-
Falcio and the Greatcoats: A Journey of Heart and Magic
Information:
- Goodreads: Average of 4.24 out of 13,300 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Fantasy
- Series: Greatcoats book 2
Summary:
Within the first book, we meet Falcio, Breast, and Kest, three Greatcoats that are trying to follow their late king’s last orders. Without knowing it, they’ve been hunting for King Paelis’ heir, a young girl named after Falcio’s Wife. Finding her doesn’t mean their task is done, though. Now they have to protect this girl from everyone who wants her dead (basically everyone) all while Kest is dealing with his new title, Falcio is paralyzed for longer and longer, and knights, assassins, and basically every other obstacle one could imagine stands in their way.
Review + possible Spoilers:
There is so much that I love about this series and Sebastien’s writing in general. He has a way of making me actually giggle and then completely and totally ripping my heart out. I laughed reading this and cried reading it. Castell somehow writes in a very lighthearted manner, but is still able to convey all the emotions.
I cannot explain in enough detail how much I love Falcio, Kest, and Brasti. Falcio is so singularly focused on following through with his King’s commands that he can’t tell just how many people follow him – not because of his King but because of who he is. It’s so interesting to see a main character who isn’t the fastest and strongest. Kest is a better swords man. Brasti has better eyesight. But Falcio is able to talk things out and think them through. It’s so fun seeing how they work as a team because they each know exactly what they’re able to offer. And I like getting to see that the king, despite Falcio’s Rose tinted view of him, was still just a man. He was not perfect. In fact, he was weak and occasionally conniving. He made calls that were for the better of the population but not the one going on the mission. Which is a great quality for a King to have, but not a quality of someone who is perfect and fair and just 24/7. What happened to Dalianna wasn’t fair. But it made sense strategically.
I will say, though, that I do not like the ‘romance.’ I do not like Ethalia. You want me to get behind the woman who raped this man in the first book? Yeah, he liked it later, but that doesn’t change how he still said no. Repeatedly. And, because it was what was ‘best’ for him, she ignored his rejection. I didn’t enjoy that scene and I don’t enjoy her character now. I’d much prefer him with Valiana instead, if there has to be a romance at all.
The world is so interesting. I would like to know more about the magic within the world, but Falcio hates magic, so we’ll only see bits and pieces. Its still interesting. I especially want to know more about Saints and Gods. What makes up the difference? I hope Kest is still able to be the Saint of Swords. I love that the power can’t seem to make up its mind now that he’s missing a hand.
I’m definitely curious to see what the rest of the series holds. The Greatcoats Lament was heartbreaking. Things seem to relatively (kind of, maybe) be settled as far as who the heir is. But now Valiana has a new role she is playing and numerous dynamics have changed. I loved it. It was fantastic. I cannot wait to read the second.
-
The Inklings Digest 6
Currently Reading:
I am currently reading Heir by Sabaa Tahir. This book is coming out on October first and I’m trying to get it completed in time to leave a review. And Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien De Castell. Definitely planning to be done with it by Wednesday.
Recent Reads:
The Ever Queen, sequel to the Ever King. I don’t know what this book did that first didn’t, but I did not really enjoy this book. It is entirely possible it was on me and I just wasn’t in the right mood, but I didn’t have a lot of fun to be quite honest. Which was a bummer because I really enjoyed the first.
The Hair by David Sodergren. This is one is for the monster romance girlies. I haven’t read a David Sodergren book that I haven’t enjoyed yet (I’ve read three) but he is quickly becoming one of my go-to’s whenever I want something specially that would give me older horror/slasher movies vibes.
The Final Scene by Steph Nelson. Oh lord, this one was so much fun. I recently bought my first book from The Twisted Retreat, a horror novel subscription box. I wanted to read a few of their backlist books, thought, so I started with this one and had so much fun. It’s fast paced, interesting, reads like a criminal minds crime just without the FBI investigating it. Definitely loved it and super excited to read more both from this author and from this subscription box.
