Sabriel by Garth Nix

While this is technically more of a fantasy story than a horror one, I definitely felt that it counts as a good Halloween book, mostly because it deals in horrific creatures of the undead. A typical quest but spiced up with grim creatures, rotting corpses, and magic of death and the undead...yeah. I'd say this counts.

Sabriel has lived most of her life at a boarding school in Ancelstierre. She's top of her class, a prefect, and has learned everything from Charter magic to table manners. But her roots lie in the Old Kingdom across the Wall, a medieval world full of magic and mystery. When her father, the Abhorsen and master of the dead, goes missing it is up to Sabriel to find him and save him. Armed with several enchanted bells and a sword bestowed with magic, Sabriel sets off to take on the terrible evil that threatens, not only her father, but all the world.

Already the make-up of this universe is just great. The wild, untamed Old Kingdom is a great setting for an adventure. Full of magic and mystery, the universe just comes alive. The undead creatures, which vary from wolflike beings that stalk your every move to waves of rotting hands clawing toward you, sent genuine chills down my spine (granted, I am reading this all alone in the dead of night). The slightly more advanced world of Ancelstierre is interesting too and made me genuinely curious at how the Wall was created and how things came together.

Sabriel is a fantastic main character. Slightly older than most protagonists in this genre, she's very mature and thinks things through. While she is still very compassionate and does get emotionally invested in certain matters, she knows what's best and is capable of making the hard decisions rather than barging in without thinking. The inclusions of the hilarious Mogget and the strong yet emotional Touchstone make a great cast of characters that you do care about and want to see things through. Even Sabriel's father, the Abhorsen, while dark and brooding and we don't see too much of him, is still a likable guy who truly cares about his daughter. It has truly threatening baddies, a great cast of heroes, it all comes together very nicely.

While classified as Young Adult, it never gives in to the typical tropes one finds in the genre. I didn't know where things were going most of the time, and I was thrilled with that. Even the budding romance between Sabriel and Touchstone is kept very minimal. They have genuine chemistry and I liked them together, but it wasn't in-your-face-make-you-want-to-puke-over-the-top like we've seen it done before. There are a couple of moments that might be a little risqué (including a surprisingly detailed event taking place on the other end of a wall at an inn) but other than that I can see high schoolers, and maybe even slightly younger, getting through this without issue.

Sabriel's powers as a necromancer are also very fun to read about. Each of the bells she uses has a name and unique power, very concepts of Charter magic and Free magic, it's all very well thought out and interesting. I really wanted it to dive into the mythology and lore of this universe but it mostly just stuck to the main story. Not necessarily a bad thing, as it left the audience yearning for more which is always a good sign.

Also, if you get the audiobook...Tim Curry.

Enough said.

Final Verdict
A very fortunate find! Great action, good characters, chilling suspense, everything comes together in a great story with an interesting set up and a satisfying end. All in all, I'd say that this book is totally worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: I will not judge. I will not judge. I will not...(gets three pages in)...DANGIT!

The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn

Admittedly, I'm only vaguely acquainted with Ms. Autumn and her works. I bring this up so most can understand where I'm coming from when it comes to this book. Yes, I've heard of Ms. Autumn and know a couple of her songs but I don't know much about her or even deserve to call myself a big fan of hers. Therefore, my attitude in going into this book is that of someone who recognizes the name and thought to give it a shot. As I have no solid opinion of Autumn as a musician, I can go into this venture with a clean slate, as a book critic plain and simple. Let's dive in.

Emilie's suicide didn't exactly go as planned. Now she's sent to a mental institution where she's granted very little freedoms and is watched over by the creepy Dr. Sharp. But Emilie starts to receive messages from another time, another place, similar to her own. Emily with a "y", a young woman living in the Victorian Era, has been bought and sold and abused only to find herself in the Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls for her efforts. Both girls document their misfortunes in the hopes that they will once again see the light of day and form a bond between time and space.

