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[Anthology Review] Lovecraft’s Monsters Edited By Ellen Datlow & Boca Java Spiced Vanilla Bean Coffee
I've only ever been a casual fan of Lovecraft, having never delved much into his work or Mythos, but I love his monsters – their intense otherness, the fear of the unknowable they strike in the heart of readers. An anthology paying homage to these monsters, kicked off with the work of Neil Gaiman, was a perfect fit for me.
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[Novella Review] The Asylum For Fairy Tale Creatures By Sebastian Gregory & Raven’s Brew Coffee Wicked Wolf
The Asylum For Fairy Tale Creatures takes the already pretty dark Grimms’ fairy tales and twists them even more, making them so horrific it’s no wonder the characters go mad. The main story being told is that of the traumatic experiences of Blood Red Riding Hood and her companions and their subsequent incarceration into an asylum with other fairy tale characters. This journey is used as a thread, weaving together several other tales, those of the asylum’s other fairy tale inmates and employees (though it’s hard to tell which is which at times), making this sort of a short story collection as well.
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[Book Review] Crane By Stacey Rourke & Coffee Shop Of Horrors Ichabod’s Dame
Crane is a very unique and imaginative take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow that manages to stay true to the essence of the original while adding in its very own dark twists and turns. The story unfolds in chapters that alternate between present day, with the return of the murderous Headless Horseman, and flashbacks to when the original tale took place in the late 1700's, telling the real story of what transpired all those years ago in Sleepy Hollow.
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[Book Review] The Resurrectionist By E.B. Hudspeth & Raven’s Brew Coffee Resurrection Blend
The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black is a book told in two parts; the first half is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, the second is a series of illustrations attributed to the doctor. When I picked up the book, the first thing I did was leaf through the illustrations in the back. I was immediately struck by how well-done and detailed they were and became fascinated with the combination of mythological creature anatomy and medical science – little did I know at the time, but after finishing the fictional biography part of the book, I would never look at those images the same again.
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[Book Review] The Girl From The Well By Rin Chupeco & The Roasterie Full Vengeance Dark Blend
Odds are you're familiar with the image of an onryō, the vengeful spirit of Japanese tradition who can affect the world of the living. Shown in movies like The Ring and The Grudge, the onryō is usually depicted in a certain, semi-traditional way – long white dress and long, dark hair hanging down, partially concealing pallid, corpse-like skin. Okiku, the main character of The Girl From The Well, is such a spirit.
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[Book Blitz] Crane by Stacey Rourke Excerpt + Giveaway
The Horseman is unending, his presence shan’t lessen. If you break the curse, you become the legend.
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