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Review: WYRD and Other Derelictions by Adam L.G. Nevill

Cemetery Dance OnlineNovember 9, 2020November 8, 2020ReviewsAdam L.G. Nevill, Dave Simms, Reviews, Ritual Limited, WYRD and Other DerelictionsLeave a comment

cover of WYRD and Other Derelictions by Adam L.G. Nevill WYRD and Other Derelictions by Adam L.G. Nevill
Ritual Limited (October 2020)
106 pages; $7.99 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Adam Nevill has quietly transformed into one of the top writers in the past decade. His novels, ranging from Apartment 16 to last year’s The Reddening (easily this reviewer’s vote for most frightening novel of the year), have evolved into fiction that’s both accessible and surreal. The Netflix adaptation of The Ritual broke open the floodgates to new audiences everywhere. Hopefully, other films will follow.Continue Reading

Review: Boneset & Feathers by Gwendolyn Kiste

Cemetery Dance OnlineNovember 2, 2020October 26, 2020ReviewsA.E. Sirakis, Boneset & Feathers, Broken Eye Books, Gwendolyn Kiste, ReviewsLeave a comment

illustrated cover of Boneset & Feathers by Gwendolyn Kiste Boneset & Feathers by Gwendolyn Kiste
Broken Eye Books (November 3, 2020)
172 pages; $34.99 hardcover; $12.99 paperback
Reviewed by A.E. Siraki

Gwendolyn Kiste, witches, creepy birds, and odd kids. Need I say more? The author’s prose is as beautiful and engaging as ever in this story of a witch running from witchfinders. This would make a very compelling film or television adaptation and has what I’ve started referring to in my reviews as a “watchable” compulsive quality. It’s also a deeper commentary on the fear men — particularly wealthy older white men — have toward women; that antiquated but dangerous notion about women having power, the implications, and the stubbornness with which it clings to the fabrics in society.Continue Reading

Review: The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 30, 2020October 26, 2020ReviewsCraig Dilouie, Mother Horror, Reviews, Sadie Haratmann, The Children of Red PeakLeave a comment

The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie
Redhook (November 17, 2020)
384 pages; $16.99 hardcover; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

A group of adults shares the same dark secret. When they were children, they grew up at the foot of a mountain called Red Peak. Isolated from the rest of the world, the children lived through the traumatic experience of life in a cult. Years later, a fellow survivor and friend, takes their own life. The grownup children of Red Peak reunite and re-open old wounds.

What really happened on that last night at Red Peak? Our protagonists, the survivors, must bring to the surface all the painful memories they buried and maybe even take a trip back to where it all happened.Continue Reading

Review: Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ryosuke Takeuchi, and Hikaru Miyoshi

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 26, 2020October 20, 2020Graven Images, ReviewsColumns, Graven Images, Hikaru Miyoshi, Moriarty the Patriot, Reviews, Ryosuke Takeuchi, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, VIZ MediaLeave a comment

Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ryosuke Takeuchi, and Hikaru Miyoshi
VIZ Media (October 2020)
206 pages; $9.99 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Danica Davidson

William James Moriarty was barely in the Sherlock Holmes books, but his position as Holmes’s archenemy and “The Napoleon of Crime” have kept him in people’s imaginations. Over the years he’s been seen in movies, books and other forms of entertainment not made by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And now he’s the main character in a Japanese manga that’s been made into an anime currently playing in Japan and streaming in America.Continue Reading

Review: Blood Lake Monster by Renee Miller

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 21, 2020October 14, 2020ReviewsBlood Lake Monster, Janelle Janson, Renee Miller, Reviews, Unnerving, Unnerving MagazineLeave a comment

Blood Lake Monster by Renee Miller
Unnerving Books (July 2020)
116 pages; $11.49 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Janelle Janson