One thing that you've got to just accept with this book is that it is exaggerated. While parts of it are, at least, semi-autobiographical (the segments with Emilie with an "ie" are anyway), it's definitely pushing the boundaries of what's real and what's going on in our protagonist's head. This hospital takes away everything she has, including paper and books, because she's suicidal and yet lets her keep her very long, I-could-totally-hang-myself-with-these stockings? Hm. Also, the horrors of electro-shock therapy are described in this (a rarely-used-anymore technique they numb you for) and how another young woman never returned after receiving it and placing her with the violent patients instead of the depressed ones...like I said, it might be a little exaggerated. Still, I can't exactly fault the book for this. There's a reason I chose this book to be read for October, my month of scary books, and not just because of my own discomfort with the topic of asylums. While "asylum" and "mental hospital" are essentially the same thing, people are given certain expectations about what the book entails. People pick up books about asylums to be grossed out and horrified by man's inhumanity toward man. If you wanted a book talking about how a person was actually helped in a safe, clean environment, they'd pick up a book about a mental hospital and learn about how a person was successfully cured of mental illness. This is not that book. The cover and title alone are enough to let you know about that.

On the subject of "man's inhumanity toward man", which we expect from an asylum book, this book delivers it in spades. Someone once described Autumn's works as being "not for the faint of heart." The "Emily with a y" story arc features all those lovely things that one expects in an abusive asylum story. Experimental treatments unfairly done to young women in the hopes of "curing" them which involve surgically removing their uterus, bloodletting, and (everyone's favorite) lobotomies. It even goes a step further into a twisted scheme to create a plague and the deeply discomforting process of prostitution. Yeah, "Emily" goes through some serious crap in this book and it's enough to make anyone cringe (granted you are supposed to). Yet, there's a whimsical edge to the story that doesn't entirely leave the reader, or Emily for that matter, without hope. Whether it's the talking rats, the sharpened spoons, the dwindling will of the asylum's matriarch, or the colorful gathering of patients that makes the reader want to keep going. You want to see them get through this. You want these women to find freedom and justice. It all comes together in an admittedly satisfying, mic drop of a climax that I actually quite enjoyed.

While I was satisfied with the bittersweet conclusion of Emily's story, Emilie's story...not so much. It doesn't even really end it just kind of...stops. Granted, this could all be further pushing the idea of "how much of all of this was in her head the whole time?" that is hinted at in this book but I'd rather it came to an actual conclusion instead of twenty pages of diary excerpts going on and on about how unpleasant depression is and how cutting yourself makes everything better. You can read about these things and learn from them but...I'd rather you finish the story. But, that's just me and what do I know?

Final Verdict
Kind of on the fence with this one, people. There's no arguing that this is a bit romanticized and not everybody (especially mental health professionals) is going to appreciate that. That being said, I enjoyed the story and liked the main character(s) and carried on reading in morbid fascination about where it would go and what would happen. If you're someone who can stomach the extreme grossness that comes from ancient mental remedies and uncomfortable themes portrayed in this book, feel free to check it out just maybe wait for it on paperback.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: It's not often that you find a book where the necromancer is the protagonist....

The Merciless by Danielle Vega

If you took the movies Mean Girls and The Craft and mixed them together, you'd get this book. It was actually pretty impressive. The book reads just like a movie with similar pacing and atmosphere and keeps you invested up to the very last word. Let's take a look at it.

Sofia Flores is the new girl in Friend, Mississippi and already she's caught in the midst of high school drama. She finds herself drawn to two potential friends, the popular and deeply religious Riley and the wild, adventurous Brooklyn. But when Sofia confides in Riley about Brooklyn's behavior, Riley and her friends come up with a plan to save Brooklyn's soul by preforming a violent exorcism...and Sofia will either help them or be next.

The story is a desperate little tale of survival and extremes. Most of the book takes place over a single night and possesses all you could want in a horror story. Things get violent pretty quickly in this thing, and it's pretty cringe inducing. You find out pretty quickly that there's a lot more going on than an attempt to save a girl's soul and the line between trying to save someone and hurt for the sake of causing hurt are quickly crossed.

