"They spun around him as though he lay in the center of a horrific merry-go-around. Over and over again, their eyeless faces loomed over him, blood po"They spun around him as though he lay in the center of a horrific merry-go-around. Over and over again, their eyeless faces loomed over him, blood pouring from their gaping sockets."
"When he opened his eyes, the world spun, then slowed, then stilled. The nightmare raged inside his head, but he willed his body to stand, willed his mind to focus on his one and only task. I have to finish."
First half of the story is more on police procedural / serial killer / slasher vibes/ occultism...the second half is weirder which I guess is the author's take on Lovecraftian and cosmic/body horror. Visceral, abhorrent and gruesome. I like that it feels like I was reading a short story from Barker's books of blood.
Big thanks to the publisher, Booksirens for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more
"They are alone here, helpless in the depths of the crater, and the demons press in, drawing close enough that they can see the full horror of their f"They are alone here, helpless in the depths of the crater, and the demons press in, drawing close enough that they can see the full horror of their faces—gnarled, hollow-eyed, and filled with a gleeful malice that promises only suffering."
Dystopian / apocalyptic ... Supernatural elements like astral projection and having the 'shine' ...plagues.. lockdown situation..virus..demons..body horror..and more... This was an intriguing and enjoyable albeit short read.
3.5�
Thanks to the publisher, Booksirens..I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
"The shade scuttled towards her, weaving around and over the gravestones. Its movements reminded Keira of a terrible, malformed spider. The mouth kept"The shade scuttled towards her, weaving around and over the gravestones. Its movements reminded Keira of a terrible, malformed spider. The mouth kept grinning. The empty eyes kept staring."
"Her head lifts in my direction. I watch slowly as she lifts her mantilla and shows me her true face . And in it, I see horror, I see beauty, but most"Her head lifts in my direction. I watch slowly as she lifts her mantilla and shows me her true face . And in it, I see horror, I see beauty, but most of all, I see truth."
☠️ La Cegua is an old Nicaraguan folktale about a beautiful woman who lures men into the woods. She petrified them by showing her true face - which some claim is a horse skeleton. A vengeful spirit in the woods. La Cegua is a creature born of tragedy and abuse, fueled by revenge.
Some weird town superstition? myth? Rumours?
We follow MC Cici who describes herself as an out-of-town weirdo who moved to a haunted mansion in the middle of the forest. She finds herself having vivid dreams or nightmares about La Cegua and ultimately discovers the painful truth about her family. Despite it not being scary at all imo, it is still well-written and doesn't read like typical YA. It is more of a cosy mystery/suspense/thriller for me with just a few horror elements sprinkled and with gothic atmosphere. The characters especially the MC is so relatable. Ma pa Sana all Ka na Lang dayon na tani may Ara kaman Jamie irl. Generational curses and ghosts, vengeful spirit, magical realism, complex mother-daugher relationship and more. ...more
'claiming they were inhabited by devils, the family was cursed. His servants needed to forcibly restrain him when he started eating the shattered glas'claiming they were inhabited by devils, the family was cursed. His servants needed to forcibly restrain him when he started eating the shattered glass. Madness takes all forms.'...more
"All their gifts and ability to do good in the world hadn't stop them from that treacherous persecution and horrific death from the hangman's noose th"All their gifts and ability to do good in the world hadn't stop them from that treacherous persecution and horrific death from the hangman's noose the first time around."
The English women (sisters Lennie, Sapphy, Lucien and her daughter Isadora) were victims of a vicious Salem witch hunt in 1682 led by the vile George Corwin. George is a judge's nephew and has taken a liking to Lennie much to their horror. When his advances were rejected, it had been the reason which started his wicked persecution of them all. (Power tripping and entitlement issue much?! ...more
"Limbs were scattered across the grounds, some still twitching in the throes of death. The mangled remains of carnival-goers hung from broken rides, t"Limbs were scattered across the grounds, some still twitching in the throes of death. The mangled remains of carnival-goers hung from broken rides, their innards spilling out in a grotesque parody of festivity. They were like broken pinatas, their filling raining down for the dead children to enjoy."
"Take the bag on the counter. Do not open it. Keep hold of it until you hear from us. Follow these orders or lose another finger. Remember, don’t tell"Take the bag on the counter. Do not open it. Keep hold of it until you hear from us. Follow these orders or lose another finger. Remember, don’t tell a soul.�
⚠️ Rachel Race is being stalked and pursued by dark forces. Waking up from one of her many strange dreams one night with a stabbing, burning pain from her bleeding hand, only to realize that she's missing a finger. ☝️ Things started to get weirder and dangerous as she starts being attacked and chased by a black panther she thinks is responsible for her hacked finger. Then there are the hooded figures wearing black cloaks, moaning and chanting on top of Griffton Cliff. Mentions of fallen angels and one in particular named Samyaza, also known as Shemyazaz, Semjaza, Shemyaza , Shemhazai, and Amezarak, a fallen angel � a demon � of Hebrew and Christian tradition. He ranked in the heavenly hierarchy as one of the Grigori � meaning ‘Watchers� in Greek.� Samyaza will often appear as a friendly spirit guide to trick his chosen one to manipulate and do his bidding by showing a world behind imagining full of power, adventure and hidden knowledge. He lures with teachings of incantations, spell casting, shape-shifting and sorcery in exchange for your loyalty and soul, to which Daniel Harcourt fell prey. Samyaza's bidding varied from casting spells to carrying out theft and actual physical harm. This continued for several years but now Daniel wants out. As if it is going to be that easy. ...more
"The room filled with light, and the sight of blood splattered all over the wall to my right caught me off guard, even though I could smell blood and "The room filled with light, and the sight of blood splattered all over the wall to my right caught me off guard, even though I could smell blood and death from outside. The words ‘SEE YOU IN HELL� had been smeared across the wall."
