Friday Face-Off: A Favorite Thriller
Posted on September 24, 2021 14 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
~ a cover of a FAVORITE THRILLER
He Started It by Samantha Downing
I’ll never turn down a chance to feature Samantha Downing, who has become one of my favorite thriller authors in recent years. He Started It was a book that knocked me out for a loop, so I’d say it definitely counts as one of my favorite thrillers.
Let’s take a look at some of the covers:
From left to right:
Berkley (2020) – Michael Joseph (2020) – Thorndike Press Large Print (2020)
French Edition (2021) – Persian Edition (2020) – German Edition (2021)
Winner:
The Berkley edition, definitely. Fiery car in the background, with a well-dressed lady in heels wielding a shovel…there’s something so badass about this image, and it certainly makes you wonder just what the hell is going on.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Posted on September 23, 2021 19 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press (August 31, 2021)
Length: 416 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones tells the story of teenager Jade Daniels, a half-Indian high school senior obsessed with slasher horror movies. It’s an oddity that makes her stand out in the rural town of Proofrock, Idaho, though truth be told, Jade already has a lot of unwanted attention due to her troubled home life as well as a recent suicide attempt. With just a few months left to go until graduation, she returns to school following her recovery at a treatment center and writes an extra credit paper for her history class entitled “Slasher 101.” In it, she explains to her favorite teacher Mr. Holmes the ingredients that make up a true slasher film, and based on the available evidence, why she also believes that a real-life slasher plot is in the midst of unfolding in Proofrock this very moment.
First, there is the town’s bloody history. On the shores of its lake is an abandoned campground which the locals call Camp Blood because of the horrific murders that took place there half a century ago. Now a new Terra Nova housing development in the works, not far from where a young tourist couple went missing not long ago. The head of the project is a real estate tycoon with a sweet, beautiful and painfully naïve teenage daughter named Letha Mondragon, whom Jade believes possesses all the characteristics of the classic final girl. Everything is falling into place, or so our protagonist believes. Unfortunately though, it’s going to be hard to convince everybody else.
This is my third novel by Stephen Graham Jones, my first being The Only Good Indians which kind of fell flat for me, the second being the novella Night of the Mannequins with which I fared better despite its relatively short length. In fact, looking back now, the fact that it was so short could be why I enjoyed it so much, due to the unconventional writing style and the unique voice of the protagonist. In many ways, Jade’s narration felt very similar here, employing a stream of consciousness technique with this run-on, almost breathless quality to it. In small doses, I found it easier to take in Night of the Mannequins, but with the longer novel format of My Heart is a Chainsaw, it quickly became grating and tiresome.
And that’s the thing: Jade loves slashers. By that, I mean she lives them, breathes them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be passionate about your hobbies and interests. I admired Jade for her enthusiasm for something that is clearly very meaningful and important to her. And yet, after a while I couldn’t help but feel like I was being held hostage, forced to endure a relentless tide of trivia about movies like Halloween, Scream, Friday the 13th, and even Jaws. Now, I like slashers as much as the next horror film buff, but still. In the face of this single-minded, incessant rambling, at some point you just have to say enough is enough.
Anyway, that was my frame of mind by the time we moved into the second half of the book, and while I have to give credit to the author for coming up with an extraordinarily creative and fascinating concept for the novel’s premise, this was also where my focus and attention started to wane. No doubt this was probably due to a combination of factors, including the writing style and frenzied nature of our protagonist’s voice, but quite simply put, I just started to lose interest. It’s a shame because Jade could have been a great character, but her obsession ultimately got in the way of any significant exploration into her feelings of loneliness, anger, and being trapped. By the time we reached the story’s conclusion, I can’t say I had strong feelings about the ending either way.
