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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] Takeover By Anna Zabo & Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory
Sam Anderson cuts a fine figure in his perfectly tailored power suits. A high-powered CEO, Sam commands respect in the boardroom – sadly he feels he has to hide the fact that he’s gay to keep that respect. And if he’s worried about the truth about his sexual orientation getting out, he’s absolutely terrified about others finding out about his submissive and masochistic bedroom preferences.
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[Book Review] Getting It Right By A.M. Arthur & Aroma Ridge Georgia Peach
Getting It Right is the story of two men, best friends since college, whose relationship comes to a boiling point when an unexpected kiss opens the floodgates on feelings both have been suppressing for the last 15 years. And it’s not as easy as simply confessing all to each other; lies, serious physical assault, alcoholism, and a serial killer on the loose stand in between these two guys and their happy ending.
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[Book Review] The Dark Victorian: Risen By Elizabeth Watasin & ReAnimator Coffee Foundation Blend
The Dark Victorian is a steampunk paranormal detective series featuring senior agent Jim Dastard, a top hat-wearing talking skull, and his new partner, an artificial ghost named Artifice (Art for short). Both are resurrected criminals who have been given a “second life” working for Prince Albert’s Secret Commission, dedicating their talents to protecting crown and country from supernatural threats. The Dark Victorian: Risen is the first volume in the series and sees Jim and Art being assigned as partners and working their first case together – a string of gruesome deaths attributed to a rogue re-animator.
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