Halloween Carnival Volume 2 Edited By Brian James Freeman *Review*

Here we go with the second in the series, and it was definitely a step-up from the first. Yet again I averaged out all of my ratings for each story, and the book as a whole came to 3.2 stars (.6 stars more than the last one, which trust me, is a decent amount in my opinion). Most of the stories in this one were enjoyable, and it followed in the footsteps of its predecessor by bringing the book to a close with the best story of the bunch. In fact, the final story in this one, The Pumpkin Boy by Al Sarrantonio, was the best story in this series so far.

The breakdown of each story’s rating is as follows:

Mr. Dark’s Carnival by Glen Hirshberg (3 stars)

Mr. Dark’s Carnival is a large part of local lore on Halloween night. What is Mr. Dark’s Carnival? Well, we don’t really know, and even when you do discover the mystery behind the Carnival you’re left wondering. So much is led up to in this one, and so little is really revealed. While this is one of the longer stories in the book, and the writing is pretty good with a spooky atmosphere, it never quite delivers. Much is implied for us to figure out for ourselves, but I feel like more should have been bluntly stated. The idea here is a good one, that alone warranting the 3 stars, but it’s never fully realized.

The Facts in the Case of My Sister by Lee Thomas (3.5 Stars)

David’s sister is dying, and a trip through David’s childhood memories may lead to the reason why. The writing near the beginning of this one was a bit scattered, and I figured out a while before the end what the “twist” would be, but it was a great story nonetheless. The best in the anthology? No. But still very worth the read.

Mischief Night by Holly Newstein (2.5 Stars)

An old drunk and a mischievous boy converge on Halloween night. Oh, this atta be good. Here is another case of “doesn’t-quite-deliver”. The writing was good, but the story itself? I feel so much more could have been done with this one instead, it feels like the author needed to write something that fit the anthology and couldn’t come up with a real plot. So we’re left with a well-written yet forgettable story.

The Ghost Maker by Del James (2 Stars)

An assassin who hates Halloween... yeah, not much more worth telling in this one. Even though this is the second to last story of the bunch, I literally forgot what it was about by the end of the book. I had to go back to the book’s blurb in order to remember. We’re told the main character’s life story, and how he came to lead a life of crime, but it probably would have been a more interesting tale if expanded upon. I would have liked to experience things with him rather than just be told what happened. Another issue I had was with characters that were offhandedly given names and only mentioned once then quickly forgotten. Him not liking Halloween felt thrown in, maybe because they needed another mention of Halloween to make the story fit the anthology. And the ending, while you may have seen it coming it was abrupt, and you’re never given a reason for it, making the rest of the story feel pointless. “The Ghost Maker” is probably my least favorite of this book, even so, I could see someone out there liking it.

The Pumpkin Boy by Al Sarrantonio (5 Stars)

A young boy follows a strange pumpkin figure into the woods, and he never returns. Detective Schneider tries to figure out what happened, but he’s haunted by a past case, and it may cause him to mess up all over again. This one is just plain fantastic. Well thought out plot, believable characters, great writing, and it has the consistently mysterious and spooky atmosphere you’re looking for in a Halloween story. You don’t want to miss out on this one, I promise. It takes up a good amount of space in the book too, which I was perfectly happy with.

The only stellar story to be had here was the last, but I wouldn’t have been entirely disappointed if I had paid for this anthology. Even though there were one or two worthwhile reads in the first book, I would have much rather skipped right to this one.

**This book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Halloween Carnival Volume 1 Edited By Brian James Freeman *Review*

Who doesn’t get excited when they see an anthology dedicated entirely to Halloween stories? I know I do! Unfortunately, I think I was expecting something much different than what I got with this one. It lacked that extra kick I look for in a horror anthology (OK, I realized later that it doesn’t really say it’s a horror anthology, but that’s what I think most would expect.). I was looking for something with some blood, some fang, and numerous creatures of the night united to terrorize entire towns!!! At the very least I wanted a few stories I could recall the following Halloween….I don’t even know that I’ll remember more than one of these stories come this Halloween.

That being said, the last two stories saved this book from a two-star rating, but only barely. Because anthologies are so hard for me to rate, I’ve adopted a new method where I rate each individual story and then do the math to find the average (Yes, I know, I’m so smart. Thank you for noticing.). This one came in at 2.6 stars, just barely rounding up to 3. Whew, that was a close one.

So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what each of these stories is about and their individual ratings.