The girls in this story are all kept wonderfully mysterious. At first glance, you think you have these girls figured out but they all have secrets and pretty messed up lives. Sofia, the one we're following throughout this story, is not immune to this. She comes off as being likable and pretty much the most reasonable person in this story, if not the only one. But she's far from perfect and there's much to discover about her as the story progresses, leading us to wonder just if anyone in this book is truly who they say they are. It's that untrustworthy atmosphere and knowledge that you don't really know any of these people that makes this story work as a horror. You have no idea who to trust and, therefore, no idea who to root for.

As I said earlier, the book reads a lot like a traditional horror movie. The pace is fast yet gripping and filled with uncomfortable and gory details to keep the reader engrossed and desperate for more. There are close calls and sheer brutality all throughout the book, but it does take just enough time to breathe and let the reality of these situations sink in. It also takes place in mostly the same location as well, an abandoned house on the outskirts of town where nobody goes and there's no way out. This claustrophobic environment just adds to the feeling to dread. It was masterfully done.

That being said I'm not entirely sold on the ending of this book. While it did have the satisfyingly horrific climax and crap-your-pants scary moments, I don't know if I really understood the twist they threw in at the last second. But, then again, I guess you could say it's all part of the sequel fodder and, yeah, I'd pick up the sequel to this book. It's well written, well executed, and if the sequel is the same as this, I'll be adding it to my list.

Final Verdict
A wonderful way to kick off October! Genuinely scary, violent, gripping and well put together piece that horror fans will enjoy. If it sounds like your cup to tea, then I'd say it's totally worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: Asylums....why did it have to be asylums.....

Death Note: Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases by Nisiosin

I'm starting Halloween a day early and bringing you the second Death Note novella: the Los Angeles BB Murder cases! Seeing as I really liked L: Change the World. I was eager to give this one a try. However, where the previous book was an action story, this one is a straight up murder mystery with all the complicated twists and turns you'd expect from Death Note. Let's begin.

Naomi Misora, an off duty FBI agent, never could have expected her time off would be interrupted by a message from none other than the world famous detective, L. L has taken a peculiar interest in a certain case going on in her home of LA, three suspicious and violent murders all taking place within the span of a few days, with the promise of a fourth on the way. Unable to turn down the offer to get back into the field, Naomi agrees to be L's eyes and hands on the case and get it solved before the next murder takes place. Her efforts aren't exactly helped (or are they?) by the appearance of a very strange private investigator who calls himself Ryuzaki.

This book, like Change the World before it, knows just the right amount of balance between what to bring in from the source material and what to make original. It's already noticeably darker than Change the World and, indeed, maybe even more than Death Note itself. The murders depicted in this book are very violent, something the manga didn't actually have despite all the death that took place in it. However, it knows better than to make the story a gore fest and keeps it on what made the source material such a success: the intelligence. Each murder is a puzzle that needs to be solved and the story does a good job at bringing the reader along for the ride. Naomi Misora is a great character to serve as our lead. She was a promising character from the manga (who was sadly underused) who makes quite a comeback in this story. She's savvy and smart and has a very likable personality. The book is also pretty good at not giving too much about her away, helping us to rediscover her as the story goes on.

The puzzles in this story are incredibly complex and, at some points, I did kind of wonder who would be able to even begin to solve these but then I thought: of course. L would. This really does give you an idea of what L's career was like before the events of the manga and you come to really believe that he'd be capable of solving a case as complicated as Kira's. The book is also written from the point of view of Mello, another favorite character, and one I was glad to hear more from. You get to know Mello a bit more from this book, how much he looked up to L and what being his successor meant to him. There's also the killer of the book, the mysterious Beyond Birthday, and the secret that binds him to both L and Kira. He makes for a great villain, and a deeply intimidating one.