What Moves the Dead by T.Kingfisher. I love T. Kingfisher, but this one wasn’t hitting. It wasn’t what I was in the mood for, so I definitely plan on giving it a shot when I’m in a mood for it.
This Week’s Plans:
I’ve been reading it for a while, so It’s time I finish Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien De Castell. The amount of time it’s taking me to read it does not mean that it isn’t good. I absolutely love Castell’s writing and just want to take my time with it and read when there are no distractions. I want to post a review for Knight’s Shadow, The Final Scene, and Heir this week. I don’t really have plans for what I’ll be reading next other than I’ll start the audiobook for Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez Tuesday.
That’s it for this week! Thanks for tuning in and I’ll catch y’all next week.
-
The Inklings Digest 5
Current Reads
Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien De Castell. This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The Haar by David Sodergren. Always a great person to go to when you’re wanting a good horror. The Final Scene by Steph Nelson. I haven’t quite started yet. I’m about a chapter into it.
Recent Reads:
Margos Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. A book looking into how society looks down on young women raising children in nontraditional households. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. There is a review on here that I encourage you to take a look at, but you can also rest assured that this is definitely a high recommendation from me. I don’t even really read contemporary fiction, so this was a pleasant surprise. Absolutely adored it.
Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I was, very luckily and thankfully, sent an ARC of Alien Clay and really, really enjoyed it. We’re on an alien planet where prisoners are forced to do the heavy lifting. We explore this world, the people who created it, and how fucked the mandate truly is. There were a few times that the book made me feel a bit dumb, but it was still an interesting and super fun ride. I do wish it had read a bit better. Our main character very casually talks about science-y things but not in the way our main character in The Martian does. They each feel like they’re along the same vein as far as talking about this information, but I much prefer how The Martian was done.
We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewar. Let me tell you, I goofed myself. I had just been saying horror books don’t really get to me. I don’t often get spooked through reading, event though it is one of my favorite genres. However. There was a scene roughly 28% through that had me a bit nervous walking through my office at work when the lights were off. Maybe it was my mindset at the time, but I still respect it.
Revenants by Mel C. Bell. This was a tiny novella, 70 pages, about zombies and handsome soldiers who know more than they’re saying. I read somewhere that this book is going to be a series of some kind, whether that’s graphic novels or something else, I can’t fully be sure. I will say this novella read exactly like that: a pitch idea for a series. And it definitely got me interested, but there is not enough there to warrant any care or something like that. I don’t even really have that many thoughts on it other than it felt like listening to someone tell me about their series’ idea.
Near The Bone by Christina Henry. I’m not sure how Sasquatch takes the backseat, but that’s okay. I had a pretty good time reading about this escape from a yucky old bitch.
Antenora by Dori Lumpkin. A great novella studying a girl who was the menace of the town. It was beautifully written and had me invested the entire time I was reading it. But, I do find myself not really enjoying short stories. I almost view them as previews for the actual story. Still a beautiful view of how religious trauma can impact people, though.
This Week’s Plans
I have not a fucking clue, to be honest. I’m definitely going to finish my current reads, but I don’t have any plans for what I’m picking up next. I think I’m in the mood for a good thriller or horror. I want something that will have me on the edge of my seat. I do think it will also be an audiobook week. But we’ll see. Thanks for tuning in and I’ll talk to ya later!
-
Margo’s Got Money Troubles – Breaking Stereotypes: A Mother’s Choices in Challenging Times
Information
- Goodreads: 3.97 out of 31,626
- Age category: Adult; New Adult
- Genre: Contemporary
- Series: None
Summary
Margo was a regular college student when a stupid, yucky boy who was also her professor starts sleeping with her. He’s just out here very casually cheating on his wife. And then Margo gets pregnant and he thinks he gets a say on whether or not she keeps the child (aka throwing her life away) or terminating the pregnancy and living her best life. As you guessed, Margo does not make the decision Mark the professor wanted her to.
Have you ever sat in your apartment and wondered what the hell you were going to do to put money on the table? Have you ever genuinely wondered if OnlyFans had the potential to give both you and your child a place to live? Have you ever wondered if you were a good person/mom/daughter if you make a certain choice that would upset your parents? If you answered yes to anything, this book is for you.