Strange Candy (3 stars)
This was a sweet (no pun intended) way to start the anthology off. It’s not my favorite story in the bunch, but it has the effect of easing you into the book. A man discovers an odd, unwrapped piece of candy at the bottom of his child’s Halloween candy bag. So what does he do? Eats it, of course! No worries, there were no razorblades in this one, just…something else. Yeah, not a bad start, it definitely sets the mood for the easygoing pace of the entire anthology and warns that this isn’t the gritty read you may have been expecting from a Halloween anthology.

The Rage of Achilles or When Mockingbirds Sing (2 Stars)
First of all, that title is just terrible. OK, I shouldn’t say that. In a more diplomatic way, I really, really, reeeeaaally don’t like that title. At first, I thought it was just a working title or something. Anyway, this is the story of a priest who decides to take confessions on Halloween night (something that isn’t done at this particular church), and he bares the weight of a confession that might just change his life forever, or at least wreak havoc on his psyche. So I like the premise of this story, and the goods were there, but the writing was just lacking soooo much. There were a few times I was jarred out of the story, because of the rough transitions between the here and now and the past. Basically, a guy comes in to tell the priest a story of what happened to him, and the telling just isn’t all that great. Don’t get me wrong, the story is interesting, but I still got bored. I think it would have helped to do some nips and tucks on this one, tighten up the writing a bit. It probably could have been a quarter less in length and been a better read. I can see why someone might enjoy it, but it wasn’t for me in terms of writing style. I probably could have skimmed a good chunk of it and been happier than I was forcing myself to read the whole thing.

Demon Air (1 Star)
I’d give this story negative stars if I could. A woman is traveling to Australia on Halloween night (which also happens to be her birthday, but that turns out to not matter, so I have no idea why this fact was added) to find out more about her people, because a recently taken DNA test revealed that she had some aborigine blood in her. There’s some family drama brushed over here, but nothing really concrete ever comes of it because the story is interrupted by the plane being taken over by, you guessed it, Demons!!! Dun dun duuun!!! Quick question, Mr. Editor, did you actually read this story? I mean, I can understand how this story might look interesting in a synopsis, but the execution was simply awful. Other than the “original” idea of this story there’s really nothing to like about it. The actual plot is lacking, the horror isn’t all that horrific, the main character seems kind of bitchy and never really gets her comeuppance, and the end. Good lord the end. I think it was supposed to be a cliffhanger? Instead, you kind of stop and go, “Wait. That was it?” I once read a story about a weird ghoul-like creature that taunted this guy every time he flew on a plane. The thing would sit out on the wing of the plane, grinning at him, and occasionally masturbate. Yeah, real weird, but in terms of horror-style plane stories, it was far better than this one. That tells you how bad this one was.  In a way, this story was even more unbelievable than that one, at least in a horror sense. So yeah, I didn’t like this one. Go figure.

La Hacienda de los Muertos (3 Stars)
I almost rated this one 4 stars, but I realized I only enjoyed it so much when comparing it to the last two stories. This one was refreshing and entertaining in its own way. It’s the story about a man who used to be a big-time western star. He ends up taking a job down in Mexico to be a part of a horror movie. The only problem is that the location they’re filming at might just be haunted by La Llorona, a woman’s ghost from urban legend. This is a fun read and the best ghost story out of the entire book (I just realized a good portion of this book is ghost stories. Hm…). I had just about given up hope on the book when this came along, and I’m so happy it did. The writing wasn’t perfect in my opinion, but good enough to make me want to search out other stories by this author.

#MakeHalloweenScaryAgain (4 Stars)

Finally, we get to the finale of this book. It took way too long to get here. An author comes up with #MakeHalloweenScarAgain, in the hopes that it will gain traction maybe even scare up some readers. Well…it does attract attention, but probably not the type he was hoping for. The best part about this story was the writing, which is funny considering that was what was lacking in so many of the other stories. It really is a great, fun read, and it was the perfect way to end the book. Was it a little predictable? A bit, but it had enough scares along the way to get us to a decent ending. I really enjoyed reading this one, and it made the rest of the anthology a little more bearable.

Mr. Editor, thank you for redeeming yourself with these last two stories. As a side note, if I were doing the arranging of this book it would look like this:

Strange Candy
La Hacienda de los Muertos
The Rage of Achilles or When Mockingbirds Sing
#MakeHalloweenScaryAgain

Notice I left out “Demon Air”. While I didn’t love “The Rage of Achilles or When Mockingbirds Sing” I can see its charm. “Demon Air” on the other hand? No. Just. No…

Is this anthology worth the read? If you’re not looking for the gritty, bloody, thrill ride I was, yes. If you’re into a more gentle kind of horror and have a weak constitution look no farther. However, if you’re looking for something that will unsettle you and compel you to buy a really big dog to keep at the foot of your bed at night? I’d look somewhere else.

**Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC**

"What We Kill" By Howard Odentz *Review*

Man oh man. I was super excited about this one. I was introduced to Odentz’s writing back in March when I received his short story, “Snow”, through Netgalley.

More recently, I was going through some of the authors I really like. I realized I never looked into anything else Odentz had written, and I really reeeeaaally liked “Snow”. It's one of those stories that stick with you, and makes you smile from time to time. The writing style is smooth, and the story is fun and upbeat (well, as upbeat as a horror story can be. Ha). These are two traits that Odentz’s most recent novel, “What We Kill”, has as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much, and it all boils down to one major issue. Repetitiveness.

The beginning of this book was great. Four kids wake up in the middle of the woods: one covered in blood, another missing his glass eye, another not wearing any pants, and the last has been branded on his arm. They don’t remember anything from the night before, and soon after they wake up they hear sirens in the distance. What in the hell happened last night? And good lord, why is everyone so nauseous? Either they all got really, really wasted, which we’re told isn’t likely, because they’re not those types of kids and Marcy (the only girl in the group) would never drink because of the meds she’s taking, oooooor….they were abducted by aliens?

Seriously though, it was a great start, and you’re right there with the kids trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The author does a mostly great job of introducing us to not only the characters and plot, but the town as well. We get a feel for it rather quickly. We’re riding right along, and I’m thinking to myself with a smile on my face, “OK, this has gotta be a 4 or 5 star read.”

*sigh* and this is why we always wait to delve deeper into the book before rating it. About 150 pages in I was ready to drop the book to 2 stars.

Rather than unraveling what really happened the night before, we’re given hardly anything at all to satiate us, and information we already know is rehashed again and again. We’re told more than once Marcy takes meds that make it highly unlikely that she would drink or do drugs. We’re reminded again and again that our character used to be fat (I could have forgiven this one, because it does shape who the character used to be and still is, but it wasn’t the only thing we kept being told again and again). We are reminded numerous times that the main character woke up branded, that Myers is missing his glass eye, and that Anders is a jock and it’s weird that he hangs out with a group that’s a bit loserish (I do like the breakout from stereotypes, but I didn’t need to continuously be told that he was “different” from the norm). We’re told in as many ways as I think are possible that Myers’s mom likes to cuss and yell, that Anders’s mom is a slut, that our main character’s mom is pretty much crazy and doesn’t care in the least about her son. Oh, and Marcy is beautiful. Did I mention that Marcy is beautiful? No, like I thought she was just pretty, but she’s really reeeeeaaally beautiful. Especially when the light hits her hair just right…

I could actually go on about what we’re told time and again. None of these things have ANYTHING to do with the mystery THAT WE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT!!! OK, the Marcy being pretty one I can forgive as well. Still, all of things got old so fast. My memory’s not perfect, but it’s good enough that I didn’t need all these things reiterated to me again and again and again…and again….

I understand that all of this information is supposed to help us as readers feel like we really know the characters, but did it really need to be stated 20 times that Marcy has a thing for Anders and that EVERYONE knows about? I personally don’t think so. We really didn’t need to be “told” a lot of these things even once. Odentz, you’re a good enough writer that you showed us all of these things, I promise. Most of your readers aren’t dumb enough to miss the hints here and there. Most…and that most is who you’re really shooting to please.

Moving on to the end when everything FINALLY comes together, it comes together fast and hard like a guillotine of epic proportions, and I’m enthralled yet again. A lot of the mystery we’ve probably already figured out, but some of it makes you go “huhwhaaaaa?”

The end was superb, my friends. It left a little smile on my face, and I instantly wanted to tell someone about it.

While there were times I had thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish the book, because it got so boring there in the middle, I am so happy I did. There’s so much to like about this book. It’s about more than just the mystery. It’s about what the town’s going through. It’s about what the kids are going through. You really get to know them. If the story hadn’t dragged so much you could really start to care about all of them.

I liked two-thirds of this book. I liked two-thirds of this book A LOT, but it wasn’t enough to pay back for the wasted time spent on the middle. I am taking into account that I read the unedited proof of the book, and hoping against all hopes that there will be more edited out than just the typos. This book could seriously be cut down at least 50 pages, and be so much better. I’d even dare to say 100 pages of fluff could be cut out. Seriously, there’s that much extra right now.

In terms of writing style it was a joy to read. Another fun read, that makes me curious about other things this author has written. I will be on the lookout for more, because gah, the ending and premise of this one were golden. Please, please write more, and edit the crap out of all this extra fluff!