While it is a pretty serious and violent book, it doesn't shy away from a bit of fun every now and then. This is L we're dealing with and his personality and mannerisms come through all throughout the story. Mello's commentary is riddled with interesting facts and tidbits from the Death Note universe as well as a lot of hate thrown at Kira and Near. Probably the only thing that kind of bothered me about this book, and I'm seriously nitpicking here....what the heck is with these names! Seriously, the names of these victims are just silly! Who in their right mind would name their child, their girl child Backyard Bottomslash?! You're just asking the other kids to make fun of them! I don't know if this was a translation thing or what but I seriously don't think that these could ever be real names of real people. But...then again...what do I know?

Final Verdict
Gripping, complex, entertaining, and just the perfect little gem for Death Note fans. With sinister twists leading up to the very last line of the book, this story is thrilling, fun and defiantly worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: These ladies make Regina George look like a sweet angel....

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

The idea of worlds or kingdoms based on the four seasons is actually a neat idea and can open up a lot of possibilities for stories. This one, however, doesn't really utilize the idea and just kinda jumps all over the place. We barely even see the Season kingdoms in this friggin' book. Well, before I go off on a tangent, let's just dive right in.

Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee after her home of Winter was devastated and defeated by the neighboring Spring kingdom. With their numbers dwindling by the day and the rest of their people enslaved, Meira and her group of refugees, which includes Winter's future king, must seek help from one of the Rhythm kingdoms, the enemies of the Seasons. Meira is quickly thrown into a world of politics, secrets, and betrayal as she does everything in her power to restore Winter and see her people set free.

There are times in this book where I thought it had potential. Meira, as the main character, actually is a good representation of this. She can be cheeky and has some good one-liners in here that got a genuine chuckle out of me and there are times when she does what she knows is best, even if it's not what she wants. Other times, however, she just throws it all out the window and throws an enormous tantrum and almost spoils everything. She also often balances between doing things and just having things done to her and reacting to it. And she definitely suffered from Special Snowflake Syndrome (kinda fitting actually) with being just so good at all kinds of things (including mastery of a really complicated, doesn't-work-like-you-think-it-does weapon like the chakram) and being just an amazing super someone instead of someone normal that the audience might actually relate to (although it is nice to have a main character who isn't just the biggest lover of books ever, as you so often find in these stories).

Now, the plot does move along pretty well. The political aspects of the story hold up pretty well. But most of all this story has...dare I say it...a good love triangle! (*le gasp*) Both boys, Mather and Theron, make for a potentially good match for Meira. In fact, she could end up with either one of them and I don't think anyone would mind either way. Unfortunately, the YA-trope-curse rears it's ugly head here as well, leading to a couple of really unbearable cock-fights between the two boys. Thankfully, those don't last too long as the plot sticks to what's important, that being the restoration of the Winter Kingdom.

Some of the things in this book kind of left me scratching my head. Apparently there's a big pit of magic just sitting around somewhere in the mountains that everyone wants. Okay...why? Where did it come from? How does it work? And there's an evil force called the Decay that infects the Spring King and makes him evil. Again, where did it come from? Why does it need the king? There's just a lot of unanswered questions. Also the big twist at the end could be seen from a mile away (the foreshadowing in this book isn't very good), the ending is kind of vague, and the fact that all the people from all the seasons all have matching hair and eye color seems a bit too on-the-nose. Still, the characters hold up okay, the pace is good, and there are things in here that people will enjoy.

Final Verdict
There are some who will like this book, but for me it was just kind of meh. While there is stuff to enjoy, some of the flaws are pretty prominent but if you don't mind them then go ahead and check it out but maybe wait for it on paperback.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: It's almost October! Let's get the month of fear started off with a tale of murder...and the return of the world's greatest detective.

The Silver Portal by David J. Normoyle

Now, here's something I've been missing for a long time. No cliche dystopian worlds, no boring love triangles, no rebellion plot lines we've read a hundred times...just adventure. A straight up, classic-style adventure with good characters and cool ideas. Let's begin.