Review
Content warning: substance use, OnlyFans work, Motherhood, power imbalance relationships
This book is full of people you’ll love and hate. Fuck Mark and Margo’s mom, honestly. So much of what Margo is going through is so relatable and interesting. She’s a young mom with one absentee + drug addict parent and the other is obsessed with image without ever actually connecting with Margo. Oddly enough, after Professor Mark’s mommy made Margo sign an NDA, it’s the drug addict parent that ends up helping Margo during this.
We get to see as Margo and Jinx (her dad) begin to build a relationship after years of him not being around. Jinx is able to talk about why he wasn’t around, kind of. He’s dealing with substance use disorder, with his drug of choice being Heroin. Jinx is also a retired pro-wrestler who is in constant pain, resulting in an incredibly real loop of becoming clean, getting hurt, going to the doctor and being prescribed pain relievers, abusing those pain relievers, then relapsing on heroin. Jinx’s story is something I feel a lot of addict could relate to. He does eventually get on methadone, with multiple characters saying that methadone is basically trading one drug for another. I am happy to say it was a relief seeing characters within the book arguing against that. Methadone treatment has a success rate of 60-90%, allowing these individuals to have their basic needs (housing, food, safety, etc) met in order to learn the coping skills needed for longterm abstinence. Everyone has a different opinion on being on Methadone indefinitely, but that doesn’t change the success rate with utilized as a medication assisted treatment.
Throughout the story, Margo bonds with her baby and decides to begin doing OnlyFans for work to keep them safe and happy. Because of that, everyone in her life has so much to say, always. And Margo is left wondering, what the hell is wrong with the job that keeps food on her table? The book explores how so many people feel as if the two things cannot be true at the same time: a Mother can have an OnlyFans and she can be a safe and secure person and environment for a child to be around. As soon as professor Mark hears about her job, Margo’s job is put under scrutiny. Sure, he cheated on his wife often and without remorse and had a secret baby who he admittedly reports having looked at as Margo’s baby that just happened to have his DNA. But no, Margo is the one who is unfit to be a mother. And of course someone close to Margo calls CPS on her for her job. And, to add onto the bullshit, of course CPS would tell Margo her baby will be taken if her father, a recovering addict, continues to lives with her while on Methadone.
This is a story of society’s outcasts. The people we love to make fun of (look at that crackhead on the corner) and the people we love to look at (how many OnlyFans accounts have you made in secret?) are the same ones we’re ashamed to know personally. This book doesn’t glamorize substance use or having OnlyFans as a job. It details different ways OnlyFans can be harmful. And we all know how substance use can impact someone’s quality of life. But it does ask why we instantly feel the need to look down on these people when they’re someone we know. Jinx and Margo have my heart. Margo is selling photos of her body and she is a great mom and intelligent and creative. Jinx was an absent father in active use and now he is a present grandfather in recovery. I loved this book and cannot recommend it enough.
-
The Inklings Digest 4
Currently Reading
I am still reading quite a few books. This, again, was not be my best reading week, but I do still feel like I read quite a bit. I finished four books. I’m now halfway through Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I’m also halfway through A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan. I’m roughly 30% into Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien de Castell – whose quickly becoming one of my all time favorite authors.
Recent Reads
I made an oopsie with A Darkness Returns. This book talks a lot about two other series Feist has written, so I found myself incredibly confused for a lot of it. I do definitely want to read these two series though, so at least I was introduced to something new.
I have also finished The Goblin Emporer and really enjoyed that as well. The writing is beautiful and reminds me of Robin Hobb, but somehow in a more cozy manner. Don’t get me wrong, Maia goes through a lot. There’s some murder and attempted murder. There’s loneliness and we get to see Maia trying to find his place in his new life. He’s got grief and confusion and so many people telling him what he should do. It was just so sweet following Maia as he learns how to be Emperor and all of the complications that come with that.