Ultimately, the book felt a little too long for its particular narrative style and structure, and I guess I’m simply not interested enough in the subject matter of slasher films. At this point it might aso be time to admit Stephen Graham Jones’ style just isn’t for me, though that’s not to say I’ll be parting ways with the author completely. I do think he’s a talented writer and has some amazing ideas, but in the future I’ll probably be more circumspect when deciding which of his books to pick up.
Waiting on Wednesday 09/22/21
Posted on September 22, 2021 12 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (March 15, 2022 by Berkley)
It’s always exciting when a newly discovered favorite author will have a book coming out, and after the amazing time I had with The Sun Down Motel, I’m looking forward to seeing what Simone St. James will have in store next.
“In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?“
Book Review: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Posted on September 20, 2021 31 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Scholomance
Publisher: Del Rey (September 28, 2021)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Naomi Novik should consider herself lucky we’re not in the same room right now, because I can’t decide if I want to screech in her face or give her a hug while crying tears of pure joy. Yep, The Last Graduate was THAT good, but ugh, that ending! I’m still in a state of shock.
First though, a bit about the book. As it is the direct sequel to A Deadly Education, this one cannot be read as a standalone, and as such you should also be aware that the following review may contain spoilers for the first book if you’re yet not caught up. The story follows protagonist Galadriel “El” Higgins and her friends at Scholomance, a school for magically gifted children. In order to graduate, students in their senior year must pass a final challenge by running a gauntlet against a swarm maleficaria, or “mals”, which are monsters that feed on magic. Not everyone comes out of it alive, and in fact, each year a good number of students are expected to fall to the mals, so most would-be graduates train hard and adopt an “everyone for themselves” mentality in order to increase their chances of survival.
But this year, El is looking to change all that. Figuring out that the school itself has a mind of its own and a need to protect as many students as possible, she comes up with a plan to save everyone. Of course, such an endeavor is going to require a ton of mana as well as everyone to work together, and she’s not sure she can make either one of these happen. Luckily though, she’s forged several alliances since coming out of her shell, taking others into her confidence and allowing herself to trust some of her classmates. One of them happens to be Orion Lake, a talented monster hunter who is also very sweet on El, but she’s not quite sure what to make of him yet. Having a dark prophecy hanging over her head has a way of complicating things, making her nervous and reluctant to take things further with Orion. So instead, she decides to focus her attentions on ending the deadly situation at Scholomance, devoting hundreds of hours into training exercises and getting everyone ready for the big day, which is fast approaching.
What a difference from the first book! I won’t lie, there were parts of A Deadly Education I struggled with, and most of them had to do with El, whom I found insufferably ill-tempered and unlikeable, and the fact that she was downright awful to everyone around her certainly didn’t help. However, being forced to interact and actually work with her fellow students seems to have done wonders for her personality, making her rethink the loner life as she finds new purpose in trying to change things for the better. Now that El has become more caring and less self-absorbed, she was also much more pleasant to read about this time around. Needless to say, she’s easier to sympathize with when I’m not gritting my teeth against her belligerence, and it made reading this sequel feel like a whole new experience.
And yet, the style and pacing of the story remained quite consistent with the second half of the first book. While A Deadly Education opened with a somewhat drawn out and sluggish intro, it ultimately made up for that with a killer ending, and I was glad to see that The Last Graduate was able to snatch up that momentum and keep running with it. Obviously, as a sequel, it had the advantage of being able to jump right into the action, but on the whole this one also felt more evenly balanced and better paced. Having a timeline for graduation and an endgame to look forward to definitely helped moved things along, and with everyone working towards the same goal, the result was a sharply focused and less meandering plot. There was even time to work in some relationship development between El and Orion, as well as other little detours involving the history and motivations of Scholomance without being too much of a distraction.
