drakaina16's reviews
1596 reviews
Sunny Pines, by Glen Krisch
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to Cemetery Dance for providing a review copy.
3.5 stars rounded up. I really enjoyed this novella about three friends returning to the trailer park they grew up in. The supernatural twist was interesting, and the backstory as well. I almost felt it was a bit too short, but overall a very solid novella.
3.5 stars rounded up. I really enjoyed this novella about three friends returning to the trailer park they grew up in. The supernatural twist was interesting, and the backstory as well. I almost felt it was a bit too short, but overall a very solid novella.
The Final Girl Support Group, by Grady Hendrix
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graffiti Tombs, by Matt Serafini
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
3.5 stars, rounded up. Part noir revenge tale, part haunted hotel, part nightmarish fever dream, Graffiti Tombs is a wild ride. I love Matt Serafini's writing, and appreciated a fairly unique take on the haunted hotel trope.
3.5 stars, rounded up. Part noir revenge tale, part haunted hotel, part nightmarish fever dream, Graffiti Tombs is a wild ride. I love Matt Serafini's writing, and appreciated a fairly unique take on the haunted hotel trope.
Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked, by Christa Carmen
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This collection of short stories honestly blew me away. I will be eagerly looking forward to reading more from Christa Carmen!
Thirsty Creatures ⭐⭐⭐
Red Room ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Something Borrowed Something Blood-Soaked ⭐⭐⭐
Souls, Dark and Deep ⭐⭐⭐
All Souls of Eve ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Liquid Handcuffs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lady of the Flies ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Girl Who Loved Bruce Campbell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Fairy Plant In Grief ⭐⭐⭐
Wolves At the Door and Bears In the Forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Is Our Angry Train ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The One Who Answers the Door ⭐⭐⭐
Flowers From Amaryllis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thirsty Creatures ⭐⭐⭐
Red Room ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Something Borrowed Something Blood-Soaked ⭐⭐⭐
Souls, Dark and Deep ⭐⭐⭐
All Souls of Eve ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Liquid Handcuffs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lady of the Flies ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Girl Who Loved Bruce Campbell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Fairy Plant In Grief ⭐⭐⭐
Wolves At the Door and Bears In the Forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Is Our Angry Train ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The One Who Answers the Door ⭐⭐⭐
Flowers From Amaryllis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Roller Derby Vampire Girl, by Josh Blackmon
The only really original thing about this vampire tale is the roller derby setting, and there is far too little of that. The toxic relationship between the main characters is gross. Fighting all the time and treating each other badly shouldn't be romanticized. The derby match was fun, but that's about it.
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The only really original thing about this vampire tale is the roller derby setting, and there is far too little of that. The toxic relationship between the main characters is gross. Fighting all the time and treating each other badly shouldn't be romanticized. The derby match was fun, but that's about it.
The Elementals, by Michael McDowell
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Joey Leonard's Last Movie Marathon, by Kevin Lucia
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Oh, this was a fun little slice of cosmic horror! Joey Leonard is about to have a really bad weekend. When the video store he's given 20 years of his life to closes, he finds a homemade tape in a bin of horror movies. I really loved the homage to 80s and 90s B-movie horror, which is my favorite. Any book that gives a shout-out to The Suckling is okay in my book. 4.25 stars.
Oh, this was a fun little slice of cosmic horror! Joey Leonard is about to have a really bad weekend. When the video store he's given 20 years of his life to closes, he finds a homemade tape in a bin of horror movies. I really loved the homage to 80s and 90s B-movie horror, which is my favorite. Any book that gives a shout-out to The Suckling is okay in my book. 4.25 stars.
The Fragile Keepers, by Natalie Pinter
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
The Fragile Keepers absolutely blew me away! I love a good fae story, and this is my favorite kind - with an edge of the sinister and dangerous. The story is wonderfully written and I absolutely loved the characters. This is among the best books I've read this year. I'm very much looking forward to reading future titles from Natalie Pinter.
The Fragile Keepers absolutely blew me away! I love a good fae story, and this is my favorite kind - with an edge of the sinister and dangerous. The story is wonderfully written and I absolutely loved the characters. This is among the best books I've read this year. I'm very much looking forward to reading future titles from Natalie Pinter.