The Devil in Silver is fucking phenomenal. The true horror is the very real terror of being mistreated by supposed ‘treatment’ facilities while being held against your will. It was a gut wrenching read, but was so perfectly written. I was shocked to enjoy this as much as I did because I did not like Lone Women in the slightest. I found that one to be slow and irritating. This book made me cry. Twice. Anyway, review for this one to come soon.
Lastly, I read How to Feed a Hungry Werewolf. This one was not one of my favorites at all. It felt immature to be an adult read and I didn’t like a single character, which sucks when you’re reading a romance. Those kind of rely on you liking the characters.
This Weeks Plans
I’ve had a busy past few weeks and that is not changing this week. This past weekend was my Bachelorette party, where my bridal party and I solved two of those true crime cases that you can buy off Amazon. It was so much fun and also a huge part of why I didn’t read as much this past week. Honestly, finishing up wedding planning in general has gotten in the way of my reading habit. The wedding is October 12th, so we’ve been pretty busy. I’m not sure how my reading will be this week due to having to work extra hours at work – I’m a counselor for those struggling with substance use disorder and I’m also in school to become a therapist. On top of that, I have a surgery on Friday – so I’d honestly be happy if I could just finish the three books on my currently reading, but I do also need an audiobook to listen to while doing general household chores ( I find housekeeping basically impossible unless I have an audiobook for company). This is one of my first months that I haven’t set an actual TBR, so I’m just going with the flow of things. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit nervous about the surgery, but I do look forward to what reading I am able to get done this week.
As for reviews, you can expect at least 3 reviews this week. First, I will be posting a review for a book I wasn’t the biggest fan of, How to Feed a Hungry Werewolf. Then I will reviewing The Devil in Silver, because I absolutely have to talk about it. And, hopefully, I will either have a review ready for Alien Clay or A Tide of Black Steel. Is there one in particular you’re most excited for? Can’t wait to find out.
Thanks for tuning in! I’ll see y’all next week.
-
Why This Thriller Missed the Mark: A Review of The Lake House Children
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.26 out of 81 Ratings
- Genre: Thriller??
- Age Category: Adult
- Series: None
Summary:
The Police are interviewing Kate for a fire that killed four people. They’re hoping to figure out who did it, but get more than they bargained for. One clearly thinks Kate’s lying – her story is outrageous – but the other thinks it may be so outrageous that she might just believe it to be true. Kate believes her son is the reincarnation of her nephew – and her son has information about how he died. We follow Kate’s story as she leads us up to the fateful night when everything went to shit.
Review:
So much about this could have worked. A police investigation into a suspicious fire that happened to a strange family filled with coverups and bad behaviors? What isn’t to love about that? I thought I was going to get an interesting investigation following complex people. I was so excited to see what in the world was going on with this weird kid. First, Netgalley and Goodreads have two different synopsis’ for this book. I only read the Goodreads one, which talks about one of our detectives as he can’t get this weird case out of his head. Netgalley full on talks about how Kate’s son Jack is actually her nephew, Zack, who has been reincarnated. The Netgalley synopsis full on gives away the most interesting aspect this book. Regardless, the plot had such a great concept, but failed to deliver on it. We only get snippets of the detectives talking to Kate in the interview; most of the story is her talking about her son. Which could have been interesting, if done differently and done right.
None of the characters felt like they had anything to them that made them special. They all felt wooden. Within the first time meeting each character, you know how they’re going to turn out. There was not a single plot twist that I did not guess by 25% through the book, which very much hindered the amount of fun I was able to have while reading it. Of course Jack is Zack. Of course Aaron killed him. Of course Amber was sleeping with Neil and covered up her son’s murder. I don’t even count this as spoilers because it’s all so obvious. I couldn’t get a sense of suspense because I could easily figure out what was going on -and that’s not bragging. I’m dumb, I can’t ever guess what’s going to happen.
I did like the prose. The story is written in 3rd person when the detectives are interviewing Kate, but written in 1st person when going over the actual story line. I like and appreciate it. It’s reads like Kate talking to the detectives. If it had been paired with interesting characters ( who even knows anything about Aaron’s twin sister, Kate’s dad, Brock, or Tris), and was a little more like the way it was marketed, it could have been a great story. All the material is there, but it doesn’t feel like it’s been used.