Oh, solid 3 out of 5 star rating. Which means, yes, it’s probably worth a read.

**I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

"Wool (Silo #1)" by Hugh Howey *Review*

Why? Why did I not get around to reading this book sooner? It’s been sitting on my shelf for a few years now, brimming with goodness, begging to be read, and I’ve simply ignored it. *Slaps my wrist* bad Ash, bad.

What’s more? I had a friend who’s been telling me for probably over six months that it’s a must read. Still…I procrastinated, and now I’m angry at myself for not discovering its wonders sooner.

I’m going to blame the title, and the fact that it has such a meager description on the back. The book’s description barely gives you a taste for what the thing is about, and it even sounds like it could be a cheesy YA. As for the title, I’m pretty sure I know why it was titled such, but I’m still not super happy with it.

Now I implore you, my friends, please do not make the same mistake I did. You MUST read this book. If you read no other book this year, this is the one to read. I was telling people to read it before I was even done with it. Seriously, I walked up to strangers reading random books on the street, ripped that book right out of their hands, threw it away, and screamed, “Why are you reading that smut?! When you should be reading ‘Wool’! Go now!! Read!!!” and they would run away, searching for the nearest place to purchase and read this amazing book I had just informed them of. Then I would melt into the shadows...

So anyway, yeah, you should read the book, and now I shall tell you a bit about it. Just in case you still doubt me…

“Wool” by Hugh Howey is the story of a city entirely below ground. Every person here seems to serve a function in order to best serve the place where they live, the Silo. It is huge, with over a hundred floors, every floor serving a purpose. There are multiple floors for Farming (also where the dead are buried), Police “stations”, there’s a few floors just for Tech, Mechanical, Hospitals, and so on. For every death, a new life is allowed to be granted. Every couple who wants to conceive must first win the lottery, and then they have a year to conceive before the gift of life is granted to another couple.

In order for this city to maintain its perfect balance, certain precautions are taken. In a way, the city has a certain feeling like the good ol’ Soviet Union. One wrong word against the world we live in, and you could be taken away.

The outside world is poison. The fear of outside is so complete that even the mere mention of “outside” in the wrong context can get you sent to clean. Meaning, they send you outside to clean the cameras that view the outside world, and you shortly thereafter die from the toxins that seep into your suit.

The way this world unfolds, and the buildup of the story is done superbly. I will warn you that this is NOT a feel good story, and not everyone makes it out alive. I’m still angry about the fates of one or two characters actually…OK, maybe three.

One of the few things that make this story less than five stars is the fact that it gets so depressing. It’s still an amazing read, but I wish there had been a little give, something to distract from all of the terrible things that happen in this book. There’s no real comic relief, and it’s so intense. Yes, intense is probably the best way to describe this book. From start to finish. Seriously, just read the first sentence:

The children were playing while Holston climbed to his death; he could hear them squealing as only happy children do.

Whaaaaaat? That got me right into the moment, and an author that puts a semicolon in the first sentence? That takes some guts, and you know he means business.

This is one of few books I’ve read that leads you on a bit of a mystery that doesn’t feel like

-step one: introduce main character

-step two: introduce world

-step three: introduce mystery

-step four: introduce villain

…

The writing is so smooth you’re sucked into the story entirely. It doesn’t feel like you’re reading about someone else’s life. You’re there experiencing everything with them.

I actually had feelings of claustrophobia while reading this book. It probably doesn’t help that I do most of my reading in a basement, but when reading in a windowless room, about an underground world, you really do start to feel the walls around you.

While I guessed a lot of the big mysteries before they were truly revealed in the story, I was OK with that because it was written so dang well.

The story isn’t perfect. The plot seems rather simple so far. The character’s actions aren’t always entirely believable. As far as science fiction goes, it’s merely brushed over. But, and here’s a big BUT, I consistently wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters, I truly cared about the characters (that’s a big thing for me), the setting is interesting, the world is well thought out, the writing style is for the most part spot on, and it’s just generally worth a good read.

The book was originally written in sections, definitely something to take into account. The first section of “Wool” started as a self-published novella, and it garnered so many readers’ requests for more that the author obliged. Thank you, Mr. Howey, for listening to your readers.

Make sure that when you buy this book (notice I say “when” not “if”), you buy the one that’s over 500 pages, and not just one of the novellas that are included in the book. As an added note, if you buy the ebook, I’m pretty sure all of the proceeds go to the author, because while publishing houses came to him to buy the rights to the book, he refused to sell the ebook rights.