All in all, everything in the first book was either rectified or improved upon in The Last Graduate. Perhaps the only thing that was worse was the cliffhanger. If you thought the one at the end of A Deadly Education was bad, ooh boy, you have no idea, mwahahahaha! Just as it appears things might be finally settling down, the rug gets pulled out from under us again, making you realize Novik’s far from finished with us and the fun’s just begun…
So glad I decided to continue this series. While I can’t honestly say I appreciated the whiplash I got from that cruel and abrupt cliffhanger, The Last Graduate was otherwise very enjoyable, easily my favorite sequel of the year, and definitely one the biggest surprises.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of A Deadly Education (Book 1)
Audiobook Review: Citadel by Marko Kloos
Posted on September 19, 2021 19 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Book 3 of The Palladium Wars
Publisher: Brilliance Audio (August 10, 2021)
Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Korey Jackson
Citadel is one of those books that sneak up on you—surprising and exhilarating. I’ve been really enjoying The Palladium Wars series, and like its predecessors, the third volume is another fun and action-filled addition to this space operatic mil-SF saga.
Once more, we return to our four main perspective characters to follow up on what they’ve been up to since we last saw them. Because Citadel is a direct continuation of the series and cannot be read as a standalone, this review may also contain possible spoilers for the first two books if you are not caught up yet. First, we have Aden, a former prisoner-of-war from the losing side of the battle. Following his release, he joined up with the crew of a courier ship hoping to start a new life under a false identity. Thus far, his secret has remained safe, but with the recent nuclear attack on Rhodian territory, security has been stepped up everywhere, and he’s not sure how long his new identification will hold up to close scrutiny—especially since his crew may have something to do with the attack, however unwittingly.
Meanwhile, Idina is a Palladian soldier stationed on the defeated planet of Gretia, partnering with the local forces to keep the peace. Unhappy with the foreign occupation though, the population has become increasingly violent, with deadly protests breaking out each day. Solvieg, who was only a child during the war, has managed to regain control of her father’s company after it was taken away from him, but now finds herself with the heavy responsibility of dealing with the family business in this unstable political climate. And finally, we have Dunstan, a commander in the Rhodian Navy who has just ben handpicked to captain an experimental prototype ship with technology that has the potential to change the way war is waged forever.
Things are moving fast in this series. The story picks right up from the cliffhanger at the end of the last book and takes off running without missing a beat. I do love how Marko Kloos can keep readers on the edge and wanting more, by keeping the momentum up, throwing in twists and turns, unexpected developments. I began this series not knowing which storyline is my favorite, and I still don’t, because they are all seriously so damn good!
And of course, this is because of the characters. I like how we are still focusing on the same four POVs, and though their ARCs are still relatively separate, each of them has made their own way and formed their own relationships. Aden has the Zephyr, and his guilt at not coming clean with his crewmates continues to be a source of intrigue, especially when their decision to go to the Rhodian Navy in the last book resulted in dire consequences for them this time around. Dunstan’s storyline remains the most heavily “military sci-fi”, and I’m currently enjoying his new dynamic with his first officer and their shared delight at the technological wonder that is the Hecate. I wasn’t sure I liked Solvieg’s POV as much, but ultimately she impressed me by standing up to her father for more autonomy, and I’m also awwwwing at her budding romance with the detective she’s sweet on. Idina’s chapters brought the pure action, and I truly enjoyed how well-paced and balanced all the POVS were.
Gradually, we’re seeing the storylines integrate, as events on Grecia as well as out in space are starting to create these focal points drawing the characters together. Again, we are left with a semi-cliffhanger at the end of Citadel, fortunately not as scream-inducing as the other ones, but there are still plenty of burning questions by the last page. If you aren’t a fan of being left in suspense, clearly this would not be a series for you, though if you’ve made it this far to the third book, surely you’ve got to be used to it by now!
All in all, there’s not much more to say about Citadel, other than that it was pretty darn awesome. I don’t know how many more books we’ll get, but I’m glad there will be more, and I look forward to finding out what happens to these characters.