If you’ve read this book, I’d be curious to know what you thought. It’s set to come out September 17th, but I certainly won’t be purchasing a physical copy or recommending it to many people.
-
The Inklings Digest #2
Currently Reading
I’m currently reading a couple books. I’m about 5 chapters into the Goblin Emperor (Really enjoying it), halfway through The Lake House Children, 4 chapters into Alien Clay, and about 1-2 chapters into A Darkness Returns. I do tend to prefer to keep multiple going at once, as I feel it helps keep up my reading habit, as I have multiple options depending on what mood I’m in.
Recent Reads
The Hunted Heir by Holly Renee was published on the 20th. I read and devoured that in a few hours, so I’m now back to just waiting for the next release. Really, really liked it, but did struggle a little with the characters feeling a little different. They also make silly decisions, but I don’t go into these books expecting the most sound decision making. I got about 20% into Evocations by ST Gibson before I just decided to DNF it. Here’s the thing: I am okay with reading poly relationships, but they aren’t my go-to. I have to thoroughly like and enjoy every single person in the relationship and that just wasn’t in this one for me. Very much preferred her A Dowry of Blood. Yes, it’s a more toxic view of this dynamic, but I loved or had high interest in each character. I feel as if Evocations is character driven, so that aspect of not liking any of them really put a damper on that reading experience.
I then finished The Claw and The Crowned by Sarah M. Credit. Apparently I was in a Fanro mood. Really enjoyed Claw and the Crowned. There was the same issue of characters making silly decisions, but, again, smart people aren’t the reason I come to these books. I did have a good time with this one. Our main character is seen as nothing more than a body and she really struggles with that. It ends in her being pregnant and having a child and that’s where it kind of lost me. I have a very specific pet peeve with books that have the characters have children, but only at the end of the book. Typically, when I see this trope used, there’s still so much for the author to wrap up and show us, that the baby then kind of goes to the background, constantly being taken care of by a friend or family member. And I do get the sense of a family and being surrounded by loved ones, but I just don’t like it because we only see the baby in background with someone else. We don’t see the parents actually interacting with the child, bonding with it, or really spending any time with it at all. They don’t appear to be changed in a way that feels realistic for me. I do understand that I am asking for too much, there would have to be a whole other book of the parents and family just being parents and family. But I feel like these endings are supposed to feel like ‘Auntie helps take care of the baby’ but it typically feels more like ‘Auntie is raising the baby in place of the parents’ instead for me. I just don’t like it.
I also finished Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin – it was super cute but not really something that’s going to stick in my head. I read Wrestling with Werewolves by Hazel Mack and, let me tell you, this cozy little monster romance series is so fun and such a fucking blast. But this installment was not my favorite. And I ended the week with Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh . It was good, I was interested, but paranormal romance isn’t my favorite and I did not realize that the series was more episodic and following a different couple every book. That isn’t usually my favorite, I like to see growth that’s really difficult to see within one 300 page book. But I do definitely see myself reading the series whenever I need a pallet cleanse.
Week’s Plans
The goal is to finish my current reads. I do think I’ll be able to finish two by tomorrow evening. I would also like to get to at least 2 other books. I really want to read Near the Bone by Christina Henry and something else, I’m not sure yet.
As for book reviews, I plan on reviewing Alien Clay, The Lake House Children, A Darkness Returns, and possibly the Goblin Emperor. I am still working towards opening a bookstore. The building I found has already been leased to someone else, unfortunately, but that’s okay. I’ve been learning the differences between LLC and Sole Proprietorship and different ins and outs of running my own business. It’s been a lot of information to take in while still being in school for becoming a therapist and actively running a substance use treatment group. It does feel like I’m trying to do too much in one go, but I am also having a lot of fun with it.
Thank you for spending time with me and I look forward to yapping with you next week.