In an attempt to thwart the plans of the evil Lord Protector, who plans to bring powers untold into the land of Mageles in order to obtain an army, the Soylant wizards created the weapons of power that together will destroy him. But the spell to create the weapons goes array and they land in the hands of five youths. A street rat named Twig, a so-called "adventurer", a pampered noble girl, a sinful passivist, and a boy without a tribe are all granted great power by the weapons and are thus thrust into  a quest they do not understand, or do not want. But only their combined powers can stop the coming evil and close the silver portal once and for all.

The book's greatest challenge was that if followed the story of not one, but five (and at one point six) protagonists. What's brilliant is that I remember them all, each of them is well developed and I had no problem recalling where they come from or what their story is. It's also pretty well spaced out between them. We never sit for too long with one character and nobody feels neglected. It's also wonderful that these characters are all fun and interesting, but also perfectly flawed. None of them are perfect little Sues or Stus that just get away with everything they try and master the power of their weapons easily. One of them is kind of a playboy, one has difficulty understanding human emotions, one of them is very naive, you get it. Each of the five stories is pulls you in and makes you care about the characters and want to see them come out okay.

The set up of this world is also very well done. You get a feeling for each of these locations and how they differ from one another. You really get a feeling that this is a world. It has a multitude of cultures, religions, governments, etc. Each region is unique and feels organic and also helps to set up the kinds of lives our heroes have lived up until we meet them. There's also that fact that the weapons themselves are super cool. A sword that grants you speed, a ring that lets you hear people's thoughts, a bow that shoots arrows of pure energy, and axe that gives you inhuman strength, and a staff that creates portals. It's also kind of fun seeing which weapon goes to which character and how these affect them and drive them forward in the story.

The tone of the book is also very light and easy to follow, which is again an accomplishment when reading a book with so many points of view. It's light without being goofy and also allows quiet moments and intense scenes as well, balancing them all out nicely. It knows when to take things seriously and when it's okay for Lukin to crack a joke. It knows when it's time to start fighting and when it's time to sit down and talk. This made things flow very nicely and made the story feel well-balanced.

Now, it wasn't a perfect book by any means. There were a few character deaths that, I admit, I didn't really feel or didn't bother me. It's not that the deaths weren't sad it's just...we didn't know the characters that well and so when they died, I wasn't all that affected by it. Also the ending might rub some people the wrong way. Now, it's not a bad ending exactly. It has everything you want with fights and spells and slaying dragons and a ton of really cool stuff. It was really awesome but then it didn't end so much as it just stopped. Just...came to a screeching halt and left the audience hanging. Not the most endearing way to end things, guys. Still, I actually did get me hyped for the sequel so...there's that at least.

Final Verdict
A fun adventure with great characters and cool weapons and a straight-forward yet amusing plot. Any fantasy reader would like this book, would enjoy these characters and, if they want to read it, it's totally worth your money at your local bookstore.

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: Brace yourselves....Spring is coming....(wait, what?)

The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen

Ugh. Let's get this over with. This one was really, really a chore this time people! I'm not kidding. It took force to get myself through this one. Not only is it painfully boring, not only is it contrived, but it doesn't even try to hide the fact that it's just a retelling of one of the oldest and most well known stories of all time...IN SPAAAACE! Let's begin.

Arden is a drug dealing gangster living in Undercity, the part of a colonized city on the surface of...I don't know, some planet that's not Earth, where the sun never shines and everyone is suffering. Dade is a privileged son of the Higher Levels, where he lives in the lap of luxury but has his fate controlled by his family. Both Arden's gang and Dade's family are caught in a desperate conflict for control of the city, destroying each other over the coveted sun drug VitD and both sides have vowed to destroy each other...which makes it most inconvenient when Arden and Dade fall madly in love with each other.