If you’ve yet to read any of the Rewind or Die series put out by Unnerving, you are surely missing out. I am obsessed with this retro b-movie horror cinema-style series, and if you love brilliant female horror writers, then this is the collection for you! Renee Miller’s Blood Lake Monster is the twelfth publication and the sixth title I’ve read, but I plan to collect all of the paperbacks because…have you checked out these covers?! My favorites thus far are Food Fright, Cirque Berserk, and All You Need Is Love and a Strong Electric Current, but they have all been horror-tastic!Continue Reading

Review: Captain Clive’s Dreamworld by Jon Bassoff

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 19, 2020October 19, 2020ReviewsCaptain Clive's Dreamworld, Eraserhead Press, Jon Bassoff, Mother Horror, Reviews, Sadie HartmannLeave a comment

Captain Clive’s Dreamworld by Jon Bassoff
Erasherhead Press (October 2020)
234 pages; $15.95 paperback; $5.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

For anyone that’s ever lived in a small town where everyone knows each other and seems to hold secrets about their next-door neighbors, idyllic town horror is a satisfying trope. Truth is always stranger than fiction and if you live in one small town long enough, you’re bound to uncover some of the strange history and unusual happenings. Sometimes what appears to be perfectly quaint is really just good at hiding its seamy underbelly.

It’s not difficult to suspend disbelief in order to buy into the old adage, “Nothing is as it appears to be.” Or another fitting favorite, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”Continue Reading

Review: Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 14, 2020October 12, 2020Graven Images, ReviewsBOOM! Studios, Columns, Graven Images, James Tynion IV, Joshua Gage, Reviews, Something is Killing the Children, Werther Dell'EderaLeave a comment

Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera
BOOM! Studios (May 2020)
128 pages, $13.41 paperback; $12.74 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Something has been taking the children of Archer’s Peak. At first it was just one girl, and the police assumed it was a typical family kidnapping perpetrated by an uncle. But then, young James and his friends have a sleepover, and when it’s over, James is the only survivor. There are bodies and blood. The whole town is in chaos. Then, a stranger with an uncanny knowledge of things who talks to her stuffed-animal octopus arrives and says she’ll take care of things. Something is Killing the Children is a really strong series from writer James Tynion IV and artist Werther Dell’Edera.Continue Reading

Review: Ring Shout by P. Djéli Clark

Cemetery Dance OnlineOctober 5, 2020September 27, 2020ReviewsMother Horror, P. Djeli Clark, Reviews, Ring Shout, Sadie Hartmann, TorLeave a comment

Ring Shout by P. Djéli Clark
Tor.com (October 13, 2020)
176 pages; $15.99 hardcover; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann

I read a brief tagline for Ring Shout that was along the lines of, “a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror” and I was sold. I love everything the tagline promises: Dark Fantasy. Historical Fiction. Novella. Supernatural. Give me all of those things.

Ring Shout not only delivered on these promises, but it also flew past all of my expectations making this book a solid contender for my favorite book of 2020.Continue Reading

Review: One Who Was With Me by Conrad Williams

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 28, 2020September 27, 2020ReviewsConrad Williams, Dave Simms, Earthling Publications, Halloween Series, One Who Was With Me, ReviewsLeave a comment

cover of One Was With Me by Conrad Williams One Who Was With Me by Conrad Williams
Earthling Publications (October 2020)
$45 limited edition hardcover
Reviewed by Dave Simms

It’s that wonderful time of year again when Earthling Publications announces their Halloween series title for the upcoming holiday. When was the last time Paul Miller failed to publish a stellar tale for this press? Hint: I’m still waiting.

