A new spin on Beauty and the Beast involving, fairies, magic, and a contest.
I’m a huge fan of fairytales and fairy tale retellings, so I was very eager to read Beauty and Deceit, Anderson’s take on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.
Carol Beth Anderson’s Beauty and Deceit
First off, I really enjoyed how she got away from the Stockholm Syndrome/Prisoner aspect of the original tale. It was always tough for me to swallow the whole, “I’m a prisoner of this creepy monster because my dad took a rose. But, hey he’s nice to me and we live in this swell castle. I love him!”
C’mon, raise your standards, girl.
Instead, our heroine, Aeryn is selected to “compete” for the Beast, in the style of the show the Bachelor. Except, the nine other contestants are Fae and have unearthly beauty and magical powers, while Aeryn is an attractive, but normal (or so she thinks, spoiler alert) human.
While Aeryn is not a prisoner of Tor, the Beast, she’s a prisoner of her motives to enter the contest, and her Savior Syndrome. She has an overwhelming urge to take care of everyone else’s problems, to the detriment of herself. In this case, the fairy who brought her into the contest will take care of her poor and starving family as long as she is in the contest. As she gets to know the other contestants, and their motives for joining the contest, she tries to solve their problems as well. But like all protagonists with a flaw, the more she tries to help, the more she messes things up. And oh nelly, does she mess things up.
I liked how the other characters had varying reasons, good and bad, for joining the contest (and wanting to win). The alliances between the contestants constantly shifted and merged along the way. I’ve never seen the show, The Bachelor, but I’ve read enough to imagine it must be the same way. Some join to find love, others for fame, probably some just for the fun of it.
Tor, is difficult to like, let alone love. Okay, I take that back, he’s an absolute jerk. He’s arrogant, conceited and obnoxious. It’s hard to have empathy for his plight. You really have more concern for the rest of the people effected by his curse. Throughout the story, I wanted to scream at Aeryn, “Dammit! Walk away, your family will be fine. You don’t have to put up with his crap. Let someone else win.” But, Aeryn is determined to win, to save her family, the other contestants and the people trapped by Tor’s curse. What she risks losing is herself and those she truly loves.
The author does a great job with the protagonist in that she’s not a perfect Mary Sue. She does have anxieties and flaws that cause her to constantly trip up along the way. Now, I did wish (spoiler alert #2) that Aeryn hadn’t suddenly developed magic along the way. I would have liked her to get out of some of her problems using other skills (but that’s just me—this isn’t Burger King, I can’t have it my way).
If you’re looking for a fun and fast-paced retelling of Beauty and the Beast I feel you will enjoy CB Anderson’s Beauty and Deceit. There’s magic, love and romance, quite a bit of spite (instead of hair pulling, one girl casts a spell making another girl’s hair fall out. these girls take catty to a whole new level). Now for those who disapprove of such things, two of the female fae fall in love with each other during the contest. I thought it was a riot. I mean, wouldn’t that be a shocker on the real TV show? Final ceremony, “Sorry bud, I’m just not that into you. Me and Sara hit it off during the show and we’re going to open a winery together.”
But if you don’t like that sort of thing, well, this may not be the book for you. It was such a small part of the plot, it is hardly worth mentioning. That being said, I thought their romance subplot might make a great short story, since the details didn’t make it into the book (just a suggestion if you read this far, Beth).
My one beef with the story is that I thought the ending was a little too easily resolved. I want to avoid spoilers here, so, all I will say is I would like to have seen the emotion of her final choice drawn out more.
But all in all, a fun twist on a classic tale. And it now places second for my fastest read book, at just over 5 hours (Dawn Hosmer’s Bits and Pieces is still #1 at approx. 3 hours).
Thanks for reading! Please check out some of my other reviews and blogs, or even my own books, The Dark Land series.
Ancient evil stalks the Alaska back country. Some places were never meant for humans to trespass.
Nope, it’s not Game of Thrones, nor is it Hamlet. It’s The Ghosts of Grief Hollow, the sequel to his macabre tale The Tear Collector (recently renamed The Tears of Grief Hollow). It’s amazing when you get to the end of a book, and think, what the hell did I just read, but in a good way. I really enjoyed Shawn’s first offering, and if you read my review, it was a tough act to follow. Once again, Stephen King’s It blended with Monster Squad, Shawn manages to up the ante on the horror and thrills, taking us back to the tiny Appalachian town of Harper’s Pass. Its haunted and troubled past comes back to bite its descendants in a big way.
The Markland X grew are trying to settle back into some sense of normalcy after grappling with the evil spirt of Samantha Mellinger, whom they (thought—spoiler alert) vanquished in Grief Hollow. Of course, if it seems too good to be true, it is. In this sequel, their loyalty and trust to one another will be stretched to the breaking point. And, like in the first novel, the kids realize that they are on their own. They know that either no one will believe them, or in the case of their one adult ally, Detective Holt, he’s become too wrapped up in his police work and in the unravelling of his marriage to pay attention to what’s really going on—until it is too late.
Shawn builds up some compelling new characters in the sequel. Lady Zuuva is an intriguing local legend that plays into the darkness of Grief Hollow. I didn’t think Shawn could top the centipede scene from the first book, but dang, I’m not sure which was creepier, the scene with the roots, or…well, I’ll put it this way, if you have phobias about giant bugs, this book is probably not for you.
Speaking of trigger warnings. All of them. Yep. With this book Shawn pretty much nails every trigger you could think of and does it beautifully. Kind of like Game of Thrones. This book is not for the faint of heart, and don’t get too terribly attached to any character. Shawn will kill your favorite character ruthlessly. And I love it.
Thanks for reading! You can also check out my unique brand of Alaska Backcountry horror, The Dark Land series
Some places were never meant for humans to trespass.
Or, what if Voldemort won, and he was female instead and kind of kinky?
Better Than Dead was a wild departure from Eric’s Henchmen series. In this piece of speculative fiction things that go bump in the night: sorcerers, vampires, ghouls, gorgons, giants, basically every fictional magic creature in the pantheon have revealed themselves to be real and are living openly with humans. His main character, Ace Colton, is a Lead Slinger, paid by the banking industry to go after magic users who have robbed banks. After pursuing two targets and finding a still living head on a broom handle, Ace realizes something out of the ordinary is going on in town—that’s saying a lot for a city teeming with the paranormal. From there the situation only spirals into the Twilight Zone. Forget brainless zombies. Corpses are coming back to life with an agenda. They can’t die until they fulfill their task—whether inane or bloodthirsty. Ace teams up with Tabitha, a vampire with her own agenda. They’ll dodge ghouls, hit squads and mythical creatures while trying to uncover the necromancer responsible for the chaos before the entire city falls to darkness. Not that it was such a great place to begin with, but Ace doesn’t want to spend his days as something in between dead and alive.