In the end the book garnered an almost perfect score of 4.5 stars from me. *commence wild bouts of clapping and cheers*

Alright, that’s it, I’m done reviewing the book, and I’m done telling you how much you NEED this book in your life. Now go on and read it.

I. Am. Aliiiiiive....

Wowza, it's been a while. I just got on bookmooch for the first time in ages, and requested way more books than I should have, while adding books to my inventory as well. Love that site, but it's almost too much for someone with little self-control in the way of books.

Anyway, I promise more reviews are coming soon. I've been neglecting my Netgalley account as well. *slaps myself on the wrist* bad, bad Ashleigh. I have not entirely forsaken reading though. I've been reading mostly library books. Which is a first for me, because I have so many books on my own shelves to read, but it hasn't been bad. Not bad at all.

IT'S HERE!!!

Love getting packages in the mail. Especially when they contain new books!!! Yay!!!!! Yes, I realize that the Cainsville series is not a new one, but hey, guess what! This blog isn’t JUST about “new” books!!!

Besides, did YOU know that there’s a novella based in the Cainsville series due to come out April 1^st, 2017? And guess who’s got an ARC. That’s right! This gal!!

Kelley Armstrong holds a special place on my shelf, because she wrote the first adult series I ever finished reading (Women of the Otherworld). While she is a great writer, I have also gained an appreciation for her on a human level. First of all, she actually writes her own books even though she’s gotten famous enough she probably doesn’t have to (what a concept). Secondly, she donated the proceeds from her book, “Men of the Otherworld”, to charity. How cool is that?! Oh, and thirdly, her publisher accepted ME for an ARC. If that doesn’t deserve appreciation, I don’t know what does.

Anyway, once I was accepted for the novella, “Lost Souls”, I felt like frolicking through a field of daisies with unicorns and fairies quick in toe. This. This is why I love Netgalley. THANK YOU NETGALLEY!!!!

Quickly thereafter, I had an, “Oh, dang,” moment, “I haven’t read any of this series yet. I can’t just start the story randomly in the middle. Guess I gotta buy and read those first books.” *slight smirk*

So yes, I am excited. It. Has. Arrived. In the mail, because I live in a small town without a real bookstore *sobs*. Hey, it’s on my list of future aspirations, Open a Bookstore. That would be just…*harmonic angelicy type music…clears throat* Anyway…

Fear not! More reviews soon!!!

Miles McHale, Tattletale by Christianne C. Jones Illustrated by Elina Ellis *Review*

WhAt!?! I write reviews on kids’ books as well?!

…why yes, yes I do, and this one is a goodin’

Let us start this review with a Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!...for writing this book! It needed to be written. More books like this would be a wonderful addition to the library. I love children’s books like this. “Miles McHale, Tattletale” is well-written, entertaining, and holds some quality lessons.

Miles McHale is a smart, funny, sweet little chick with one major character flaw: he likes to tattle. Like, ALL THE TIME! Seriously, it’s a shocker this kid has ANY friends.

Because, as we know this is not just an issue for any one student, in steps the teacher. She’s come up with a game. Everyone in class is broken into teams, and whichever group tattles the least within the week wins.

At this point I was a little iffy about the story. It’s a fine-line our kids must learn to walk. You don’t want your kids to be THAT kid: the one who tells on everyone for EVERYTHING. You also don’t want your child to feel uncomfortable telling you when something is seriously wrong. So here is where my true appreciation for this book comes in. The teacher has a little pledge:
If a friend is sick,
hurt, or in harm’s way,
Then telling someone
is OKAY.

Thank you for that. I think I’ll be putting that on my daughter’s wall in BIG. BOLD. LETTERS. Ha. Okay, maybe not, but it’s still a pretty good pledge, and a lesson worth stating.

This game ends up making it so that nobody wants to hangout with little Miles (honestly, if I were on another team, I’d probably hangout with him just to cause some subterfuge), and while some may disagree with showing this outcome, it’s realistic and understandable.

The end is happy yet, though it’s not the kind where everyone gets a blue ribbon. Yet another lesson in the making here, I think. We don’t always win, but that’s okay, because such is life.

So if you couldn’t tell, I thought this was a wonderful read. I think I’m going to have to buy it for my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, and possibly another copy for her first grade teacher next year. It’s a great story that’s written well, with some cute pictures as an added bonus.

Love it!

5 out of 5 stars!!

**This book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Something (Wisteria, #1) by Shelby Lamb *Review*

BE FOREWARNED, this is probably just a really long rant, but I had to get it out there. So here we go.

