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The Devil tries to get back in God's good graces by reaching out to an enslaved woman in the belly of a ship bound for the United States. She makes a deal with the Devil and this begins eight generations of him offering assistance to her descendants at the lowest point in their lives. This epic debut spans 175 years and covers life in the South, race, the occult in Black culture, family and of course the implications of making a deal with the Devil. Even with the family trees this is a book that begs you to take notes as there are many characters and at times the limbs of the family tree can be spindly. It felt like a combination of ROOTS, THE WATER DANCER and GOOD OMENS rolled into one satisfying read. The diversity of characters and biblical tie ins were interesting and combined with a well written story, made me double check that this was a debut. Looking forward to future books by this author. 4 stars 
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This story balances the Wild West and WAR OF THE WORLDS in its scope. Ovid has witnessed many horrors on the battlefields of the Civil War and the creatures of his dreams haunt him still. He travels from town to town on his horse Jack, stopping to do odd cowboy jobs and uses his second sight (and awareness of outer worldly creatures) to help children find their way back home and those who have passed move on. The dark creatures are always with him lurking in the shadows. I enjoyed the story and gentle nature of Ovid but was a bit lost in the gallop between time periods and a large cast of characters. It is like a collaboration between Louis L'Amour and H.G. Wells and will appeal to historical western horror fans. 4 stars  I loved this wild medieval romp to get a newly found princess to safety by a ragtag group of unlikely heroes. A vampire, elf, werewolf and monk face disaster, violence and major roadblocks at every turn not leaving much time for potential romance. Biting satire, hilarious witty dialogue and wonderful characters make this hefty tome a devilish delight for lovers of everything from Chaucer to Jo Dawson and Monty Python. 4 1/2 stars  The world is being cleansed of those who hold physic powers by those Primes in control. It is not good to be noticed by the Primes and that is exactly what happens to Wren. Doing her best to conceal her abilities while competing for a spot on the Silver Elite guards isn't easy especially from their leader Cross. She can't hide the sparks between them forever. This fast paced dystopian romantasy opener will resonate with readers who started with HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT and have moved onto FOURTH WING and others. 4 stars  Owen ,Nick, Hamish and Lore are haunted by an incident that took their high school friend away when he climbed a secret staircase in the woods and never came down. They followed the Covenant and never told anyone. Years go by and now the four adults climb a similar staircase in the woods to rescue the boy they lost. What they find is a haunted house which preys on their own personal nightmares. All of the old issues, resentments and attractions flare up which further tests their friendship. A coming of age story meets haunted house and video game that feels like STRANGER THINGS and Stephen King's IT plus all those perfect scary things that Chuck Wendig is a master of. 4 stars  A young Puerto Rican man finds a new family when he joins a Coney Island sideshow group. Benigno has no idea that the ironworks tank he builds and his job of helping catch something means capturing a live merman. Benigno feels a deep kinship for the merman who he names Rio and vows to help return him to the sea. In order to do that he must lose his new family as their act will go bust and his lover to the sea. An unusual and fanstastical gay romance with historical undertones and a show of the best and worst humanity has to offer. The illustrations help illuminate the setting. A fantastic cross between THE GREATEST SHOWMAN and THE SHAPE OF WATER. 4 stars  Wow! This book dove into so many fears - of not succeeding in life, of a parent's anger, of Roger Rabbit and more. A young comedian who is grappling with the loss of the parent who abandoned her ends up trying to help a five year old runaway. Suddenly their lives are upended by violence and supernatural happenings that no one can explain. Gruesome yet effective I listened to this and had to drive around the block a few times to calm my breathing. A blending of childhood fear combined with STRANGER THINGS mind ability is a powerful and scary thing. The afterward by the author was a treat unto itself. 4 stars  Rua wakes in a mansion knowing her name and nothing else. Her parents are furious as she (Emma) has once again done something to mess up their social standing. When an eligible bachelor and Lord enters the social circle Rua is thrown off course again. Ruthless social practices, blackmail engagements and always the threat of an asylum for young women who speak their mind make this an inconvenient romance. Could these star crossed lovers connect somehow? Hooked me from the first page. 4 stars  A dual timeline of sisters - one set bound for Australia on a convict ship then a century later another set share unusual skin and night terrors of women trapped in the bowels of a ship. Both sets of women have been dealt a bad hand by men other than their father and have come to depend on women for help. The faint cries of women and the missing men over the years have become an urban legend in the small town but it will also offer up secrets. There are very strong themes of abuse against women, family secrets and women kinship melding perfectly with celtic myths of mermaids and the pull of the sea. Fans of historical dual timelines like those by Kate Morton and Emilia Hart's WEYWARD will find much to love here. I listened to the audiobook and the accent and lilting voice of the narrator only enhanced the enjoyment of the story. 4 stars  While I enjoyed the masterful writing of this epic western horror, it did take me more time than I had given to read it. The American West of 1912 was already a horror story especially for the indigenous tribes who were being relocated (robbed of their land), reeducated (robbed of their culture), hunted and starved. Add a vampire tale to this and it really was a horror. I loved the relationship between the pastor and the old Indian gentleman who comes to share his tale or confess. 4 stars  |
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