-
Exploring Postpartum Horror: A Character Study in Dearest by Jacquie Walters
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.34 out of 127 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Horror
- Series: None
Summary:
Flora is a new mom with her beautiful baby girl, Iris. It should all be bliss. She’s got her baby and everything should be okay. But she’s alone. She’s got intrusive thoughts and repeatedly seeing horrible ways her baby could get hurt. Her husband is deployed. Her dad and his wife just left. She can’t even breast feed right. Things are quickly going to shit. And then her mom comes. And it just gets worse.
Review:
This book, to me, is a full on character study. What happens when a new mom with a traumatic past is left alone with her newborn baby and postpartum depression? Read and find out. Spoiler alert: it is not a fun and fresh time.
Walters writes about postpartum depression in a hypnotic and haunting manner. There’s distinct imagery and quotes that left me breathless. There are moments when, in the middle of a sentence, Walters interrupts it with a quick and very intrusive thought that felt so realistic. Each chapter ends with a dictionary definition of new worlds moms learn, each of them showing more and more how moms just cannot have a fucking break. Reading this made me feel nauseous in certain moments – not necessarily because of the imagery but because it was so relatable to some of the worst moments of my life that were supposed to be the best.
Every single character in this has a distinct purpose. It never felt as if anyone were going to waste or easily replaceable. Our main focus is Flora, but each character is heartbreaking. And I am so happy Christopher was not the generic husband in a horror that just denies everything his wife says. Yes, what Flora is going through is difficult to understand, but he does put in an effort, as does Flora’s father. Each person shows what failure looks like, but they then get back on their feet.
This is a love letter to motherhood and all the fucked up complications it can come with. We get a first person perspective as Flora struggles through this in such a horrifying way. I’ve always believed horror is the best genre to explore mental health through and I still stand by that.
There are absolutely issues with this book. There’s moments when it drags or doesn’t make sense. Yet, postpartum isn’t something that is always fast paced or ever really makes sense anyway, so I can personally look past those issues. The ending could feel weird or rushed, but I felt it was perfect and wouldn’t change anything about it. I cannot wait to hear what others have to say about this one!
-
Nightstrider – Sophia Slade
Information
- Goodreads: 4.28 out of 463 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Fantasy
- Series: Nightstrider, book 1
Summary
Para Warwick, a night terror, dreams up nightmares to serve him in the Reverie. His right hand man, Nightstrider, decides she’d rather have revenge. Throughout this story, we follow Wren (Nightstrider), Ila, Caine, and Alaric. Ila is a queen forced to marry Caine, who happens to be Warwick’s mortal son in the Wake. Ila is also a weaver – someone who can cross the boundary at will and is solely focused on protecting each world and a specific little girl who has the power to stand against Warwick himself. Ila finds herself working with Caine, Wren finds herself working with Alaric, and the two pairs find themselves all working towards the same goal. This is an interesting world with interesting magic that I hadn’t quite seen before.
Review
I thought this was going to be a fantasy romance – and there does seem to be two couples beginning that process – but the ‘romance’ is not the main focus. And I loved and appreciated that. Instead, we focus on each of these characters, the world we’re in, and the job we’re trying to do: save a little girl who’s trapped in a box.
The character work is so interesting and fun. Caine, Warwick’s oblivious son, is paired with Queen Ila, a weaver who is desperately working against his father. We get to see Caine come to realize what kind of person his father actually is and we get to see Ila realize that not everyone is as bad as she thought they would be. Each of them faces their bias’ at the hands of the other. Caine is a sweet cinnamon roll though.
Wren (Nightstrider) is paired with Alaric. Wren is Warwick’s right hand man seeking revenge while Alaric used to be his right hand and rebelled. He’s been assumed dead. Wren is grieving someone who was taken from her and so is Alaric – you can definitely figure out the twist that this becomes, but I don’t think that made it less impactful. I genuinely teared up. Alaric fights for the rebellion, but they still see him as just a nightmare. He finds someone like him in wren and wants to give her a chance at a better life, but she just wants to die. This is my favorite pairing, obviously.