Buckle up for a fun, fast-paced noir action story with a flawed anti-hero and some great twists and turns (and quite a bit of kinkiness…Ava and the machete, OH MY!).
Ace is not a perfect hero. In fact, there’s quite a few times you want to smack him upside the head. He’s good at what he does—he shoots guns and fighting—but at times he’s slow to pick up on the clues. This makes the story and character more realistic, since he’s figuring things out, rather than having everything come together seamlessly. At first Ace is portrayed as a stereotypical, alcoholic “Humphrey Bogart-type character.” As the story progresses, the feelings and emotions, both good and bad, in the relationships between Ace and the various women in the story: Jezebel, Tabitha and even Ava show a lot of heart.
Since I have read a few of Eric’s novels at this point, I can really see his development as an author in this tale. His other novels tend to be just action-packed fun. What I liked most about the novel overall, was the underlying moral theme that Eric delivers without being too preachy or heavy handed. Human beings have a terrible track record of how we treat those who are different than ourselves. What would we do if we found people (or creatures) with magical capabilities living secretly among us? In Better Than Dead, they are feared, vilified, exploited, used for government experiments, sometimes they are tortured and killed. Using the backdrop of a heartless city with no mercy, he paints a realistic portrait of human nature.
I’ll be interested to see where Eric takes this character and story next…there’s going to be a sequel, right?
Thanks for reading! My Alaska backcountry horror novels The Dark Land and The Devil’s Valley are available on Amazon.
The legend of the headless ravine is steeped in blood. Its thirst for human blood never sleeps, even in the dead of winter.
Let me set the scene. You wake up, and there’s two people in your house drinking your coffee and beer.
Oh, and they came to kill you.
Must be a Tuesday for Steven, our anti-hero in Eric Lahti’s Arise, sequel to Henchmen. After unleashing the God of Dreams and taking out congress, he thought he’d be able to just settle down in his cabin in Colorado and stay below the radar.
Nope. When you unleash a God, it irritates the universe. Now a bunch of deities he never knew existed want a piece of him. He’d be okay with fighting off the world if it were only him they wanted to kill. But the stakes are higher. He must come out of hiding and make it right, or it’s not just his neck on the line. The life and souls of the few people he cares about are being threatened. Particularly, Jessica, the woman he doesn’t want to admit he needs. And there’s something special about Jessica. They don’t just want to kill her. He has to figure out why the supernatural being is after her before he destroys everything.
The Henchmen are back. Doing all the wrong things for the right reasons. Eric’s action-packed speculative fiction takes us from the mountains of Colorado to the beaches of Tijuana, to the deserts of New Mexico. This group of assassins and misfits will take on cults, demi-gods and even Nazis to reign in the God of Dreams before the out-of-control deity turns the world into a living nightmare. Before it is over, a new power will Arise out of the dust of a secret lab in the New Mexico desert. But if you want to find out whether that new power will be good or evil, you’ll have to read Eric’s book.
Thanks for reading!
Usually, I would jump to the third book in his Henchmen series, but since I happen to have a hard copy of Better than Dead, and I am going off the grid this weekend, I am going to be reading that instead.
Mean while, if you would like to check out my horror stories, you can find them on Amazon below or in select Alaskan bookstores
The legend of the Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps. Even in the deepest cold of winter. Some places were never meant for humans to trespass…
I enjoy reading as much as I like writing. One of the frustrating parts of trying to publish and promote a book is that it cuts into my reading time. Now that things are slowing down a little it is nice to catch back up on my TBR and Review pile.
In particular, by Immortal Honor Bound by Danielle Ancona involving Angels, Alchemy, Gods, Heroes and other supernatural creatures. Before I dive into my review, I want to be honest and give you a hint of how much liked this book. I rarely buy books for other people because I feel that books are a highly personal thing. But in this case, I bought several copies for the female members of my family and couple of my close friends when it was released. I wrote a piece of fan fiction as part of my blog. I also had the honor of beta reading this story in the early stages three years before it was published and seeing how it evolved, so I had an idea what the final product was going to look like.
So yes…I’m a fan of this story and the stories that are (hopefully) to come in this series.
Danielle’s writing blends historical fiction and paranormal romance with strong heroines and heroes. She takes us on a STEM-based, paranormal adventure through history, blending Greek, Egyptian, and Christian Theology/Mythology/Lore with warrior angel Malachi.
Main Character Malachi
A battle is raging between the Seraphs led by renegade Angel Gideon who wishes to subjugate humankind and the Celestials in Heaven. Unorthodox (and incredibly sexy) Malachi leads forces to thwart him. At the same time, his brash manner and closeness with deities of other backgrounds and humans irritates the Celestials—in other words, makes them look bad. Kind of like the competent blue-collar worker pointing out the flaws in the CEO’s plan. I picture him almost like a cross between Han Solo, Geralt in the Witcher and Maximus in the Gladiator. Competent, not afraid to get his hands dirty, gets the job done, but of course, totally embarrasses the insecure along the way. As punishment, they sentence him to being an immortal earthbound guardian.
Time Travel
He moves forward through time, protecting numerous important historical figures whom the Gideon and the Seraph wish to destroy or manipulate. Because of the success of book like Outlander, there’s a lot of people rushing to write “time travel” romance. Danielle’s version of time travel, having a supernatural character who can move through time, allows for more flexibility/believability than taking a character out of one time and placing them into another. It helps avoid many of the paradox and social issues that turn the story more toward scifi.
Romance Element
Malachi comes forward into 1600’s England where he meets Alchemist, Daphne. I always chuckled growing up when I would read my mom’s “bodice ripper” novels and they would say something along the lines of, “the head strong, sassy, intelligent <female protagonist’s name> did x.” And usually, it was something that a female character of that time period really wouldn’t do. Sure, I get it, they are selling a fantasy. Still always made me laugh. Right there along with whenever they had people taking an unrealistic number of baths in the medieval era or portrayed women with silky, clean shaven legs. I always wanted to re-write in, hairy, you mean hairy right? Maybe they meant the silky hair on her legs. I digress…
Instead of telling us what a smart, strong female protagonist Daphne is, Danielle shows us. Daphne is a female alchemist studying under Dante, a renowned Alchemist in Yorkshire. She walks a fine line this era of England, when women are getting tried for witchcraft and hung/burned just for having the wrong attitude in life, let alone having thoughts and knowledge uncommon to a woman. Not to mention, she is also harboring supernatural capabilities of her own, which Gideon and the Seraph are hoping to bring over to their cause.
