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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed 3/5 of these stories: Skullbelly, The Separation and After the Fade. Skullbelly gave Twin Peaks vibes, The Separation was a great showcase of gothic horror, and After the Fade reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s The Mist. What really worked for me in this collection was the atmosphere. You could just feel dread building and the setting was so immersive it was like you were right there with the characters. I will say, most of the stories were about unlikeable characters, so stay away from that if you’re not a fan. As well, 2/5 of the stories were so gory and contained a lot of body horror, so skip those if that’s not for you. Overall, a strong set of novellas, but as with any collection of stories, some were better than others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Gun violence and Misogyny
our_bookish_reads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I do love short story / novella collections. I love novels, too, but it takes a lot of commitment to be able to read a whole book with the same characters and plotline.
I will rate each story:
1) Skullbelly. I LOVED the MC, a tough, sarcastic PI with a nose for the truth and a knack for either getting close to someone or severely pissing them off. If Ronald Malfi starts a series with this PI, I'd be first in line to read it.
2) Separation. This was a weird one, with a great twist. Did not see it coming.
3. The Stranger. Holy balls. This story was screwed up and gory. Not a lot of explanation, and the end was a bit sudden, but enjoyable.
4. After The Fade. Dude. Wow. Loved this one. Again, a great MC, likeable characters and one HELL of a twist at the end.
5. Fierce. This one was good, kind of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe, with a weird part I didn't really get that wasn't explained or expounded upon at all.
All in all, a satisfying read with some excellent stories. Malfi is indeed a Master at his craft.
Thanks to Netgalley, Titan Books and of course, Ronald Malfi for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I will rate each story:
1) Skullbelly. I LOVED the MC, a tough, sarcastic PI with a nose for the truth and a knack for either getting close to someone or severely pissing them off. If Ronald Malfi starts a series with this PI, I'd be first in line to read it.
2) Separation. This was a weird one, with a great twist. Did not see it coming.
3. The Stranger. Holy balls. This story was screwed up and gory. Not a lot of explanation, and the end was a bit sudden, but enjoyable.
4. After The Fade. Dude. Wow. Loved this one. Again, a great MC, likeable characters and one HELL of a twist at the end.
5. Fierce. This one was good, kind of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe, with a weird part I didn't really get that wasn't explained or expounded upon at all.
All in all, a satisfying read with some excellent stories. Malfi is indeed a Master at his craft.
Thanks to Netgalley, Titan Books and of course, Ronald Malfi for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
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