Audiobook Comments: I’m also happy to be continuing this series in audio because the narration is top-notch, though I still think multiple narrators would have been ideal. Furthermore, I can’t say I’m a fan of changing narrators from book to book, but admittedly I was thrilled to see Korey Jackson’s name on the audiobook of Citadel, as I’ve been fan of his for a long time. As a voice actor he always delivers a flawless performance, and this was definitely no exception.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of Aftershocks (Book 1)
Review of Ballistic (Book 2)
Bookshelf Roundup: 09/18/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on September 18, 2021 14 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
Another week of exciting new arrivals. Thank you to Tor Books for sending me a finished copy of Mordew by Alex Pheby, the first volume of a gothic epic fantasy trilogy that has me very intrigued. From the kind folks at Subterranean Press, earlier this month I also received an ARC of Radiant Apples by Joe R. Lansdale, a novella featuring a new adventure starring Nat Love AKA “Deadwood Dick”, the African-American cowboy protagonist of the author’s novel Paradise Sky.
Also with thanks to the amazing team at Redhook, I received an ARC of Sistersong by Lucy Holland, described as a “beautiful reimagining of an old British folklore ballad” that mixes history and legend and magic. And also huge thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an ARC of Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong, the sequel to These Violent Delights which is a reimagining of Romeo & Juliet set in the gangster-ridden streets of 1926 Shanghai.
Received for Review
In the digital haul, we had the Labor Day weekend at the beginning of the month so many of my audio review copies didn’t come in until later, but when they did, they came in a flood. With thanks to HarperAudio for the following ALCs: Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter has been compared to Murderbot Diaries, and I hope it won’t disappoint! And these days it’s pretty rare for me to request YA but Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat did catch my interest, as well as All These Bodies by Kendare Blake (but then I do love her work!)
Speaking of YA, I also received a listening copy of Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray with thanks to Listening Library. Mythological fantasy will get me every time. From Random House Audio I also received Hyde by Craig Russell, whose novel The Devil Aspect I enjoyed a lot, as well as The Last Guest by Tess Little, because I was intrigued by its locked room whodunit mystery premise.
Thank you also to Simon & Schuster Audio for a listening copy of Gutter Mage by J.S. Kelley. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, so I’m pretty excited to dive in. And finally, my thanks to Hachette Audio for Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
Reviews
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff (4 of 5 stars)
Revelator by Daryl Gregory (4 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Been Reading
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!
Friday Face-Off: “Murder” In The Title
Posted on September 17, 2021 11 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
~ a cover of a book with “MURDER” IN THE TITLE
The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
Pretty straightforward theme this week. I give you The Murders of Molly Southbourne by the master of modern weird horror, Tade Thompson:
From left to right:
Tor.com (2017) – French Edition (2019)
Catalan; Valencian Edition (2019) – Hungarian Edition (2021)
Winner:
The contenders are all pretty strong this week, and the red/black/white color scheme is actually one of my favorites. I guess my winner would be the one that drew my attention right away.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Waiting on Wednesday 09/15/21
Posted on September 15, 2021 19 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough (April 12, 2022 by William Morrow)
I swear I will read anything this woman writes, and I think I love her work even more now that she’s writing thrillers. Insomnia sounds like another good one.
“In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.
Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now.
Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she’s unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?”
Audiobook Review: Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
Posted on September 14, 2021 28 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Empire of the Vampire
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (September 14, 2021)
Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Damian Lynch
Jay Kristoff has called Empire of the Vampire the best book he’s ever written, and while my Mia Corvere loving heart might have a thing or two to say about that, I do have to admit it’s probably his most epic and impressive. It’s also a doorstopper of a novel, heavy both literally and figuratively, so be sure you have the time, ideal mood and mental resolve before starting this very dark, very nihilistic tale of vampires and vendettas.