The attraction between Daphne and Malachi is intense and immediate. At the risk of avoiding spoilers, there is also a dark fate hanging over the couple. They are drawn together, but forces are conspiring to rip them apart by any means necessary.
Side Characters
Danielle gives us an intriguing cast of side characters who ally with Malachi and eventually Daphne along the way. The heat between Egyptian God Thoth and Warrior Katherine the Adamantine is off the scale. Picture Bridgerton level of desire and wanting, but between a god and an Amazon, instead of Regency England. Danielle has hinted that there may be more instore for these two characters, which I hope is coming soon.
The only negative I would have with Immortal Honor Bound is that Danielle could probably have split the material into two if not three stories and stretched it out. Over all, it is a great and compelling story, and I am looking forward to the rest of her Angels and Alchemy series.
Thanks for Reading!
About the Author
I joined the Navy at 18 to escape a small town in the Mojave Desert. A diagnosis of MS disrupted my dreams of becoming an astronaut or a super spy. I made limoncello from my lemons and became a super electrical engineer instead. My fascination with live high voltage drew me to Alaska. I came for the job, but stayed for the adventure. I enjoy blogging about my journey as a woman working in STEM, my experiences dealing with everything MS has handed me, and the wonder of the Alaska wilderness. My husband and I have undertaken the task of turning 30 acres of remote land into an off-grid retreat. I write stories about unique women in STEM who save the day and the hot guys who sometimes help along the way, as well as historical fiction about the Klondike Gold Rush. Teasers for these stories can be found on my website. I self-published my first horror novella, The Dark Land, on Amazon in May of 2020. I released the sequel, The Devil’s Valley, in May of 2021. Both stories are set in the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and draw on the Athabascan “Head Waters Peoples” legends of the Cet’ann, or “The People With Tails”.
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Ancient evil stalks the Alaska Backcountry. Some places were never meant for humans to trespass.
**AD ASTRA PER ASTERA-Inscription on the plaque in memory of the crew of Apollo I (Gus Grisham, Ed White, Roger B. Chaffee)
A little-known factoid: before MS reared its ugly head, I had ambitions of being an astronaut. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be. But to say I was obsessed with space travel and flight as a child would be a mild understatement. When I read the premise for Willie Handler’s Loved Mars, Hated the Food: NASA sends Dix Jenner, a self-proclaimed stoner-chef from Jersey to the Mars Colony; I immediately added it to my TBR list. It took me a while to work my way to it, but it was well worth the wait.
Even before the Russians launched Sputnik into the October skies in 1957 humans have been inspired by the stars.
“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream,”
Vincent Van Gogh
We tend to place almost god-like status on Astronauts, making them into super-human characters rather than relatable people. I remember attending a Women in Science event in Seattle during college. During the event, we got to meet several female astronauts and shake their hands. Afterward, one of my classmates joked that once you become an astronaut, you have to wash your hands a lot since everyone wants to shake your hand and tell you how amazing you are. I couldn’t help but think she was more right than she knew.
Conversely, the story Dix’s survival after the Mar’s Colony Futurum is destroyed by an explosion brings humanity back into the space program.
Dix is rescued by Bleeker and Seepa, a Martian couple who wish to study him. Taken below the surface into the Martian city of Elysium, his new companions request that he keep his identity as a human secret during his stay. Kind of tough, since he looks nothing like a Martian. Bleeker, a Martian doctor, makes up a story that Dix is his cousin and suffers from a rare medical condition.
World Building
Willie does a great job of building a believable advanced society that still has problems and social issues that parallel our own. Using humor and subtlety, Willie raises questions about social class and discrimination that are prevalent in the chaos we see unfolding today.
Characters
We see the story unfold in first person from the perspective of Dix. The reader is immediately immersed in his angst and fear when he realizes the colony is gone. The Martians communicate via telepathy, so this helps us to build upon Dix’s character as he struggles to reign in his sarcastic thoughts so his companions cannot read them. We also get a peek at Seep and Bleeker’s personalities, who both bicker and love as a realistic couple.
Dix occupies his time growing human food, pot and coffee and trying to get his Martian hosts to eat it. Hilarious results ensue, especially once he sees the effect that coffee has on the Martians. He tries to introduce basketball as an alternative to the violent Martian sport of “Sling” which is played by the lower classes of Martians (the Arbiters).
The romantic relationship between Dix and Plinka, Seepa and Bleeker’s neighbor, is both humorous and touching. The “interspecies-erotica” scenes are well written and enjoyable.
Themes and Dilemmas
As an engineer, and an avid reader and follower of science, I enjoyed Willie’s touching on some very real moral dilemmas in the world of science and technology:
If an alien crashed on earth and needed help, how would we treat them?
Is it ethical to spend billions exploring space when there are people suffering on Earth?
Is it morally acceptable to give your enemies coffee knowing they will crash head first into a wall to get them off your back? (this was a hilarious and very creative part of Willie’s story—hope this doesn’t count as a spoiler)
I really enjoyed this tale of a slacker-stoner who travels all the way to Mars to discover true acceptance. And I am definitely going to try Willie’s mashed potato recipe, even if the Martian’s weren’t too impressed with it.
Thanks for reading. I have several books in the queue and I am working furiously on The Devil’s Valley, sequel to the Dark Land. Sign up for my newsletter for sneak peeks and snippets.
The Legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits on the isolated boundaries of The Dark Land.
While I love to write, I love to read just as much. Fantasy, horror, scifi, historical fiction and non-fiction are my favorite genres in which to read. While I have been neck-deep in self-publishing my own book, it is always a pleasure to take a break and review a book from one of my fellow authors.
This past Memorial Day Weekend I had the pleasure out at the cabin of sitting down and reading The Soul Web, by Steven Nedeau. Those of you who follow me know I love to do deep dives on my reviews, but I am going to refrain on this one (as much as I can) because I don’t see how it would be possible to discuss all the things I want to without spoilers. I will share what I enjoyed about my adventure into Nedeau’s world of Melanthios and his complex high fantasy novel.
