Where Dark Things Rise by Andrew K. Clark — A solid addition to the Dark Things series

Cover Image courtesy of
Quill and Crow Publishing

The second installment of the Dark Things series by Clark is as good as the first one, if not better. The first, Where Dark Things Grow, tells the story of Leo and Lilyfax as they grow into young adulthood in depression era Appalachia. Leo is the one who draws from a special darkness in the first book, as he tries to overcome the allure of its power in order to right things for the underprivileged, in his case, the poor.

In book two, we focus on Leo's grandson Gabe, and Gabe's potential love interest Mina. This installment is set in the 1980s, with Gabe being mentored by the ways of his grandparents, Leo and Lilyma, and with Mina being the one who struggles with a darkness as she learns to wield it.

If you are a fan of the first book, you will appreciate the relationship of the elder characters in their later years. You will appreciate how they've grown and the heartbreaks they face with the coming of age. And if you’re of a certain generation (X) you might appreciate the time setting of the book, because these new characters are teens in the 80s. Clark hits the ambiance of the iconic 80s without breaking a sweat—right there with the right vibes of Stranger Things.

But this second book weaves in a great deal of religious horror too—something I happen to be drawn to, whether reading it or writing it. It addresses the extremes of the religious right, and how it can hurt the very communities it pretends to be helping, because in this book—while the underprivileged are still targets for the villains of the story—so are teenage girls and members of the lgbtq community. These new characters are just trying to find themselves in a world where some people want to define what is righteous and what is wrong with rigidly drawn lines, and the anger and frustration that comes from this struggle is where dark things rise.

This book is a solid entry in a new era of dark, religious themed horror. Thanks to the author, the publisher and the HWA for giving ARC access to this book. Click on the cover image for adirect  purchase link. Or, here: Where Dark Things Rise Purchase Link

Take a Ride into the Weird Wild West with KC Grifant and Her 2nd Installment of the Melinda West Series

Cover Image courtesy of
Brigids Gate Press, LLC

Once again, KC Grifant offers up an entertaining, genre bending read with Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen. I had the fortune of reading the first installment of the Melinda West series over a year ago, and this second installment is just as imaginative as the first with an obvious tease for a third installment at the end.

I do recommend picking up Melinda West, Monster Gunslinger and reading it first in order to get to know the main characters and the Weird West world that they live in. It also sets up some important elements about Melinda’s backstory and her struggle with PTSD that might be confusing if you go into book two blind. But if you’re a series reader, this mashup of Wild West, Horror and even SciFi promises to have some longevity.

As with the first, this installment is plot centric and pulpy, and I feel like it pulls its story from a wellspring of pop culture Scifi reimagined for a Wild West world, with the obvious hat tip to Gremlins. There are touches of Alien, and the Borg in Star Trek comes to mind, but the story is still its own story and not some rehash dressed in Western duds. Also, Grifant populates the piece with a diverse cast.

I want to thank Brigids Gate and Grifant for approving this ARC request via NetGalley. And one final shoutout for the striking cover! Click on the cover image above, or the link below for purchase options: 

https://brigidsgatepress.com/product/melinda-west-and-the-gremlin-queen

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias — A Gritty Noir Laced with Twisty Supernatural Horrors

Cover Image courtesy of
Mulholland Books

The Devil Takes You Home, by Gabino Iglesias is an intense and dark read about a man who deals with loss by burying himself in the shady life of a hit man. It’s a well written piece, and it takes some wild curves that rely on religious superstition to justify the weirder aspects of it. The main characters are also bilingual, so if trying to decipher passages of Spanish text bothers you, be forewarned.

I personally find the Spanish a challenge in a good way. First, it lends authenticity to the characters of Mario and Juanca in particular. Second, it gives me a chance to judge my progress in Duolingo, and I’m happy to report that I got the gist of what was being said. Most of the time. When I didn’t, I decided I was experiencing the story like the other gringo characters, and that could be considered important too.

The weirder aspects of the story, without spoilers, involve blessings and curses and devil magic, and they didn’t always land well with me —there’s often a fine line when it comes to suspending disbelief in stories like this—and sometimes I was scratching my head. In retrospect the supernatural horror elements are laid out in a way that connects the threads of weirdness, but I was definitely pausing to determine what was going on, on occasions.

Also, there’s not a lot to like about the main characters, with exception to their loss. If you need a main character to root for, you won’t find it here. This story is gritty and rough and it deals with how we get through loss, so it’s an interesting take on it from a horror perspective. And, of course, sometimes taking a ride with extremely flawed characters gives us a new perspective on things. Take the show Breaking Bad for example. This story brings us into a world of drug cartels and border crossings and Mexican gangsters doing heinous things, so if you like those kinds of stories, then you’ll want to check this one out.

Find it here, or wherever your favorite books are sold.

Into The Forest and All The Way Through — a poetry collection for the missing

Cover Image courtesy of
Burial Day Books

A collection of poems inspired by—and dedicated to—women throughout the United States who have gone missing or who have been killed with their cases left unsolved. This is an ambitious project to say the least, and a noble effort with the intent of shining a light on the prevalence of missing woman cases that go unsolved over the course of decades. Pelayo touches on two or three cases per state to fuel her inspiration, with a dedication to each case that inspired her.

The actual poems were hit and miss for me. The ones that hit, though, hit hard with a five star punch. Average them out with the still-worthy-of-merit misses, and I can give this a solid recommendation. The Horror Writers Association agrees with its Stoker Award nomination.

You can check out Into the Forest and other Cynthia Pelayo works of horror here: 

https://linktr.ee/cynthiapelayoauthor