I am a big fan of classic horror movies from places like Universal Studios and Hammer Films.
This book made me feel like I’d been immersed in the ultimate film from that era that I had never seen. The protagonists, twin sisters running a museum of curiosities in London for their eccentric father, were delightful.
The villain was the property owner, who felt authentic in her greed and desires. Then toss in an assortment of monsters ranging from tragic to truly frightening trying to achieve their goals and you have a wonderful book that will give you that special Halloween feeling, no matter what time of year you read it.
I’ve been a fan of Arthurian literature ever since my college days when I went on a deep dive into everything from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain to Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.
One of my favorite tales was the legend of Peredur. Spear is a retelling of that legend from someone who is at least as big a fan of Arthurian lore as I am. What’s more, she manages to capture the lyrical tone of early Arthurian lore while writing accessible prose. I was delighted when I reached the end of the book and discovered the Griffith included notes about her sources and how she blended the legends into a single narrative.
She left all she knew to find who she could be . . .
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon.
With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she…
One of the things I love about reading short story collections is that I can read a story, enjoy it, and then put the collection aside and then read another story later.
This was a short story collection I literally could not put down. As soon as I finished one story, I needed to turn the page and see what the next story had to offer. This collection explores the supernatural lore of Mexico while spanning its history and peering into its near future.
My favorite stories were “Bed of Scorpions” about a brother and sister running a con and “Cemetery Man” about a mad scientist during the Mexican Revolution resurrecting soldiers.
Spanning a variety of genres-fantasy, science fiction, horror-and time periods, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's exceptional debut collection features short stories infused with Mexican folklore yet firmly rooted in a reality that transforms as the fantastic erodes the rational. This speculative fiction compilation, lyrical and tender, quirky and cutting, weaves the fantastic and the horrific alongside the touchingly human. Perplexing and absorbing, the stories lift the veil of reality to expose the realms of what lies beyond with creatures that shed their skin and roam the night, vampires in Mexico City that struggle with disenchantment, an apocalypse with giant penguins, legends of magic…
Bearing the guilt of destroying the holiest of books after becoming a vampire, Desmond searches the world for lost knowledge. Born a slave in Ancient Greece, Alexandra craves freedom above all else, until a vampire sets her free. The only cost… her human soul. An assassin who lives in the shadows, Roquelaure is cloaked even from himself, until he discovers the power of friendship and loyalty.
Three vampires, traveling the world by moonlight, forge a bond made in love and blood. Together they form a band of mercenaries called the Scarlet Order, and recruit others who are like them. Their mission is to protect kings and emperors against marauders, invaders, and rogue vampires as the world descends into the chaos of the Dark Ages.