Definition of High Fantasy
Fantasy is a broad category of fiction with multiple sub genres. The Soul Web fits squarely in the category of High Fantasy. This genre is defined as taking place in a world that is completely separate from our own, usually with magical elements, complex characters and subplots. Oftentimes, this world has a medieval setting and involve a quest. These books are often longer than typical fiction, as the world building involved takes more description than a story set in the regular world as we know it. Examples of High Fantasy are: Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings; The Dragon Lance Series, by Margret Weiss and Tracey Hickmann; A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin.
High Fantasy can also devolve into some very well-known tropes, clichés and traps. I think one of the most well known is bogging down the plot with too much description. Tolkien was infamous for this. As was Martin. This is where Nedeau does a really good job. His story is very plot and action driven. The characters move quickly from one scene to the next, filling in the gaps as they go. I would say there were a few times I could have used a little more description, but all in all a very fast paced storyline.
Revitalizing old Clichés and Tropes of Fantasy
As mentioned above, fantasy and in particular High Fantasy, tends to fall into stereotypes and clichés. Here are 5 of the most well known:
The Chosen One
Oversimplified Good vs. Evil Dynamic
Setting Medieval Style Monarchy
Contrived Romance/Insta-love/Love Triangle
The All-Powerful Magical Object
Nedeau does a great job of turning each on its head or reinventing it in a fresh, engaging way. I will explain how in my review.
The Chosen One
After years of living and working in a library reading history, Jaron learns that he is the son of a King. All of the people around him who he thought were his friends were really assigned to be his bodyguards. Fearing that his father is dead, they are thrust into a quest with a land surging into war. Nedeau does a great job here of creating an awkward, studious teenager that doesn’t magically morph into Superman, Aragorn, or any other legendary character. Throughout the story you do question whether he really is the guy for the job.
Oversimplified Good versus Evil
As the kingdom of Melanthios plunges into war all kinds of creatures come out of the wood work. Unlike in Tolkien where:
Goblins, orcs= bad
Elves and dwarves = good
Humans something in between
There’s a different dynamic here. The races of Melanthios choose sides based on their own political agendas and past histories. Centuries of grudges and bad blood come to light. Nedeau does a good job of creating empathy in the reader behind the different races and helping to understand why they are allying with either side in the battle to come. And even as the story progresses, there’s hints that even the main characters are not as virtuous as they seem at first blush.
Medieval-style Monarchy
Nedeau does use this trope, and it is considered the most forgivable of the High Fantasy trope because the magic and themes blend well into this frame work and are more believable than in a modern setting. It works well for his plot of an ancient king who has in a sense sold his soul and the souls of his knights in a pact for immortality. Now the current rulers are battling for control, and one has made a pact with this Army of the Dead thinking he can control it. This also ties back to the oversimplified good vs. evil above. There are times when you are looking at both sides (kind of like politics today) and wondering why are heroes want to fight for either side. They are being forced to choose between the lesser of evils.
Contrived Romance/Insta-love/Love Triangle
At first when I saw the set up between Joran and his protectors Keras and Ellian I wondered if Steven was going to go in the love triangle direction. I don’t want to spoil anything here, but he takes us in an entirely different direction. He builds Keras as a skilled and powerful female warrior, but also as a charming young woman. So he doesn’t devolve into what I like to call the female stereotype of the “bad-ass.” She’s worthy of admiration, but so is the other companion Ellian. His strength and strategic ability get them out of trouble on their journey more than once. Nedeau uses these characters as foils to show Joran growing and changing as he confronts his own securities as the purported future leader. There is love, but it blossoms slowly. I won’t spoil it, but I will give you a teaser from one of my favorite lines where the three have to crawl through a tight space. I think I really liked this scene because it reminded me of some of my interactions in the Navy.
Before Keras entered she pointed at Joran, “Don’t look at my butt,” and then to Ellian, “Don’t touch my butt.”
“Wait,” Ellian clarified, “So I can look then?”
She hit him and squeezed through the opening.
Scene from The Soul Web
The All-Powerful Magical Object
Instead of the One-Ring, or sword or book, they are searching for something magical. But Nedeau puts a unique spin on this one as well. Once again, I won’t go into detail here, but it involves the title of the book itself. He reveals snippets of what the group is really questing for little by little as the story goes on. The scene between Joran, Sir William and Lord Baros had a definite Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade/Tales from the Crypt feel to it and is one of my favorite scenes.
Nedeau’s addition to High Fantasy is a fast-paced, magical ride with unique and real feeling characters. I look forward to seeing where the story goes next and how the characters develop in the sequel to The Soul Web.
Thanks for reading. I have a great line-up of authors in the queue for this summer while I work and write out at the cabin. Hoping to dive in to Eric Lahti’s The Henchmen, next.
I am also working hard on the sequel to The Dark Land, available on Amazon now. Sign up for sneak previews.
The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits in the isolated boundaries of The Dark Land.
DK Marie is a writer I stalk…I mean…follow online. I really
enjoy her steamy poetry and snippets from her DK Masquerade, a series of flash
fiction she is writing about a woman on the run from an abusive husband. Her
character Liberty travels all around the world, seeking to find herself, and
finds love along the way. Meanwhile, her Contemporary Romance, Fairy Tale
Lies, was released in June. This is the first book in her Opposites
Attract Series published by Champagne Book Group.
I have to admit, this was a tough review to write. I enjoyed
her book immensely, but Contemporary Romance is not a genre I am normally drawn
to. I’m used to writing and reading Romantic Suspense, Fantasy and Horror. When
it came time to review it, I’m definitely worried about spoilers. Is it okay to
say the sex was hot? It’s okay to give away that they had sex, right? Lots of
it…it was pretty steamy. Did I mention they had sex…? There were lots of other
things as well, but I decided in the end to just have fun with it.
In this particular tale, the opposites are a couple from
different socio-economic backgrounds. Timid, high-society Greta and sexy blue-collar
business man Jacob have what they think is a one-time fling. When they are
thrown together again, neither can ignore the spark between them. Greta is
determined not to mix business and pleasure, but she finds that sexy Jacob is
very persuasive. As Shakespeare once said in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “the
course of true love never did run smooth.” So it will not for Greta and Jacob,
as they encounter not only Greta’s family’s displeasure over the match, but
each of the character’s own insecurities as they move forward.
Setting
Fairy Tale Lies is set near Detroit. I have never been to
Detroit (or Michigan for that matter). I have read a lot about its music and
maritime history, but I decided to do a little more research for this blog
post. I was aware Detroit took a huge hit economically in the last downturn, as
did most of US manufacturing. According to its most recent State of the Region Economic
Outlook Report (2018-2019), it is rebounding by attracting new start-ups from
cities where the cost of living has become prohibitive to business (areas like
Seattle, Atlanta, and Silicone Valley). It is re shaping itself to be the up-and
coming modern city for millennials. DK’s story (and really her Opposites series)
uses the backdrop of a city renewing and rising up, with self-starting
characters from a multitude of backgrounds.