Conrad Williams returns to the series in fine form here, following up his award winning The Unblemished from fourteen years ago, with a novel that at the onset sounds familiar but trust me—it’s anything but. I don’t know if the author is a baseball fan but he appears to be a master of the screwball, curveball, and sinker.Continue Reading

Review: Edited By edited by Ellen Datlow

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 22, 2020September 21, 2020ReviewsBlu Gilliand, Edited By, Ellen Datlow, Reviews, Subterranean PressLeave a comment

cover of Edited By, a collection of short stories edited by Elle Datlow Edited By edited by Ellen Datlow
Subterranean Press (September 2020)
632 pages; $45 limited edition hardcover; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

If you look back over the history of horror fiction, there are a few names that have become synonymous with the genre. Stephen King. Edgar Allan Poe. Shirley Jackson. Clive Barker. Ellen Datlow may not have quite the same level of mainstream recognition as these authors, but her influence on horror fiction (not to mention fantasy and sci-fi) stands equal.Continue Reading

Review: The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 16, 2020September 15, 2020Graven Images, ReviewsEvan Dahm, Iron Circus Comics, Joshua Gage, Reviews, The Harrowing of HellLeave a comment

The Harrowing of Hell by Evan Dahm
Iron Circus Comics (August 2020)
128 pages, $15 hardcover
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

In Christian theology, The Harrowing of Hell is the story of Jesus Christ descending into Hell after his crucifixion and rising, triumphant, three days later on Easter. Evan Dahm has taken this story, as well as some details from apocryphal gospels, and created a very dark graphic novel that, while still religiously based, is sure to appeal to horror readers as well.Continue Reading

Review: The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 11, 2020September 6, 2020ReviewsJeremy Robert Johnson, Mother Horror, Reviews, Sadie Hartmann, The LoopLeave a comment

The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson
Saga Press (September 29, 2020)
320 pages; $26.99 paperback; $9.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

You know, if I didn’t have to sleep, eat, or tend to the family during this stay-at-home order, I would have sat and read this one straight through. This book is everything.

Cue some strange intro music like the eerie riffs from X-Files or the digital notes of that synthesized melody from Stranger Things and settle into this binge-worthy genre mashup. Best known for his bizarro-horror style and flavor, Jeremy Robert Johnson is an unexpected hero for the coming-of-age conspiracy thriller genre.Continue Reading

Review: Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 8, 2020September 6, 2020ReviewsDave Simms, Reviews, Tim Waggoner, Writing in the DarkLeave a comment

cover of Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner
Raw Dog Screaming Press (September 16, 2020)
236 pages; $34.95 hardcover; $19.95 paperback
Reviewed by Dave Simms

This review is a bit different. I’m approaching it as an author instead of a reader. I was in the midst of editing one novel and completing another—both were forever altered by this book. I’m also hitting it from the viewpoint of a creative writing teacher. Both color my opinion of this writing book by the prolific Tim Waggoner. For those unfamiliar with the author who seems to churn out a new novel every few months, either in his own worlds or dipping his toes in that of Supernatural, Alien, or Grimm, he’s also well known as a professor.

Review: The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 4, 2020August 23, 2020ReviewsChristina Henry, Mother Horror, Reviews, Sadie Hartmann, The Ghost TreeLeave a comment

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry
Berkley (September 8, 2020)
432 pages; $13.99 paperback; $11.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

Christina Henry entices readers to travel back in time to a small town called Smith’s Hollow. It’s the 1980s. We follow best friends Lauren and Miranda, their longtime friendship seemingly in transition. Miranda is looking to make friends with older boys who drive while Lauren resents being dragged along as a third wheel.

Wrapped in this compelling coming-of-age story is something more insidious than teenage boys. Two girls Lauren’s age are found murdered, their bodies mutilated, in the backyard of one of her neighbors. Continue Reading

Review: In the Shadows of Men by Robert Jackson Bennett

Cemetery Dance OnlineSeptember 2, 2020August 29, 2020ReviewsBlu Gilliand, In the Shadows of Men, Reviews, Robert Jackson Bennett, Subterranean PressLeave a comment

cover of In the Shadows of Men by Robert Jackson Bennett showing an old hotel In the Shadows of Men by Robert Jackson Bennett
Subterranean Press (August 2020)
120 pages; $40 limited edition hardcover
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

If there’s one thing readers of horror fiction know to be true, it’s that old, isolated motels are not the place to go if you’re looking to get your life together.

Especially if said motel is brimming with secrets.

Especially if the person seeking sanctuary is bringing his own demons along for the ride.Continue Reading

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