Our hero of the hour is Gabriel de León, a famed monster hunter from the holy Silver Order dedicated to protecting the world from the creatures of the night. But that was a long time ago, and now Gabriel is the last of his kind—a silversaint, or a half-human and half-vampire hybrid sworn to the Church. Their enemies are the coldbloods, or full-blood vampires, who have overcome their defenses ever since the darkness fell twenty-seven years ago, building a vast empire with the end goal of snuffing out the last vestiges of humanity. Now their ruthless leader has captured Gabriel and imprisoned him, forcing him to answer to his crimes. But first, he must also be made to tell his story, so that his life can be chronicled for posterity before he is executed.
As the vampire empress’ historian Jean-François arrives at Gabriel’s prison cell, our silversaint begins recalling his tortured life in an expansive narrative full of love, hatred, violence and death. Before he became the most fearsome hunter in his brotherhood of monster killers, Gabriel was an awkward child growing up in a troubled home, knowing deep down there was something different about him, from his early fixation with blood to certain other uncanny abilities that manifested as he got older. As a young man, he finally came to learn the truth, which ultimately led him to the Silver Order where he trained like all initiates did before he became a legend. As we progress through the different phases of Gabriel’s life, we see him travel to exotic new places, encounter unique and interesting folk, survive all kinds of deadly challenges. Eventually, he crosses paths with a group of desperate travelers seeking to bring light into the world again, joining them on a quest for that which represents humanity’s last hope: the Holy Grail.
At over 750 pages in print and 27 hours in audio, Empire of the Vampire is a whopper, and as you would expect with a book this size, not all of it is focused or engaging. The way the story is framed, there is also a lot of jumping around in time. However, the setup should be a familiar one for epic fantasy fans, following in the tradition of books like The Name of the Wind where a protagonist recounts their life story to a chronicler, or even a subtle tribute in some ways to Interview with the Vampire, obviously apropos here for many reasons. The story probably needn’t have been so long, but ambitious ideas require ambitious designs, as they say, so we needed to begin at the beginning.
To be fair, the parts exploring Gabriel’s early life were some of my favorites, and they were also some of the most necessary, establishing background information for the character as well as the setting’s history and lore. The world-building is immersive and stunning, but also quite bleak and terrifying. Kristoff allows the details to emerge organically, weaving Gabriel’s childhood into the world’s dreary, blood-soaked past. We find that our protagonist’s life is intimately intertwined with the history of the darkness and vampires, and much of the novel’s early intrigue is in the way his origins are revealed.
But as much as the author likes to remind us Empire of the Vampire is an adult novel filled with gory violence, naughty smut, and bad language, it’s almost as if his young adult fiction roots can’t help coming through, because young Gabriel is also a whiny, belligerent, melodramatic Gabriel. It isn’t until he is older and more mature that his worldview becomes more complex, examining in depth his relationship with his duty and faith. But even so, his mental constitution remains pretty jaded and angsty, as he continuously struggles with the nature of those subjects and the grim sacrifices he’s had to make for those beliefs.
The greatest change comes much later in the book when Gabriel meets Dior and the gang, and personally my favorite parts are the first and final quarters of the novel, because like bookends of strength, they provide the best and most memorable moments. Kristoff is always wonderful when it comes to character relationships, and one of his greatest strengths is writing snappy dialogue and banter, and rest assured you will find plenty of humor and cleverness here.
If you love the author’s books, I think you will be quite delighted with Empire of the Vampire, its darker and more adult undertones notwithstanding. Newcomers to his work, however, might consider starting with something a little less heavy and meandering. The scope of this novel is certainly vast and impressive, but I don’t think it is quite as good at showcasing Kristoff’s talents. I feel there are better examples of his skills as a storyteller that are less bloated, more entertaining and evenly paced.
Still, Empire of the Vampire is a great read once you’re well invested. The creative process behind this novel was clearly an important next step for Jay Kristoff as a writer, and whatever you may feel about this book, it is a huge epic project the likes we haven’t seen from the author before. It’s definitely something awe-inspiring, and in spite or because of its massive scale and breadth, there’s plenty in the story to enjoy.