To read the Michigan Economic Outlook Report, you can find
it here:
Myself and my husband can relate quite a bit to DK’s theme.
I started my career non-traditionally as a Naval Electrician’s Mate. My husband
started out as a welder. We both went on to eventually get degrees in
Electrical Engineering and Welding, Corrosion and Non-Destructive Testing
(respectively). There is an incredible amount of bias in our society towards
going to college and getting a degree while painting these “blue-collar” jobs
as somehow inferior. To be frank, the only reason I got my degree was my
medical condition meant I could no longer be an electrician. Yet my time as an
electrician is what makes me such a successful electrical engineer. My husband
got his degree because he was interested in corrosion and ultrasonic testing,
and he is considered to be a global expert on NDT and corrosion.
All you have to do is Google “dating down” and here is what
pops up:
There is a bias that a college education is somehow higher
than a trade job. In these articles women who have a degree but don’t date
other men with degrees are “dating down.” Fewer and fewer men are graduating
from college, where more women are graduating with degrees. As we have seen in
recent years, a degree doesn’t even necessarily guarantee a good job. It also
comes down to what type of degree you get (that’s a whole other blog article
right there).
Yet some of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time
dropped out of college. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are a few. **Ironically,
good luck trying to get a job without a degree at Microsoft, Apple or Facebook.
Characters
Jacob
One of my biggest pet peeves in the Romance Genre is the
rise of the “Alpha-Male.” Or as I like to call it, the incredible D-bag. So
many authors try to sell you on the dangerous, bad-boy with a past that the
female main character is going to change with her magical vagina. DK doesn’t
try to make us swallow that tired pill.
Instead, DK shows us a self-made, blue-collar business man
who’s good with his hands, and has a natural talent for fixing things. His
dialog and responses to Greta and other characters are realistic. His
insecurities and changes he undergoes throughout the story are in-line with
what DK has shown us as a character. While he is definitely sexy as hell, he’s
just an average guy just a trying to get his dream of expanding his business, Rework,
off the ground. He’s finally found the financial backing to do so. Too bad it
just happens to be with the company that Greta’s father owns. Jacob also has a
“past” but he’s determined not to let it get in the way of his future.
Greta
Okay, confession time. I wanted to slap the hell out of Greta for 80% of the story. While sweet, she is possibly one of the most spineless, insecure female characters I have ever read—and it is fantastic. DK creates a woman approaching her late-twenties who is so stifled by her parents (particularly her narcissistic, smothering mother’s) behaviors and expectations she can barely breathe. She is the Queen of Non-confrontation, and this will drive a wedge between her and Jacob. I’m surprised she had the guts to dump the fiancée her mother loved (even though he cheated on her). I’m even surprised she decides to date Jacob. Greta’s character is well written in this story and really relatable (even though she drove me nuts). I wanted to scream at her to stand up for herself. While the other characters evolve and change, I felt Greta’s change was the most well-written and believable. She doesn’t go from spineless to ball-buster, but after all of the mental and emotional abuse she’s been handed, she does become a more independent woman by the end of the story.
On thing I do have to mention…
Yes—it is poor professionalism to make out with a guy at
work who is also a client. The fact that she lets her father lecture her about
this really galled me. She worried constantly about what he would think of her professionalism,
then did it anyway (which I was like—woo hoo! Way to put on your big girl
panties!). If you’re that worried about it, find an office door with a lock, don’t
kiss the guy in a room where EVERYONE and ANYONE can walk in at any time (which
of course, all the people she doesn’t want to find out about Jacob walk in and
tell daddy).
But when she got caught, she really ought to lecture her
father about sexual harassment in the work place and how her ex-fiancee, a senior
employee, is making up IT issues and stalking her at work in order to hound
her into coming back to him. The fact that all of her co-workers see this an NO
ONE calls this out to HR or the boss is hideous. Everywhere I’ve ever worked
that’s considered harassment. Granted, the one who has to report it is Greta,
and we’ve already established (at least at the beginning of the story) that she
just won’t stand up for herself, but I really wanted her to call him out. Okay—rant
over.
Supporting Characters
At the risk of spoilers (not only for this book, but the
rest of her series), I will keep this brief and avoid revealing names for those
who haven’t read the books, as DK does reveals and giveaways.
DK provides a great cast of supporting characters. Greta’s narcissistic,
snobbish mother is a piece of work. I wanted to see this woman just humiliated,
even destroyed. We’re friends with several horror writers—I want to collaborate
on a crossover and write a gruesome death for this woman. Preferably strangled
by her pearls or stabbed to death with one of her Louboutin’s.
Greta’s sister is more than she appears, having learned to
deal with their mother in a different way than Greta. I actually found her to
be one of the more intriguing side characters, even more intriguing than Greta.
I would love to see her become a main character in another book.
Greta’s ex-fiancée is a well depicted antagonist. One thing
I am surprised about is that he didn’t make another appearance at toward the end
of the book. I didn’t expect him to give up after the 4th of July
incident (avoiding spoilers here). He is the epitome of rich, frat-boy snob. He
reminded me a lot of the fiancée from Wedding Crashers. He’s another character
for whom I want to see a horrific, humiliating end—hey maybe with Greta’s
mother since she loves him so much!
Jacob’s brother is another fun character who I would love to
see more of. His dialog with his brother is realistic and yet heartfelt. I
would love to see more interactions with the two brothers (in another book
maybe? Once again, please tell me he gets his own story).
Another pair of side characters I would love to see more
from were Greta’s college neighbors. Their love story would make a great
prequel/fun short story or novella.
This novel was a fun read. I went through the entire gamut
of emotions, which meant DK got me really invested in her characters. I wanted
to slap Greta, I wanted to both shake and well, uh…do other things to Jacob. I
wanted to tell Greta’s mother to go —– herself with a rake. The wide
end. I cried during the New Year’s Day scene, that was really intense. I will
have to let you as readers find out for yourselves as to why.
If you like Contemporary Romance with believable characters
that draw you in and wring emotion from you, then you will really love DK’s
style of Romance. And I mentioned the sex, right? If you want to find out how
steamy it was, I’ll give you a tiny tease from my favorite part:
“He turned her, placing her hands on the still-warm leather
seat. The position had her bent, with his front against her back. He trailed
his hands along her arms, down her sides to her thighs. Once there, he slowly
bundled her skirts in his fists.”