When I posted my original review on Goodreads I was frustrated. I just wanted to throw all of my frustrations out into the world so that others who didn’t enjoy this book knew that they weren’t alone (You’re not alone! I swear!!!). Now that I’ve had the chance to breathe and let the book settle, I figure it’s time for the lengthened revised review that goes on the blog. Sit tight, because this may not be pleasant.

First impressions: Okay, I’m a sucker. I fell for the creepy yet intriguing cover photo. Just look at it. It’s simply beautiful, isn’t it? What is it about floating, dismembered legs that works so well for a horror novel? I don’t know, but it sure as heck does!

Yeah, yeah the title’s a bit off. “Something”, really? Just doesn’t work quite as well as “IT”, huh? I thought, “Oh, but look at that cover. There’s gotta be ‘Something’ great (in a morbidly creepy sort of way) hidden within that binding.” (See what I did there with the word “Something”? You didn’t miss it, did ya? Feel free to go back and read it again if you didn’t catch it. I’ll wait…Yeah, I’m sure I won’t be the only one. Moving on!)

Unfortunately, I was partially…if mostly... wrong. (*grumble mumble* stupid cover photo people leading me astray. And fellow Goodreads reviewers too! What the heck?)

After reading the book, I feel a bit sad about it. Not that the characters or actual story made me sad. We’ll get to how I felt about the storyline in a moment.

Did you notice earlier how I said I was “partially” wrong? There IS “Something” (…OK, OK, I won’t make the joke again…) great within the confines of this book, and it’s the writing style. I was sad because the writing style is simply beautiful and fits the cover perfectly. It has a descriptive and creepy, and oftentimes had an unsettling tone to it. It’s languid, intelligent, but easily read.

The issue I had with this book was with the story itself. There really isn’t much of a story here at all. It’s all about the characters, and the characters just aren’t strong enough to hold the book together.

I think that once Ms. Lamb finds a good story to write about, with more interesting characters, she’ll be able to create something wonderful. Seriously, with her writing style she could keep you up at night. Provided she had the story to back it up.

So what went wrong with the story? Oh, don't worry, I'll tell ya. The very beginning of the book was jolted and jumbled.

-On page one; we’re taken to a bookstore where Aubrey finds the book, “Something”.

 -On the second page we jump to Aubrey having sex with a random guy in an alley. This is supposed to set the stage to show that Aubrey is still heartbroken over Nathan and trying to get over him (Who’s Nathan? That’s a very good question, because unless you read the book blurb and remember it, you don’t have a clue. You can guess, but I would have much preferred to have been introduced to him in a different way than this.). I was a little jarred by this segment, and had to go back and read to see if I missed something. Nope, it’s just a random sex scene, not my favorite.

-At the bottom of that second page there’s another break, and we’re taken to a home for Developmentally Disabled Adults (I know the term keeps changing, according to what’s politically correct at the time, but for now we’re going with this one) where Aubrey works. It seems she lives there as well? I quickly became confused about this last bit, because she goes to her room at the home, but then later it says that she lives at the school she goes to. On the weekends she lives with her grandparents. So she has three homes, I guess? I’m not entirely sure. I think all of this may have gotten lost in the writing somewhere.

-Aubrey then pulls out pills she’s collected from some of the residents, obviously stashing them just in case she wants to kill herself later. You know, as depressed people do. This is when she starts going on about how alone she is and how she has no friends.

Ok, so that’s all within the first three pages. We’ve been introduced to Aubrey, and in all honesty I felt like I knew her a little too well at this point. There’s no mystery here. All of this is thrown at you, and it makes Aubrey look like a whiney little girl, with an obnoxious self-pitying attitude, and serious issues.

It also doesn’t take long to see WHY Nathan broke up with her (her ex. If you didn’t catch that), as it is also soon revealed that even after over a month of him breaking up with her she texts him an average of about 20 times a day. And he hasn’t responded back once!!! Basically, she uses him as a diary, because she’s pretty much just talking to herself. Texts include thing like, but not limited to:

 "NATHAAAAAN"

"No one will ever love you like I do"

"I'm never talking to you again"

"Why don't you love me anymore?!"

Yeah, you probably could have guessed, but that's the gist.

I just have to say here, that I feel sorrier for Nathan than anyone else in this story. He really did get the raw end of the deal. Poor guy should have broken up with Aubrey a lot sooner, or better yet never gone out with her in the first place, though once you meet his mom you see why his relationship with Aubrey even happened. He also made the stupid decision to start dating Aubrey’s best friend. On that note, I really feel like the best friend was more in the wrong there. I almost wanted to give Nathan a pat on the back for that one, finally doing what makes him happy.

