Teresa Frohock
Dark fantasy and horror author. I've long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying.
This is the best science fiction I have read in years. Bear’s command of Teacher’s story gripped me from page one and did not let go. The story is dark and haunting, and I loved every page of it.Science fiction writers sometimes make their tales more about the science and less about the characters. Not Bear. He carefully intertwines all the qualities of science, which makes science fiction fun, yet he never loses Teacher or his bleak story.Nuanced with lovely prose, Bear reminds us that science without a conscience can be deadly.
This novel rocketed me right out of my chair. It's that good. I think it’s wonderful to see something fresh brought to the fantasy genre, and Stina Leicht does it with flair.Set in the 1970s when the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Army (BA) clash, Leicht’s story opens with action that doesn’t stop until the last page is turned. Ireland’s Fey are at war with the Fallen, and as that conflict escalates, so does the confrontations between the IRA and the BA. Caught up in the war zones from both sides is Liam, a young man who always assumed that his protestant father was dead. When Liam is wrongly accused of participating in a riot and is arrested, his mother turns to her old lover and Liam’s father, a member of the Fey, for help.Told with the fierce voice of the Irish, Leicht takes the reader deep into Northern Ireland’s Troubles through Liam’s experiences. She pulls no punches and shows both the IRA and the BA in all their brutality while never losing sight of either the old Celtic religion or the new (Christianity). It’s rare to see such a masterful weaving of worlds, but Leicht keeps a tight grip on her story and propels the reader forward like a bullet from a gun.All of Leicht’s characters are rich and complex, and she keeps the surprises coming. She masterfully intertwines fantasy with reality to create a world so gritty, you feel like you’re walking Belfast’s streets. Dark and feral in its imagery, this is a story you don’t want to miss.
Robert Dunbar, an author of literary horror in his own right, has collected a group of chilling tales by some of the finest authors of dark fiction. Ten creepy tales by classic authors: Virginia Woolf, Edith Wharton, Henry James, E.M. Forster, Willa Cather, M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, Oliver Onions, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and D.H. Lawrence are combined into one volume.I found two of my favorite stories "The Empty House" and "The Yellow Wallpaper" in this collection, and re-discovered "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad." Well chosen and arranged. The stories build to a wonderful climax at the end.Shadows is a lovely anthology.
This is a sumptuous history of Christianity. I'm enjoying this as much as I enjoyed God's War. MacCulloch digs deep into the historical origins of Christianity without sugar-coating the facts. Excellent history!
Gifune’s prose is lyrical and moving from beginning to end. He masterfully guides the reader through a family's grief over an act from the past, and one man's quest to find the truth. Gifune shows the ripple effect of violence and how there is never just one victim. Beautifully done.
A super fantasy for young people, Nightshade City has it all: adventure, bad guys, and really cool rats that you will love. Booklove review coming soon!
This one really rocks with action from beginning to end. A full Booklove review will be coming soon, so stay tuned . . .
Drood: A Novel
This is entirely subjective, but I just couldn't get into Drood. It wasn't the writing, Simmons is an excellent writer and I've enjoyed some of his earlier works. I think this time it was the story. If I had a greater interest in Dickens, the story might have resonated with me.Simmons' research is impeccable, but was heavy-handed in places where he reiterated the same facts in several different chapters. There were places where the prose jerked me out of the story, for example, constantly being addressed as "My Dear Reader" is just a personal turn-off to me.I'm going to have to put this one aside right now. Perhaps I'll try again in a year or so.
She will make you remember what it means to be a writer, a woman, a human being. I adore her novels, and this collection of essays and addresses stirred my heart. She is a student of the soul and her passion for life moved me more than the exhortations of any priest or preacher. She is a genius of the human spirit and if you write or love or dream, you must read this book.
Absolutely wonderful! Virginia Kate Carey's story continues, and Magendie's lyrical writing takes you through Virginia Kate's love and darkness with the skill of a master storyteller. Magendie is a southern writer to watch.
I previously thought The Women at the Funeral was my favorite collection by Ms. De Winter. Now I'm convinced that its Tango in the Ninth Circle.Ms. Denise Dumars sums up De Winter's work beautifully with this paragraph from the introduction:"Our Lady of the Churchyard. If no such Madonna exists, then perhaps [Corrine:] has both envisioned and created her to dance on graves, with, through, and beyond death's call, a tango between the two worlds."If you love sublime, dark poetry filled with desire, you'll love Tango in the Ninth Circle.
I can't recommend it enough. Thoroughly creepy with heart-stopping moments and an ending you'll remember for some time to come. Excellent!
Get the e-version of this book. It's scanned and the Greek sections are merely computer language. The rest is okay.
Another excellent fantasy for adults with believable characters. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Ithelas series, which according to Liane Merciel's interview at Alex Bledsoe's blog (http://downinluckytown.blogspot.com/2010/03/interview-with-liane-merciel-author-of.html) is going to be even darker than this novel. Good stuff!
This is a super book for writers and for horror fans who want to see what makes your favorite author tick.
Currently reading
The Yellow Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars' Rebellion Against the Inquisition, 1290-1329