Yeah, you'll notice a lot of little things start to pop up in this story that seem oddly familiar. Two feuding families, a boy and a girl from each falling in love, a friendly holy man who tries to help them, them meeting up at a masquerade party....figure it out yet? Yup. This is Romeo and Juliet in space. The book does whatever it can to try and hide that too. This time it's Romeo who is running from an arranged marriage and Juliet who ends up killing people. Now, I wouldn't mind if this was just a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I wouldn't mind it at all...if it weren't for the fact that the book would just admit that it was a retelling! I've looked at several different descriptions about this thing and nowhere does it just admit that this is Romeo and Juliet in space! Nowhere! Also, if you're going to make a retelling of a story this famous at least try and be subtle about it. I could never accept this as its own thing because it was so painfully, blatantly obvious that I just got distracted by the obvious rip-off scenes happening all over the place. Except for that piece of crap ending, but I'll get to that later....

Despite it being a rip off of Shakespeare of all things, this book has a ton of other problems. The instalove in this book is just laughable. Page one, page fricking one, she has a knife to his throat and all they can think about is how hot the other person is! Every second they are not in each others company, they are pining for each other. They constantly worry about each other and dwell on each other and think of how they can save each other...and they've only had one conversation in which they shared nothing about each other. Yeah, they know absolutely nothing about each other, they don't really have anything in common, and yet they are unbelievably and inexplicably in love with each other and go on and on about it ridiculously written, gag-inducing prose. Even as a Romeo and Juliet retelling this...does...not...work! It's silly and so unbelievably stupid that we can't take the main characters seriously. Nobody falls in love like this. In a play, you only have so much time to start a romance but in a novel you can take your time and develop them! This kind of crap just makes your characters look like idiots and we can't get behind their relationship.

Also, the plot tries to clash the play's story with that of a tired, deeply cliche dystopian story that we've heard a thousand times the same way. Plus, you knew exactly which roles certain characters play in the book. You have the sassy gay friend (or cousin or whatever), you have the muscle who helps the boy, you have the conniving mean girl, it's all so tired and I just couldn't give a crap about any of them. Heck, I don't think that the muscle guy even has more than five lines in this thing and we're still supposed to care about him. If you know the play, which everyone does, and you are familiar with YA cliches, which a lot of people do, it comes together to form a story that nothing but formulaic and boring! I was unbelievably bored looking into this book. Nothing came as a surprise. No plot twist or character death was felt in this thing. I didn't care about anyone or anything and that was the biggest problem with the book.

Now...let's get to the ending. I don't feel like this deserves it but, I'll put a spoiler warning up just in case anyway...

*SPOILER ALERT* So, death plays a big part in the story of Romeo and Juliet. Heck, everyone knows the iconic ending of the play. In the context of that play, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet is a bitter lesson for the two families and they see just how destructive their feud is and how the tragedy is a warning of the mixture of pride and adolescence. Here, however....all that significance is thrown straight out the window for the heroic and super dumb YA ending where the deaths were just fake outs and the two main characters brace themselves for an obvious sequel. That's right, this Romeo and Juliet retelling...has a sequel. That's stupid. It's all stupid! This book is so unbelievably STUPID! Romeo and Juliet is a TRAGEDY! It's right there in the frigging TITLE! It's not about ultimate love, it's about how pride and youth are a dangerous combination and, if not handled properly, can have horrible consequences! But this piece of tripe, it's bland love that saves the day...except not really because their families are still fighting and how they have nowhere to go. These two lovers still know absolutely nothing about each other except how frigging in love they are and I just...just...arrgh! This ending just pissed me off like you wouldn't believe! *END OF SPOILERS*

Final Verdict
I absolutely hated this book. I don't even like Romeo and Juliet all that much and this made it even worse! Seriously folks, it's a waste of time. If you have any interest at all in this thing, just pick up Shakespeare and throw this thing where it belongs in the Waste Bin of Despair!

Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer

Next Time: I have got to get me...one of each of these weapons because these are legit!