Anyway, back to Aubrey, because her “character building” takes up entirely too much of this story in my opinion. I feel that I disliked her so much, because too much of her character was shoved down my throat from the get go without telling me WHY she acted the way that she did. She may have had the potential to be a more sympathetic character, but by the time I was told why she was so self-loathing I really didn’t care.

Ugh, and I was downright tired of reading about how she had no friends. OK, we get it, nobody likes you. Get over it and figure out WHY, if it bothers you so much.

She really is your typical kid who sets themselves up to be bullied. Judge me if you will for that statement, because I'm not advocating bullying. It is awful and cruel (especially when done by catty girls), and there is so much of it in this book it's downright depressing, buuuut there are kids that allow it to happen, and Aubrey is one of those kids.

There should have been more plot to keep things moving along, with the characters sprinkled in here and there. It got to the point where the whole book was more about getting to know these characters than anything else, and every main female character had the SAME! EXACT!! VOICE!!!

It wasn’t long before we were introduced to another character: Bella. Aaaaand she’s naked. In her bedroom with friends. Chugging booze. Oh, and it’s announced that she has decided, as she has just turned 18, that she will soon become a porn star. As you can imagine, she has also had a rough life, and while honestly she’s just as depressed and self-pitying as Aubrey, she shows it in her own way, partying it up and shoving her boobs in any guy’s face that will have her.

As charming as Bella is (isn't she just?), if I had to choose one female character that I liked the most it would probably be her. At least she had spunk, though I’d never be friends with someone like this. She pretty much seems to hate everyone else as much as herself, and has no control over herself when it comes to sleeping with friend’s boyfriends (Whoopsy).

As our final female protagonist (though they sure as heck antagonized me), we have Kendra, a pregnant teenager, living in her dad and grandfather’s home, with her teenage boyfriend. While Kendra is the least developed character of the leading ladies (ladies being a loose term here. Loose. Haha.), I probably liked her the least. She was just as whiny as the previous two characters, but didn’t seem to hate her life as much. Yet, even though she had her darker side and doubts, it was like her boyfriend wasn’t allowed to feel the same way.

Pretty much what I gathered was Kendra’s situation was a mirror image of what poor Nathan would have gone through had he gotten Aubrey pregnant. Only they wouldn’t have had the support of her family, it would have been his to help out (Thank god you got out when you did and dodged that bullet, huh!) All in all, while I would never advocate getting a girl pregnant and ditching, I could see why Kendra’s boyfriend might not want to stick around.

So, we’re introduced to the characters, and we’re about 60 pages in, and I’m bored. I’ve realized at this point that while the writing style is great, nothing else is. We have these three unlikable female characters, who probably could have been made interesting but just aren’t, and we’re waiting for "Something" to pick up the plotline.

Sure, we get a few glimpses here and there of "Something" creepy hiding in the bushes, but it’s just not enough to keep the story afloat for me. The story has pretty much been dedicated to the main characters at this point, numerous (way too numerous) other characters thrown in as a bland supporting cast, and I just don’t care about them. They’re all the same person, placed in different lives.

…Woah. Wait. Maybe that was the whole point. Put the same person in different lives and see what she becomes… Nah, I doubt it, but I guess that could have been interesting, had the character herself been made interesting. Ok, I’ll stop saying the word interesting, because this story was anything but.

Something else I noticed were all of the adults in this book blending together. They were all one dimensional and unhelpful really for anything. That’s when I realized the biggest issue this book has, it’s going for too old of an audience. I’m okay with adult stories that have young characters, but when they’re all so immature it makes it hard to enjoy. If there were less sex and other adult situations, I would suggest this book to a YA audience, and it probably would have done a lot better there. The characters would have for sure appealed to a younger audience.

Along the same lines, the dialogue could have used some work. At times it didn’t feel natural, a bit choppy, and overdramatic. Everyone was VERY dramatic in this story. Again, this might have appealed to a younger audience base. This book just does not work as an adult horror novel.

Mentioning genre, let’s finally move onto that. The main reason I wanted to read this book was because it was marketed as a horror novel. So, what did I think of that? Eh, there’s potential here. It might have been a good one. Everything is just so overshadowed by all of the unneeded obnoxious characters, that I couldn’t bring myself to be even the slightest bit creeped out.

Also, Ms. Lamb might have benefited from writing it more like a horror novel and less like a movie in these spots. For the most part we’re focused on the characters, but then when something creepy happens we’re transferred to an omnipresent narrative voice, seeing things the characters don’t. Scenes were written with statements like, “she didn’t notice…” Rather than that, I might have made the character see these things, but not register them as odd. Though of course we the reader would, because we’re looking for something creepy to happen.