Marie, DK. Fairy Tale Lies (Opposites Attract Book 1) . Champagne Book Group. Kindle Edition.
Thanks for reading. My next review will be Michael Nadeau’s fantasy novel, The Darkness Return’s!
“She is all nerve as she enters the room and surveys the waiting crowd…the dance hall girl is industrious. She is never vacillating or undecided, she is persevering. She does not flit about the room bestowing a smile here a caress there and again a pouting neglect. When she selects her victim, she stays with him. The more marked her favor, the greater is his triumph. He needs her to complete a spectacle of himself as a favored beau…” -1 pg. 56
My historical romance, A Drink of Darkness has been just as much fun to research as to write. Set in the Yukon Gold-rush boom-town of Dawson City in 1898, I have spent a lot of time gathering information about the setting and the people of Dawson.
My Saloon Girl Helena, and my vampire ladies of the night Eve, Bianca and Liz are complete works of fiction, but I drew my inspiration from reality. I used many sources for my writing, but one of my favorites was Lael Morgan’s Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush.
This was one of the first books I picked up when I moved to Alaska 12 years ago, and it is a great resource on these women who were an integral part of pioneering what is still referred to as the last frontier. Her book follows the ladies through the entire rush. My post will stick to a specific location and time period for now. I decided to put together this short blog post to pay homage to this reference and to these unique, real ladies of Dawson City in 1898.
Here is a link to Lael Morgan’s fascinating book and where you can buy it on Amazon if you are interested
Ms. Morgan uses photo’s from the various archives and stories of these women’s lives to show how they shaped not only the Gold Rush, but Alaska and the Yukon Territory’s fate. It is a fascinating journey through an era where women were forbidden from: owning a Saloon, wearing bloomers, and in some areas prospecting or owning a claim. Prostitution was illegal in the Yukon and Alaska territory, but law enforcement looked the other way and often protected these ladies, seeing the services they provided as a necessary evil to keep the lusts of the men at bay, lest they take it out on “respectable women.” These women came north, often packing their gear themselves over the treacherous Chilkoot Pass or taking the 1600 mile all-steamer-route.
Federal Judge James Wickersham, who presided over Alaska
during this time kept a collection of pictures of these ladies (which can be
accessed via the Alaska Digital Archives). He spoke well of the “Good Time
Girls.”
“The sporting women were of a more robust class than usual among their kind, hence there were fewer cases of venereal disease among them…The women were also younger, more vigorous and independent than those of the same class in the older more crowded communities in the states…” -1 pg. 19
He later went on to say:
“A goodly number of these women yielded to the persuasions of their favorite male customers, quit the life of the dance hall or the bawdy house, and calmly settled down to a quiet home life with their husbands…It quite frequently became my duty as judge to perform marriages for persons of that class and more often that not the marriages were successful.” 1-pg. 51
While this sounds really sweet and romantic, history (and Ms. Morgan’s book) paints a slightly different picture. The hardships and economics of the decisions could be very persuasive. The cost of living was high. Rent on a basic cabin or tent in Dawson could be $30 a month, not counting food. To stay single and in a “respectable job” (nurse, school teacher, secretary were a few of the limited options), these jobs only paid around $20-$30 a month, if that. They were literally skewed to force these women to marry-or to consider less than respectable options.
A saloon girl could make a base pay pouring whiskey of $40 a
week, plus 50% of every drink or bottle she could sell, plus tips. Easily
clearing hundreds of dollars a week if she could hustle and was pretty. Dance
Hall, or “Hurdy-gurdy” girls made a dollar a dance or a drink plus tips—and the
men tipped generously for the privilege. Girls managed to squeeze in over 100
short dances a night. The prostitutes (at least the attractive ones) could make
upwards of $250 a night. Meanwhile marriage was a gamble. Mortality rates were
high. There was no guarantee that a miner would find (and keep) a good claim.
Even if he did, if he happened to die, she could lose the claim, not having the
ability to work it herself.
This sounds cold and calculating, but in a town (and time) where men outnumbered the women by a landslide, these women didn’t come north to find husbands. They came north to make a fortune, just as the men did. And they did it the only way society would allow. I am not going to go into deep detail, if you want that, please read Ms. Morgan’s book, but here are a few of their pictures and stories.
**All of the pictures below courtesy of the Alaska Digital Archives. For permissions on usage of photos, please follow the instructions on their web page: https://vilda.alaska.edu/
Rose Blumkin, The Fairy of Dawson
Rose Blumkin, the Fairy of Dawson and later Nome. Image ASL-P-277-001-185 Wickersham State Historic Site. Photographs, 1882-1930s. ASL-PCA-277
She worked officially as a Dance Hall and ticket girl at the
Monte Carlo theater (though she couldn’t dance or sing), but her love of fine
jewels and ball gowns (and her police record) suggests she did a lot of work
between the sheets to support her lavish spending. After her stint in Dawson
she moved to Nome with the rush.
Golden Belt
Gold nugget belt made for Rose Blumkin. Image UAF-1964-92-278 Selid-Bassoc Photograph Collection
A picture of a belt of gold nuggets commissioned by one of
the “Kings of Dawson” to be made for Rose. From reading Ms. Morgan’s books, the
men, coming into these insane fortunes had little to spend it on other than
whiskey and women. To show their newfound prowess in finding gold, they
lavished it on the good time girls—to the extreme. Their mindset was, if I need
more, I can just dig it out of my claim.
Menawhile, one of my favorite quotes from Diamondtooth Gertie
Lovejoy:
“The poor Ginks just gotta’ spend it…they’re scared they’ll die before they get it out of the ground.” 1-pg. 58
While arrested (and fined) for running a house of prostitution, Babe Wallace did well enough that she was able to import a piano to her establishment. She eventually left the Yukon, but died young in 1911.
The Oregon Mare
The Oregon Mare, Ethel Nellie ASL-P-277-001-192 Wickersham State Historic Site. Photographs, 1882-1930s. ASL-PCA-277
One of the things that I found highly amusing in my research
was some of the creative nicknames of the ladies: the Swedish Queen, Nellie “the
Pig” Lamore, Diamond Tooth Gertie, etc. I used this in my writing, creating my own
nicknames for my working gals. This is a photograph of a lady known as the Oregon
Mare, real name of Ethel Nellie. A popular prostitute in the early days of
Dawson. She is even mentioned in a Robert Service poem. Considering he got to Dawson
in 1908, long after the initial rush, Ethel would have moved on by then, he
would have known her by legend only.
