If you could walk out of your old life, leaving everything behind, and into a new one filled with beauty, magic, and wonder, would you? Two sisters are confronted by this question in Tara Isabella Burton’s latest literary thriller Here in Avalon, which came out earlier this month. I loved the decadent dark side of New York City that Tara conjured up in her debut Social Creature. With this book, Tara explores the same city through a lens of glittering magic. But even the most ethereal of artists and dreamers cannot truly live inside a fairy tale…. Continue reading Review of Here in Avalon—A Cultish Cabaret
Category: Thriller
Review of The Writing Retreat—Channeling Stories and Spirits
How far would you go for a book deal? Five aspiring authors are faced with this question in Julia Bartz’s deliciously suspenseful debut The Writing Retreat, which came out earlier this year.
Alex has been suffering from writer’s block for over a year, ever since she had a catastrophic falling out with her former roommate and best friend Wren. But then she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to help her break out of her slump: a spot in an exclusive month-long writing retreat at the estate of her literary idol: the mysterious and reclusive genius of feminist literary horror, Roza Vallo. The only problem? Wren has been invited, too. Upon arrival at Blackbriar, Roza’s isolated mansion in snowy Upstate New York, Alex learns that she will be competing against Wren and three other young women to write a novel from scratch, with grueling daily word-count requirements and critique sessions. The winner will receive a seven-figure book deal and get to tour with Roza. Choosing the house’s dark history as the subject of her book, Alex will have to confront her own demons and those that haunt the estate if she’s going to have any chance at winning the contest. But as the retreat progresses, it becomes clear that not all of these young women may be quite who they appear and that even Roza Vallo may be harboring dark—perhaps deadly—secrets. Continue reading Review of The Writing Retreat—Channeling Stories and Spirits
Review of Base Notes—An Immersive Thriller
Is your art worth killing for? Vic Fowler certainly thinks so in Lara Elena Donnelly’s decadent new thriller Base Notes. This tale of a murderous perfumer, which came out back in February, had me seeing New York City’s struggling artist scene in a whole new light—or rather, through a whole new sense. Continue reading Review of Base Notes—An Immersive Thriller
Review of Social Creature—A Decadent Thriller
“When Lavinia dies, she will be thinking exactly of this night, and of the stars and of the sea. Louise will know this. She will be there.” These ominous lines are the first hint that something’s about to go very, very wrong in Tara Isabella Burton’s debut thriller Social Creature, which came out back in 2018. Lavinia and Louise clash together in this tale of obsession, toxic friendship, and the deadly allure of glitz and glamor, which I highly recommend to any reader who loves high stakes, flawed characters, and decadent depictions of New York City’s party scene. Continue reading Review of Social Creature—A Decadent Thriller
Review of The Invited—Helpful Hauntings
Would you intentionally invite spirits into your home? What about if you knew they had an important message for you? Jennifer McMahon explores these questions in her latest horror novel, The Invited, which comes out tomorrow, April 30. If you’re a fan of haunted houses, historic ghosts, and women who defy expectations, you won’t want to miss this one! Continue reading Review of The Invited—Helpful Hauntings
Review of Amnesty–The Aftermath of Revolution
Time to finally close the case files in the Amberlough Dossier—the final book in this thrilling trilogy by Lara Elena Donnelly has arrived! Two years ago, I reviewed Amberlough, the decadent spy thriller that kicked off the series, and last year followed up with Armistice, its dark and gritty sequel. Now the series is finishing off with Amnesty, which comes out tomorrow, April 16. If you’re in the New York City area, be sure to join me at the official book launch at the Astoria Bookshop! Continue reading Review of Amnesty–The Aftermath of Revolution
Emilie Autumn’s The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls Ebook Review
If you weren’t mad when you entered the gates, you will be soon enough…. Emilie Autumn tells a complex dual narrative of madness and mental institutions in her semi-autobiographical book The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. If the author’s name sounds familiar, it may be that you know her from her music career. Emilie Autumn has been one of my favorite musicians for over a decade by this point. Her dark lyrics, haunting voice, classically-influenced music, and unusual style appeal strongly to many goths, though Emilie tends to reject that label for herself. One of the recurring themes throughout her music is madness, especially how women struggling with mental illness are perceived and treated by society. In The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, she explores this topic more directly. Continue reading Emilie Autumn’s The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls Ebook Review
Review of Amberlough–A Blend of Grit and Decadence
In my continued quest to branch out into new genres, I found a book so different from what I normally read that I hardly know how to describe it. Lara Elena Donnelly’s debut novel, Amberlough, is a fantasy political thriller with a noir aesthetic. I attended the launch party back in February and was immediately intrigued by the chapter Lara read to the crowd. Unusual and intriguing characters, a twisting and unpredictable plot, and a world so different and yet poignantly similar to our own—Amberlough is not to be missed if you’re looking for something new and unique to read! Continue reading Review of Amberlough–A Blend of Grit and Decadence
Review of Ashwood–A Haunting Debut Horror
Every time Willow falls asleep, she wakes up back in the twisted world of Ashwood Asylum. Her haunted dreams are the subject of Ashwood, a young adult horror novel by debut author C.J. Malarsky. I requested a copy of this book many, many months ago, shortly after it was first published in 2015. Now the book is being re-launched by Fantasy Works Publishing this week! The new paperbacks will be available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble starting on September 7, and you can even find some signed copies at Kinoyuniya NYC. The ebook will be available at Amazon, iTunes, Smashwords, Kobo, and Nook. Continue reading Review of Ashwood–A Haunting Debut Horror
Bird Box Review: From Fear of the Unseen to Fear of Seeing
What if the most dangerous thing you could do was to look outside? This question is the premise of Bird Box, a horror novel by Josh Malerman. I’ve been on a real horror kick lately and am loving getting back in to the genre. This book in particular was such a new and unique example of the genre for me, and it reminded me just how much is out there that I haven’t read yet. Bird Box blends elements of horror, thriller, post-apocalyptic survival, and sci-fi/fantasy. It takes the fear of the unseen to a whole new level: the fear of seeing!
Continue reading Bird Box Review: From Fear of the Unseen to Fear of Seeing