the fancy of those that might be interested. References to Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, and more. There is plenty of examination of trying to blend in, the culture shock that comes from suddenly being in a different time and place, and the mishaps that come with it. This is mostly enjoyable fun and even humorous at times. The characters are mostly one dimensional, although Armstrong likes to pull hidden details out in the later stages of a story and consider this development. On this particular note, nothing is too egregious and it doesn't pull the story down too painfully. Pacing can feel a bit slow in the middle area, but there are some turns that ramp it up when it starts to feel dull.
Overall an interesting and enjoyable time travel romp into Victorian era Scotland that continues as a series hereafter. ...more
This is one of those oddball scenarios where the protagonist ends up in a weird place for a weird reason and weird things happen. So it's automaticallThis is one of those oddball scenarios where the protagonist ends up in a weird place for a weird reason and weird things happen. So it's automatically hard to believe, but the book never hits you too hard with nonsense to kill immersion. It is entertaining because of the inherent novelty of something so unusual happening. A bit of a creature feature, though in true pulpy horror fashion the creatures are kept just out of sight to keep you wondering.
Irish themed. Essentially a prison story with an unknown assailant holding those inside prisoner. More explanation would spoil things.
Ultimately it tries to keep you guessing, but you will probably guess the truth before the reveals give it away. It never feels in your face cheap about anything and it's an ok read. I put it down feeling satisfied, but sometimes thinking about ways it would have been MORE satisfying....more
An alternate history in which the Mississippi river was dammed off to expand baiyous in Louisiana and create a huge expanse of wetlands to farm hipposAn alternate history in which the Mississippi river was dammed off to expand baiyous in Louisiana and create a huge expanse of wetlands to farm hippos for meat. This book reads like a modern day take on pulpy western novels. It's got simple characters, a simple plotline with some jukes and turns, a good bit of violence and some gore. Instead of horses they ride hippos though...
It is unfortunately lacking in the indicated premise. The concept of man-eating hippos on the loose terrorizing the countryside is a fascinating place to explore. Unfortunately this novella feels more like setup for that premise to expand into the promised hippolands.
As it is, there are only small and scant intervals of hippo-related carnage. The book focuses mostly on that pulpy western style. Does an ok job of it.
I'm willing to go forward and check out the next entry in the series, but this wasn't spectacular by any means. If you like simple western feeling vibes and want something offbrand that feels different, this could be a fun place to explore....more
This really felt to me like a strange Science Fiction Stockholm Syndrome.
It's got all the pieces of a pretty great harrowing space survival story. A mThis really felt to me like a strange Science Fiction Stockholm Syndrome.
It's got all the pieces of a pretty great harrowing space survival story. A mission gone wrong revealed to be somethign much worse and more insidious. Some mysterious alien lifeform called a Tunneler that shifts the landscape of the caves around you.
Glowy mushrooms that may or may not be more than meets the eye.
Unfortunately for me, this story just fell super flat on all the points that I felt like were the strong and exciting material. There was so much paranoia build up and groundwork laid to point to a big twist or horrifying revelations. The creature was kept offscene just on the periphery. Perfectly set up to be some juicy reveal that came loaded with wows or answers. The paranoia kept you guessing about what was really going on and who was down there. And the Jiminy Cricket character dripping out dark insidious revelations the whole first half of the book leading you into expectations of some truly awful finale.
It all fizzles and falls completely flat and deflated for the weakest part of the story to be the highlight in the climax and end.
The writing was fairly engaging. Enjoyed the space age cave diving aspect of it quite a bit. Very strong atmospheric immersion....more
Sometimes you read something and you can't help but laugh out loud at the shocking absurdity. (view spoiler)["She threw the baby across the room." (hidSometimes you read something and you can't help but laugh out loud at the shocking absurdity. (view spoiler)["She threw the baby across the room." (hide spoiler)] O_O Got me with this one.
This is a tough one to rate. It's a creature feature with an interesting and inventive angle. It's got some down right horrifying ideas that will give you the creepies if you are revolted by bugs, body horror, parasites, etc. There's a lot to like if you are into this stuff.
Unfortunately all the juicy bits come in the last third or so of the book and most of the beginning is a slow cooker scenario that focuses on a young family struggling with some radical life changes. New baby, the mother is suddenly wheelchair bound, and a husband who is struggling with everything that's fallen into his lap. There is very little horror-based tension in the story and mostly just the odd foreshadowing as it slowly tip-toes towards what is to come.
Pacing can feel rather slow, particularly if you struggle to find any common ground with the main characters. Each feels pretty problematic in their own ways, and I found that I disliked both of them and that feeling only intensified as it went along.
Liked it, but wasn't sure I did until I was most of the way through it....more
A bit of a Scooby Do murder mystery on an island that gets progressively more bizarre every chapter. The premise feels strained, with a jumble of charaA bit of a Scooby Do murder mystery on an island that gets progressively more bizarre every chapter. The premise feels strained, with a jumble of characters who all were inter-tangled in highschool and have become estranged, all ending up on the titular island as suddenly body parts start showing up.
It's written in first person present tense which works well in a tension filled flow of action, but we don't spend much of the book in those moments. The drama of their complicated pasts ends up taking center stage for almost the entire length of the story. So much so that the horror becomes a sub-plot. "Yeah we just found a hunk of somebody, but let's talk about our difficult relationship." This unfortunately leaves most of the characters feeling like wooden charicatures who never seem realistic. Pretty hard to believe ANYONE would behave this way in these circumstances. It all feels a bit too forced. Author works hard to try to make this feel like it has some wild twists, but every one of them feels plucked straight out of a rectum.
The reveals feel a bit dull and lackluster when they actually happen. Unfortunately most of the information require is simply withheld until the point in time that it's important. One of those situations where the main character has known everything, but just forgot it all until it was important to reveal it. After all this time focusing on the relationships, their pasts, and the struggles between them. The actual antagonist is treated almost like an afterthought.
Hemlock Island ultimately feels like it would have been better served as a shallow slasher B movie on a cheap streaming service. Pretty hard to spend a film trapped in an impotent internal monologue about insecurities surrounding your highschool friend circle's old drama....more
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