The Dutch Kid
“The Dutch Kid” ASL-P-277-001-186 Wickersham State Historic Site. Photographs, 1882-1930s. ASL-PCA-277
This is a photo from Judge Wickersham’s collection. He
withheld her real name, only noting that later she became a nurse. Often times
when the ladies would leave the “profession” (and the region), they would do
everything they could to conceal their past. Their husbands and families were
often eager to assist. Some speculate that this lady was actually the first prostitute
into the region.
The Gypsy Queen
The Gypsy Queen ASL-P-277-001-193 Wickersham State Historic Site. Photographs, 1882-1930s. ASL-PCA-277
As previously mentioned, not all the ladies were prostitutes. Here is a picture of the Gypsy Queen, Mrs. Curly Monroe, wife of a local Saloon owner.
Lucy Lovell was a popular American actress who had toured the London stage and decided to give the north a try. She made her fortune in the Klondike. Unfortunately, she contracted tuberculosis during her tour of the territory. She retired to Arizona and passed away shortly thereafter.
May Stanley
May Stanley, Dance Hall and Whiskey Girl ASL-P-277-001-183 Wickersham State Historic Site. Photographs, 1882-1930s. ASL-PCA-277
May Stanley worked as a Dance Hall girl, selling whiskey and dances with men (which was legal). Morgan’s research indicates that since her name does not appear in any police reports linked with prostitution that she never worked as a call girl. My character Helena’s job is modeled after girls like her, trying to make a living without selling themselves.
Klondike Kate “The Belle of the Yukon, the Sweetheart of the Sourdoughs” 1-pg 157
Klondike Kate Rockwell, Queen of the Klondike ASL-P-41-56 P. E. Larss Photograph Collection, 1898-1904. ASL-PCA-41
And of course, the most famous and bold of the Dawson girls. Born Eloisa Rockwell in 1876 in Kansas. Technically, she didn’t get to Dawson until 1900 (though she would have been in Seattle and Skagway at the time), so I can’t include her as part of my story, but I have to mention her. She made and lost a fortune as a Good-time girl. She was known for putting on quite a show. In one act, she would wear a skimpy leotard and roller skate around the stage (skimpy for the era). In her famous “Flame Dance”, she wore yards of sheer chiffon had fans blow it about her while she shimmed in front of red lights.
Ms. Morgan’s book and the Alaska Digital Archives have been a treasure trove of information on the period. I hope you have enjoyed my post about them and will check out her book and the archives! maybe someday A Drink of Darkness will see the light of day as well…only time will tell!
References
Morgan, Lael; Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush. Epicenter Press, Inc, 1998.
The Dark Land, Available on Amazon
Thanks for reading! My Alaska horror novella is currently available on Amazon:
The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps-even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits in the isolated boundaries of The Dark Land
A paranormal thriller/horror novel by Shawn Burgess, now also available as an audio book.
The parallels we find between fiction and real life at times
can be ironic and unsettling at the same time. Shawn Burgess’s The Tear
Collector is paranormal thriller/horror novel about a group of boys in a
small town who are trying to help the police find their missing classmate, Margo
Combs. She’s an autistic girl who has gone missing in the woods. As the clues
come unraveled and bodies pile up, they realize that Grief Hollow, is more than
just a name.
Shawn asked me to ARC read his novel months ago and I put it into my calendar for June 2019.
As I sat down to read Shawn’s story, a real-life version of this is rocked Anchorage, AK and the surrounding cities to their core. A 19-year-old special needs girl went missing at the beginning of June 2019, her body turned up a few days later on a popular hiking trail. The horror of what happened to her, and the callous disregard for human life has everyone asking, why?
At this point in the investigation, five teenagers have been arrested with conspiring to murder, sexual assault and other charges. A man in another state is being extradited to Alaska as part of the plot. There is so much that is terrifying about this tragic story that it is hard to wrap one’s mind around it. People often refer to Alaska as a “Little Big Town,” though large in area, it is small in population. Almost everyone I work with or know has some connection to someone involved in this case.
The fact that such evil exists in the human heart and mind
is mind boggling. That someone who seems benign, who you interact with every
day, could be plotting horrific murder. You almost wish there were a driving
force behind it. Some sort of horrific greater evil that it could be blamed on.
Shawn’s story, by contrast, is a more traditional
paranormal/horror story. The adults don’t want to believe their eyes and
senses. There must be a logical, “normal” explanation for the deaths and
disappearances. A serial killer, animal attacks, kids just screwing around. The
kids in his story, on the other hand are more in tune with their senses and are
willing to believe what they see.
Shawn’s setting and characters hook you from the very start. When Brady tries to kill the tent caterpillars in Grief Hollow, you know this is not going to go well.
***I was shaking my head, thinking oh no, don’t do it! But then I think of some of the REALLY dumb things we did as kids. We’re lucky we didn’t end up dead, maimed, or in “Juvy.’
The story only grows darker as you move with the club of
young boys, the “Markland X Crew,” through the small town of Harper Pass and
the woods surrounding it. They try to not only find their missing classmate,
but figure out who or what has “marked” its inhabitants. The Markland X Crew
battles bullies, stalks their suspects, and tries to stay one step ahead of the
supernatural evil stalking Harper Pass.
Setting
While The Tear Collector is supposed to be set in Appalachia, it could easily be transplanted to any small town. Even the one I grew up with, just exchange desert for woods. Shawn paints a vivid picture of small-town life, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Grudges are carried through generations. For the kids, the world revolves around being in the popular crowd at school.
Characters
I have mentioned it in other reviews. I hate the question,
“what is this story like?” or “What author is this writing like?” But I do have
to admit the theme and style in this story reminded me greatly of two stories
by Stephen King: IT and the Body (better
known as the movie Stand by Me). It also kind of reminded me of a
mash-up of the Monster Squad and the Sandlot. Shawn
uses the themes of camaraderie and support as the boys of the Markland X Crew are
forced to band together to unravel the mystery of Grief Hollow or suffer the
same fate as their classmates.
I can think back to when I was a kid; and my brother, my
cousin and myself would roam the trails, canyons and old abandoned mines of the
Mojave Desert, solving mysteries and outwitting enemies in our heads. This
story speaks to that innocent desire we have as children to solve the riddle
that is baffling the adults, save the day and be the heroes.