"Wherever he is, he is pissing someone off right now. No one can manipulate Remy. No one on earth or the realms can tell him what to do. He fought peo"Wherever he is, he is pissing someone off right now. No one can manipulate Remy. No one on earth or the realms can tell him what to do. He fought people who considered themselves gods and he did it with a little more than a sword, a gun and an attitude that was designed to piss off people more powerful than him. Remy does what Remy wants to do and that's always his way. So let's find him. And if it helps, wherever Remy is, you know he is making someone's life difficult." ...more
"Zombies weren’t real and the only serial killer Iceland had lived centuries ago. Good luck to any maniac who’d thought he could escape this hell of a"Zombies weren’t real and the only serial killer Iceland had lived centuries ago. Good luck to any maniac who’d thought he could escape this hell of an island."
4.2� The Girl with the Hooves - 5� Survival of the Fittest - 3.65� They Came from the Rocks - 5� Tupperware Party - 5� Hell of a Ride - 4� All-You-Can-Drink Buffet - 5� The Hag’s Gift - 3.5� The Yule Lads Are Coming - 5� The Perfect Time - 2.5� What Protects Our Heritage: An Icelandic Cryptid Story - 4�
"Some sinking ships you cannot save, no matter how much water you bail from it or how many holes you patch up. And it’s hard—brutally, heartbreakingly"Some sinking ships you cannot save, no matter how much water you bail from it or how many holes you patch up. And it’s hard—brutally, heartbreakingly hard—to watch someone you care about drown."
Some vows are forever.
Crazy, creepy and chaotic. Ghosts, possessions, family mystic rituals and unorthodox beliefs, bonding sigils and more. A fresh spin on a ghost story and dealing with addiction (laced with supernatural/paranormal and dark humour.) I've had my eye on this one since last year. The cover art is striking and made me all the more curious and intrigued. Funny the protruding face doesn't fail to remind me of 'the substance' near the end part of the film. Iykyn. This is more than just a ghost or possession story. It's actually inspired by the author's personal experience about being emotionally and romantically involved with someone with a substance abuse problem. He portrays experiences with addiction as accurately as possible (at least from a non-addict’s perspective) so as not to trivialize or misrepresent the ruinous effects addiction has on the addict and the relationship.
Big thanks to the publisher, Booksirens for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
"She wanted to scream� like the dying coyotes� to run away somewhere and hide and wait for all this horror to end. She’d escaped. Why hadn’t she staye"She wanted to scream� like the dying coyotes� to run away somewhere and hide and wait for all this horror to end. She’d escaped. Why hadn’t she stayed gone?"
⚠️հ⚠️ Graphic animal death (esp cat lovers - be warned!), bullying
Brutal, wild, fascinating and action-packed supernatural horror tale. Rich in Latin American folklore/Hispanic history.. Ancient spirits and gods...brujas and blood magic...haunted house and ghosts...cursed soul...clairvoyance...monsters like El Coco or El Cucuy, Chupacabras, hispanic vampire..family bond and trauma..friendship... second chances...sacrifices and more! Surprisingly good for a debut novel! I enjoyed reading this one. I just find a few of the dialogues or conversations written in dialect and sudden POV switches confusing at times (possibly an editing issue).
Thanks to NetGalley and Lanternfish Press for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
"Like a cat, Mildred leaped as Bonnette attempted to throw himself down the stairs. He would gladly trade broken bones for his life. The woman was the"Like a cat, Mildred leaped as Bonnette attempted to throw himself down the stairs. He would gladly trade broken bones for his life. The woman was the smell. Flies buzzed in his ears, tasting something warm for a change. With a flick of her wrist, the blade appeared, and she plunged it into his chest. Bonnette sucked for air in short breaths as if wading into a frigid sea. He turned his head, determined to make his last thought about something else, but all he saw was the pattern on the wallpaper as Mildred found his heart."
“Evil lives in the dark, my dear, when little girls like you should be asleep, lost in a fairytale of dreams. Evil lives in the neighbors you know, an“Evil lives in the dark, my dear, when little girls like you should be asleep, lost in a fairytale of dreams. Evil lives in the neighbors you know, and the doors they close behind them. Sometimes it lives in the people you know the best. It’s in the roaring wind and the raging blizzards that come from somewhere only the devil himself knows. Storms in this town don’t come for no reason, my child. The storms only come when evil is behind them.� “Drink your tea, now, darling. It’ll help you to forget.�
A little bit of background: “In Polish Folklore, The Night of the Witches signifies the opening of the portal between Hell and Earth, allowing spirits of all kinds to enter. According to the story, the Witches came from the Babia Góra—Mountain of the Crones—in Krakow, where they would cast spells and enact rituals in order to serve their leader. On the night of December 12th, one night before the Scandinavian tradition of Sankta Lucia, and one of the darkest nights of the year, it is said that the Witches of Babia Góra meet to cast their spells, and offer sacrifices, including children, to the world down below. They feed on their prey, using the victim’s bodies as fuel for their mystical powers of evil."
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