Audiobook Comments: Diehard visual junkies might want to stick with the print edition which comes with illustrations, but for those who don’t mind getting just the auditory experience, the audiobook edition of Empire of the Vampire is fantastic. I was lucky enough to receive an ALC for review, and I have nothing but good things to say about the production. From the opening musical score to the excellent narration by Damian Lynch, everything was superb. Definitely worth the listen.
Audiobook Review: Revelator by Daryl Gregory
Posted on September 13, 2021 16 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Random House Audio (August 31, 2021)
Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Reagan Boggs
This isn’t my first rodeo with Daryl Gregory’s horror fiction, but I feel Revelator may be his darkest one yet. In this novel which might be best described as Appalachian Gothic, he takes us to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where protagonist Stella Wallace was left in the care of her grandmother Motty when she was just nine years old. The story then begins to unfold via two timelines in alternating fashion, one chronicling Stella’s childhood growing up in the remote Tennessean backwoods of the early 1930s, the other following her more than a decade later after she had moved out of Motty’s house and became a moonshine bootlegger of some renown.
Gradually, we find out that in the years between, Stella had been groomed to take on a very particular role in a religious ritual practiced by the members of her family since the Civil War. In every generation, a Revelator, always a girl, is chosen for her ability to commune with their mysterious God in the Mountain who dwelled in a nearby cave. At age nine, Stella entered the darkness and had her first encounter with this being, whom she called “Ghostdaddy.” However, after she discovers the god’s true nature and learns of how all the previous Revelators, her own mother included, had died, Stella made the decision to run away and never look back.
But now in 1948, news arrives that Motty had been found dead in her home, and although Stella had never wanted to see her grandmother’s old place again, she knows the right thing to do would be to return. At the funeral, she meets ten-year-old Sunny, whom Motty had adopted to become the new Revelator after Stella had left. Recognizing something of herself in the young girl, as well as the way Sunny is being used and endangered by Motty’s brother Hendrick, Stella decides something must be done to stop the cycle of destruction.
Time and time again, Daryl Gregory has shown himself to be one of the sci-fi and fantasy genre’s most creative and imaginative writers. The way he blends elements in Revelator reminds me of a mad scientist. Frightening? Yep. But also genius. At its heart, this story is a mix of historical fiction and paranormal, though there is a good strong dose of horror and suspense as well. The pacing is superb, considering the alternating timelines and how that arrangement could have turned ugly quick, but chapter by chapter, Gregory maintains a tight rein on how he wants his information revealed, resulting in an intriguing plotline that keeps you reading and guessing. The truth behind Ghostdaddy is probably the best example of this, along with the question of who Sunny is and how she plays into the overall mystery.
As well, Gregory is a wizard when it comes to writing characters—and not just individually, but as a group of people or even a whole community. Dysfunctional families seem to be one of his pet subjects, and Stella et al. could certainly be considered as such. This is also a story about how the past will always pull you back, no matter how hard you try to escape its clutches. Stella realizes that her family is a part of her whether she likes it or not and that their secrets will likely haunt her forever, though if there’s any way she can spare Sunny the same fate, our headstrong protagonist will do whatever it takes.
The novel’s Gothic description is also quite apt, given the delectably dark and moody undertones of the setting. Revelator is really more eerie and disconcerting than outright scary, but that’s exactly the kind of vibe you want in a book like this. Bolstered by the wilderness environment and folkloric elements, I would say the atmosphere is absolutely one of its greatest strengths. The story itself as I’ve mentioned is also quite dark, but in way that I can’t say I’ve experienced from the author before, even though this is the fifth book I’ve read by him, so this was definitely a unique read. Something about the setting just gives this tale a strange sense of foreboding and wrongness which helps stir the imagination and heighten the tensions.
In sum, fans of Daryl Gregory will want to check out Revelator, or maybe readers of SFF who prefer their stories a little eerie, a little odd.
The BiblioSanctum 