That being said, there were a few times when the characters made such dumb decisions that I was so confused because it did not align with their reputation. For example, Alaric is a big baddy, okay? You can’t become the Para’s right hand man without being badass. Now riddle me this: how did this badass get so flustered watching Wren fight that he lost the one thing he was told to protect at all costs? There were a few times like that where I felt pulled out of the story because it just didn’t make sense.
I love this world. It’s new and interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything dealing with night terrors or nightmares in this way before. And throughout the story, it leads to people questioning what exactly makes a person. Just because Wren and Alaric are nightmares, does that make them less than Ila? Kips, which are dream beings who aren’t Luminae (hero’s of a dream) or nightmares, are often viewed as expendable because they don’t have anything ‘special’ to them. There’s also play around who is specifically bad or good. A lot of people have a hard time seeing the grey area – Luminae, Dream Breakers, and Weavers can all be bad people despite often being pegged as the hero’s. Just like Nightmares can be good, despite constantly being pegged as bad. That being said, some of the nightmares are so creepy and unsettling. I loved it.
The mission to save this child was interesting and fun to read. It almost made me think of playing hot potato. Hear me out. This child is literally in a box. And this box gets passed from hand to hand as each side desperately tries to snatch it. We grow to see that there’s an even bigger plot going on and our main four are in the center of this. But then we get to the end and the ending makes it all feel almost useless. We spend the whole book with one single goal – and fail. Horribly.
I am definitely curious to see the next box. I’ll admit, I’m already desperate for it. Despite not quite liking how it ended, I still have to admit that I utterly fell in love with each and every character and the world and do really want to know what happens from here.
I’d love to know your thoughts if you’ve read the book!
-
Sleep Tight – J. H. Markert
Information:
- Goodreads: 4.22 out of 222 Ratings
- Age Category: Adult
- Genre: Horror/Thriller
- Series: None
Summary:
Father Silence use to get his kicks from pretending to be a priest and preying on the vulnerable within our society. Luckily, a detective put him away. Unluckily, said detective is found murdered and his granddaughter is kidnapped after Father Silence’s execution. Now the detective’s daughter has to hunt this new copy-cat to find her daughter and she’s gotta work with her cheating psychologist husband, as well as a big team of people. As you could guess, this is not a fun and fresh time for her. She’s gotta meet with the only person to ever survive Father Silence and face all the complications that come with that.
Review:
I really enjoyed the creep factor of this book more than the actual characters. I do want to talk specifically about the representation of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Two of our main characters have this. I do have an issue with how each person how has it is a villain. However, I can also appreciate how the ‘evil’ aspect of the disorder is described as something other – it is more than just the disorder at play. Also, the beginning of the disorder did come from genuine causes of DID – intense childhood trauma as a way of protecting the host. I would be curious to see a person’s thoughts with this disorder, rather than just mine. I’d be curious to know a first hand review rather an just an educated one, if that makes sense.
There is a bit of supernatural foolery going on here, but it’s never explained or specified. Just two people are able to see through another’s eyes. The rest is cult-y people being absolutely bonkers and worshipping a serial killer who did not deserve their worship. These people are vulnerable due to the charisma of who they’re following and drug use. That, truly, is what made this so fun. I read this while listening to a combination of horror movie soundtracks and it was absolutely a vibe. There’s something so creepy about a cult following and committing murders due to overly believing in their faith. And I liked how each thread tied together. It was fast to read and easy to read – while I also absolutely feel as if I could have had red twine and a poster board full of clues to go along with the book.
As for the characters, I feel like they’re the book’s weakness and why this book isn’t a five star. Tess isn’t really interesting, even though her complicated history and family are what drive the story. I don’t like her or anyone else in the story, except one of the killers and that’s mostly because I was given enough information to feel sympathy for him. His story is the one that I actually, weirdly enough, cared the most about. Everyone else felt easily forgettable and replaceable, which sucks, because he isn’t the main character.
Ultimately, it was a fun and fast read that kept me interested the majority of the time I was reading it. I do wish the characters could have been a bit more interesting or complex, but it didn’t make the book horrible to read. I still had a blast and I would love to know your thoughts on it if you’ve read it! Definitely recommend reading with a spooky soundtrack playing.