Through all of this there is the slight, sliiiiight, possibility that I would give this author another chance a few years down the road (though no way in hell from this series). The writing is there, she’s just got to come up with a good story to tell, about interesting characters (I said interesting, not likeable. I’ll settle for interesting.). Give me variety in voices, please, pleeeeaaaase, and some story arcs along the way.

When all is said and done it’s a 2 out of 5 star read. I’ll give you that star for the writing style, BUT NOT A STAR MORE!!!

**I received this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review**

Kin of Cain: A Short Bernicia Tale by Matthew Harffy *Review*

FINALLY!!! a book that delivers. I am so tired of books with beautiful covers and great titles that just don’t quite reach my expectations. This one. This one was it.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of this review, I just have to say on a personal note, I seriously need to start reading more novellas. It really is the perfect length for a booklover with a busy life. When life’s got me running around I’d normally pick up an anthology, but this gave me new hope for the world of novellas. Thank you for that Mr. Harffy.

Onto what you came here for:

“Kin of Cain: A Short Bernicia Tale” is a historical fiction and the retelling of a very, veeeery old story. I’m not going to tell you which one, because that’s part of the fun.

We start this tale in the great hall, partying it up with all the kings horses and all the kings men (well…minus the horses). The celebration is interrupted by screams from outside. After a slight hesitation, everyone arms themselves, and then someone opens the door, and so a terrifying beast is introduced.

The creature is known by many names: Nightwalker, Kin of Cain, nihtgenga (I rather like this last one, though I have a hard time pronouncing it). It’s known by so many names, because no one knows what it actually is. All that is known is that its flesh cannot be penetrated by spear, and it has killed time and again, ripping livestock, women, and boys to shreds. And from the sounds of it, it only strikes at night.

With this night’s interruption, the king decides “NO MORE”, and he sends his 5 “best” warriors to hunt down the beast and kill it. And so the real story begins.


This, in my opinion, is the perfect beginnings for an epic bedtime story. This is also the point where most authors would have lost it. Things would go astray, start to get boring, and I would cry myself to sleep over all the potential lost. NOT THE CASE WITH “KIN OF CAIN”. Things just don’t let up (I know this statement is cliché, but it’s really true in the case of this story). There was never a point I found myself daydreaming about other books, because I was too dang enthralled with this one. Yes, it’s that good.

Now, with a book like this we all know there is more to it than just the storyline. The writing style is a biggun’ for me. Mr. Harffy shines in this aspect. The writing fits perfectly with the timeline and story, but it’s never over-the-top so that you can’t understand what’s going on. It’s subtle, beautiful, and descriptive, never getting in the way of the story itself.

On the same point as the writing, one negative aspect here and the only thing that drops this book from 5 to 4 stars, is that there were a few of the action scenes that were slowed by wordiness. These few sections gave me a little pause to try to figure out what was really going on. I think these sections could have been strengthened by being more cut and dry. Other than those few sections the writing style was spot on.

For those of you interested in characterizations (many times what makes a good story great), this story does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. We do get to know some characters better than others, but for such a short piece I was very well pleased in this aspect of the storytelling. I wanted to know more about some of the characters backgrounds, and I wish there were a book to give me that. This isn’t a negative comment in the slightest; I think it’s good to want more of the juicy bits.

As far as plot and story arcs go, there were times I thought I could see the writing on the wall, thinking things were going to get predictable, and then it took a turn in an all together great direction surprising me to my glee. This is what you want in a book like this. To be almost lulled into a sense of knowing what’s going to happen next, only to be thrust into shock and awe (Ok, maybe I’m being a bit overdramatic, but I was for sure surprised a time or two).

Stepping right over into genre, I love that I found this book in the historical fiction section. If you know a bit of history about the time this book is meant to be based in, you can tell that the author did his research. As I said earlier, this story is very readable to the people of today, but it also has subtleties revealing a world long behind us. This book is a reminder that it really was a different world back then. People looked at things differently than we do now, turning everything into a magical if frightening place.

Who do I suggest this story to? If you’re a fantasy, horror, or historical fiction lover then you’ll LOVE this novella, and you’ll get a kick out of the end as I did. Even if you don’t know the history behind the story, you’ll find that the author has got you covered with a brief history he has written. So hey, you might even just learn something while you’re at it.

Gah, who knew you could get such an epic story in such a small book? I’ll for sure be reading other books by this author.

Final rating? 4 out of 5 stars.

**I was given a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**