When we realize that what is worrying the adults is that
fact that when the mask is ripped off the monster, just like in Scooby-Doo, and
what is beneath is revealed to be nothing more than another human, a little
more of our innocence is stripped away. We start to grow up and deal with the
harshness of reality. We realize that the monsters ARE other humans. We can’t
spray holy water on it or wave an amulet and make everything right. The evil
still exists even as the police lock it away, and the dead stay dead.
The characters he creates throughout the story are easy to
invest in. Professor Wadlow, reminding me of a cross between “Scary-German-Guy”
from Monster Squad and Laslow from Real Genius. Detective Holt trying to get on
top of the pile of bodies and his crumbling personal life. Tee’s sister Angela,
who just wants to head off to college and forget her part in the past troubles
of Grief Hollow. But I will focus more on Shawn’s main characters below.
Brooks
He creates a believable and sympathetic character in Brooks
Raker, for the most part our main character/narrator. Brooks is willing to do
anything to join the Markland X Crew. Shawn shows us a somewhat awkward
tweenaged boy with few friends.
My mom draws her head back, and her eyes grow wide; but
after a moment her face lights up in a big smile too. She isn’t accustomed to
me running off to play with friends, as in more than one.
His character reminded me of a cross between “Smalls” from
the Sandlot and Gordie Lachance from Stand By Me. He has Smalls desire to fit
in, but he’s not as innocent or gullible. Character wise, he’s a little more
like Gordie, a young boy trying to figure out where he fits in the world.
Brooks has realistic thoughts about girls and video games and even adult
things. He is deeply empathetic to his friends’ emotional baggage, which we
learn about as the story goes on. He is often the voice of reason to the rest
of the group’s rash behavior. It is his initiation at the beginning of the
story that sets him in juxtaposition to Sammy, the bully who already has it out
for him. He ends up as the last person to see “Mysterious Margo” when he
escapes from Sammy’s torture into the woods.
I enjoyed Brooks as a character. He has realistic hopes and
fears of wanting to fit in, yet not wanting to get in trouble with either his
parents or the law.
Shawn does a good job of slowly developing the trust between
the boys in the Markland X Crew. Even though they have made a vow to one
another as part of the club, their bond deepens as they realize they can’t turn
to the adults with what is happening, they can only rely on one another,
“brothers from another mother.”
“You guys are the best friends I’ve ever had. I’ll always
be here for you. No matter what. Brothers.” My voice fractures, the tortured
grimace on Robby’s face leaving my stomach as hollow as an empty grave. It’s
not fair. Man… It’s just not fair. I deliver several soft pats on Robby’s back,
moisture gathering in my eyes.
The Markland X Crew
The other boys of the Markland X Crew are believable and
relatable as well.
Robby
Fatherless Robby, who covers his raw emotions over his
father’s death with rash behavior and bravado.
As Devin’s face flounders, I feel the weight of
everything unsaid pressing upon me, the sharp divide separating Devin from the
truth of Robby. The boy in pain behind that carefully constructed mask. The boy
who lost his dad but also his mother to the long work hours and two jobs she
had to get to support them. How the church turned its back on Robby and his
mother after his grandparents paid for a Disney trip following his dad’s death.
How small-town grumblings, a secret stash of money, the family better off than
they’re pretending to be, became rumor that’s accepted as fact. And how those
rumors spread quick as wildfire in a small town like Harper Pass until the
spigot of compassion runs dry. But it’s not my place to tell.
Tee
Tee is a sort of middle ground between steady Brooks and
rash Robby.
“Keep your voice down, bro.” Devin pushes his palms at
the ground.
“Come on, Tee. You’re the only one who can fit.”
“Yeah man. Don’t you want to save your friend Margo?”
Tee throws eye daggers at Devin. “She’s not my friend.
You guys are my friends, but you’re not acting like it.”
Devin
Dev, the new kid in town. Shawn shows us a boy whose seeming
reckless behavior is both a reflection of his desire to fit in with his new
friends and a lack of understanding of the local myths and legends (that have
the other boys fearful).
I’m not sure what to make of Devin. In the few hours I’ve
known him, I’ve already determined he’s one of the bravest kids I’ve ever met.
But I wonder what’s behind that bravery. Crazy or just curious? Maybe curious.
We talked about it a lot. And he’s never been. Probably just doesn’t know any
better.
Antagonist and Plot Resolution
Shawn uses a mash-up of science and myth to create his evil within the woods. I would love to tell you more, but at the risk of spoilers, I will refrain from delving into too much depth here. Perhaps after it has been out for a while, I will release my version of this review with spoilers.
I will say that our young heroes go on a nightmarish ride, often escaping by the skin of their teeth. They always adhere to the mantra that they never leave a member of Markland X Crew behind. When it is clear that they are all marked by this evil, they decide that they need to go face it together, rather than wait for it to destroy them one by one, reminding me of the teamwork and bravado of the children in Stephen King’s IT.
I gulp hard at Devin’s proclamation. We’re screwed! Can’t
go to the police. Can’t go to our parents. Not like we can leave town. We’re
sitting ducks.
Head-hopping/changing PoV
My one beef with the story was the PoV changes. We start out
in 3rd person in the intro, jump to 1st person when we’re with
Brooks, then jump back into 3rd person when we’re with other
characters. I brought this up to Shawn in that I felt he should have just either
stuck with Brooks in the 1st person the whole way or stayed in 3rd
person with everyone. Unfortunately, at this point, it is a little late to
change it.
Either way, it didn’t keep me from finishing the story. I
read this straight through from start to finish, because I HAD to know what the
thing in the woods was and if the Markland X Crew would come out on top. The
story got more and more twisted as it went (just the way I like it). There’s a
scene with a centipede that made me say out loud, “Shawn, what the f–k?”
Teaser
…his body like a giant centipede with a waxy, burned-umber exoskeleton banded black at the edges of its body segments. Dozens of spiny legs screech over the steel bumper, shimmying forward in unison. The long, dagger-like legs that taper to fine needlepoints at the tips slice through the clear coat on the hood of the car. Cam’s breathing devolves into unmeasured, frantic panting. His heart jackhammers in his chest at the grotesque sight of its glossy, alabaster underbelly passing over the windshield, his ears in a state of revulsion as its lance-like legs chisel out chunks of glass as it ascends. The roof creaks before groaning under the weight of the creature, the squeal of scraping metal serrating Cam’s eardrums as it pulls the last of his hideous body over the windshield.
And it only got worse from there…
Can’t wait for the sequel!
Thanks for reading! My own horror novella, The Dark Land, is available on Amazon. If you’re interested in Alaska backcountry horror, check it out.
The legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits in on the isolated trails of The Dark Land.
