emmie_mort's reviews
789 reviews

Flowers From the Void by Gianni Washington

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

Dark, twisted, weird, thought provoking, an extraordinary set of short stories. I’ve always found short story collections to be uneven, there are always stories that don’t quite hit the mark, but not here. From haunted tv’s, ghostly best friends, & witches attempting initiation into a coven there are stories for all horror lovers here. 

I’m excited to read more from this author. 

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

adventurous mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Weyward was one of my top books of last year so I had ridiculously high hopes going into The Sirens. Which is what led my to be a little disappointed. In a similar vein to Weyward, we move between timelines & some how interlinked families. We are also following a third timeline with the reading of a diary in the most recent thread. This all got a little convoluted in places & I found myself rushing through chapters to move back to another POV. 

But overall I really enjoyed the book, Emilia has become an insta-buy author for me, she writes complex female characters wonderfully, she deals with difficult themes in a conscious & measured way. And had Weyward not moved me in the way few books have ever done, leading to an unfair comparison, I’d have loved this book more.

Houses of the Unholy by Jacob Phillips, Ed Brubaker, Ed Brubaker Sean Phillips

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love the team of Brubaker & Phillips & this book is no exception  to that.

Growing up in the 1980s Natalie was a victim of the satanic panic that gripped the US. Along with 5 other children she reported abuse as part of a satanic ritual. Now, adults, several of those children are dead. 

Part thriller, cult drama & horror story my one issue is I wanted more! 

The Winnowing Draw by Michael Tichy

adventurous dark mysterious tense

3.0

 A unique horror, following a cast of interesting & morally "grey" (some of them are just a shade off black) characters in the expanding American frontier. Using mythology & the fear of the unknown to create a tense & dark setting.

It took me a little while to get into the book, the language felt a little overly flowery initially but quickly settled into a more comfortable rhythm. If you like Westerns you'll enjoy the setting of this book more than I did, I liked it (I'm a big horror fan), & it's a unique setting for a horror novel. 

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Set in a world not too dissimilar to our own Venus Stoneheart is a witcher who brews love potions, in a world that mistrusts witches & their potions. 

This is a stunning YA debut, this novel is fun, authentic & well paced, steeped in magic & political intrigue. If you like fantasy, well developed & diverse characters, unique magic systems or just a damn good read, this is definitely worth your time. I’ll be looking for more from Bethany Baptiste in the future.

The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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? Yes

5.0

One word review: lovely

More detailed review: moving to a new place can be really scary, especially when you break something in a store in your first few days! Darcy has to help out at the Happy Shop to pay off her mistake, but can selling happy feelings bring her some comfort in a new town? Beautiful, simple, uncluttered art & a touching story about the complexity of emotion & memory. 

My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I’m not sure horror can ever really be cosy but this definitely straddles that line! 

Somewhat of a retelling of Labyrinth (though without all the tights), this book is a really interesting look at purity, what it means to “be good”, our responsibilities as both children & parents, with a little fairy tale magic thrown in. Leah is offered to the Lord of the Forest in order to retrieve her brother taken from their home in the middle of the night, as it tradition in her home town. No girls who have done the same have ever returned. Can Leah be the first?

For fans of fairytales with modern twists, gentle horror & epic fantasy movies. 

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The follow-up to What Moves The Dead (a loose retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher) T Kingfisher brings us another creepy adventure for Alex Eason, Arthur & poor old Hob (the true hero of. These books). I love the dense world that has been created through these two novellas, the history & mythology feels real & complex. 

While I did enjoy What Moves the Dead more, this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy this, Bors is an excellent new character & it is lovely to see Miss Potter again. A great “gentle” horror novel & addition to the Sworn Solider world.

Bone White by Ronald Malfi

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

Joe Mallory walks into a diner & informs the patrons he has killed a number of people & they’re to call the local law. Paul Gallo hears about the arrest & bodies on the news, spurring him to Dread’s Hand in hopes of finding his missing twin brother. 

This is a tense & wonderfully atmospheric horror, The overwhelming tension of small town life & the encroaching woods in the stark Alaskan winter pull you into a story that is disturbing & beautiful. I really enjoyed this & will be picking up more by this author for sure. 

Conspirators' Kingdom by Elyse Thompson

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

4.0

When I started this did I know it was the second in a series, no, Did it impact my enjoyement at all, also no.

This book had me giggling & kicking my feet throughout. Grumpy meets grumpy, royal intrigue, “forced marriage”, magic, Fae, sarcastic intelligent women & a magical kitty (not a euphemism) this book has it all. This was such fun read, I raced through it & enjoyed every moment.