Goldilox and the Three Scares Classic Horror Week Review: A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

We're doing something a little different for Halloween this year. This time of year always brings out the monsters. And some of our favorites are the ones from literature. We're looking at retellings and reimaginings of horror classics like Dracula and Frankenstein.

We all have our annual Halloween traditions and I'm so excited to be reviewing a book that is one of my most longstanding traditions after watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a clever monster mash combined with eldritch horrors and is a perfect read for the season! Plus, it acts like the perfect Halloween advent calendar!

A Night in the Lonesome October
Roger Zelazny
Release: August 26, 1993
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Loyally accompanying a mysterious knife-wielding gentleman named Jack on his midnight rounds through the murky streets of London, good dog Snuff is busy helping his master collect the grisly ingredients needed for an unearthly rite that will take place not long after the death of the moon. But Snuff and his master are not alone. All manner of participants, both human and not, are gathering with their ancient tools and their animal familiars in preparation for the dread night. It is brave, devoted Snuff who must calculate the patterns of the Game and keep track of the Players—the witch, the mad monk, the vengeful vicar, the Count who sleeps by day, the Good Doctor and the hulking Experiment Man he fashioned from human body parts, and a wild-card American named Larry Talbot—all the while keeping Things at bay and staying a leap ahead of the Great Detective, who knows quite a bit more than he lets on.

Boldly original and wildly entertaining, A Night in the Lonesome October is a darkly sparkling gem, an amalgam of horror, humor, mystery, and fantasy. First published in 1993, it was Zelazny’s last book prior to his untimely death. Many consider it the best of the fantasy master’s novels. It has inspired many fans to read it every year in October, a chapter a day, and served as inspiration for Neil Gaiman’s brilliant story “Only the End of the World Again.”

Review:
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK! Seriously. I had never heard about it until I was reading some blog post or article of Neil Gaiman's where he was talking about how he would read a chapter of it a day during the month of October. Ever since that day almost ten years ago, my sister and I reread it together every Halloween. Our tradition has expanded to include friends, nephews, and godkids and while it is more often than not read over the phone or skype now it is still much loved by everyone. It’s just so quintessentially Halloween. 

This book is unique as it is told from the perspective of Snuff, the canine familiar of a knife-wielding man named Jack. The whole story is about an eldritch scavenger hunt between some of the most famous horror names in literature who are competing against each other. I'm not going to tell you what happens other than that because if you've ever read a Roger Zelazny book, you know half of the fun is trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Just imagine Sherlock Holmes, Count Dracula, Dr. Frankenstein, Rasputin, and several other well-known characters gathering in one place waiting and preparing for something big that's supposed to be happening on the night of Halloween.

While the story has "human" characters in it, my godkids and nephews love that the whole book is about the animal familiars. Plus, since only a couple of those famous characters are actually named in the book, it kind of gives you your own scavenger hunt as you try to figure out which familiar belongs to who. It took me and my sister years to figure out who one character was.

The tale is fairly lighthearted with quite a few jokes and puns, but when you stop to think about it, the plot is actually quite creepy. It's been proven time and time again that you can't help but fall in love with Snuff as you read. He's definitely the favorite among my family. If you're looking for a new Halloween tradition, I wholeheartedly recommend giving this book a try! We love it! 

Note: Although there are certainly a lot of literary references younger kids won't get, the book still has enough classic horror creatures that they'll be able to recognize instantly and the story is fun enough for them even without knowing who is who. It's my four year nephew's first year getting to participate and he has loved it despite only figuring out that one of the characters is Dracula!

    

  5 / 5 Stars!

Early Review: Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Into the Drowning Deep
(Rolling in the Deep #1)
Mira Grant
Release: November 14, 2017
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Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Review:
I have a confession to make. I have never read any of the books this author has written as Seanan McGuire, but I have everything she's written under her pen name, Mira Grant. I loved her Newsflesh series so when I got a chance to read this book I picked it up immediately!

Into the Drowning Deep was an interesting read and reminded me very much of Michael Crichton's work with some Lovecraft and Jaws thrown in for some spice. I enjoyed it! This book is Grant's take on a creature feature.  

The plot concerns a mockumentary film crew that disappears along the Mariana Trench after footage of a deep sea monster attack surfaces from the abandoned wreckage. Several years later, marine biologist Tori Stewart has joined a new crew heading to the Trench and she hopes to investigate the case that ties in with the disappearance of her older sister who was part of the original film crew. She soon uncovers cryptozoological creatures who are nothing like the beautiful, mythical creatures in the stories we grew up with. I never expected to be frightened by mermaids but here we are. Bravo, Mira Grant! Bravo!

Like a most horror and disaster movies, this book has a large cast of characters, some of who are stereotypes, but Grant manages to make you care in some way about most of them. And of course in true Mira Grant fashion some of the ones I liked suddenly were murdered in a gory, chompy fashion. I really enjoyed the horror aspects of this book but what I really loved about them was that there was quite a bit of science integrated into the fantasy. Even though I loved all of the scientific explanations, I can see a lot of people not enjoying them. I just really liked what it added to the story.

Into the Drowning Deep was a fun read that really fit into the Halloween season even though the release date is set for November. It certainly has a great atmospheric build-up to a good horror novel that horror enthusiasts and those who like things horror-lite will enjoy. I didn't realize it was the first book in a series and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

Note: There is a novella, Rolling in the Deep, which ties into this book. I have not read it yet, but I will be soon. Apparently, it's the prequel to this but it's not required in order to read this book.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

   

  4 / 5 Stars

Review: Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson

Servants of the Storm
Delilah S. Dawson
Release: August 5, 2014
Links Goodreads Amazon
Reviewer: Gretl

Summary: A year ago Hurricane Josephine swept through Savannah, Georgia, leaving behind nothing but death and destruction — and taking the life of Dovey's best friend, Carly. Since that night, Dovey has been in a medicated haze, numb to everything around her.

But recently she's started to believe she's seeing things that can't be real ... including Carly at their favorite cafe. Determined to learn the truth, Dovey stops taking her pills. And the world that opens up to her is unlike anything she could have imagined.

As Dovey slips deeper into the shadowy corners of Savannah — where the dark and horrifying secrets lurk — she learns that the storm that destroyed her city and stole her friend was much more than a force of nature. And now the sinister beings truly responsible are out to finish what they started.

Dovey's running out of time and torn between two paths. Will she trust her childhood friend Baker, who can't see the threatening darkness but promises to never give up on Dovey and Carly? Or will she plot with the sexy stranger, Isaac, who offers all the answers — for a price? Soon Dovey realizes that the danger closing in has little to do with Carly ... and everything to do with Dovey herself.

Review: I don't read YA very often, though I'm not really sure if that makes me more or less qualified to judge, but Dovey feels like a real teenager to me. She’s naïve in some ways, but she’s also fearless. Her best friend is the most important person in her world. I really wish I could have met Carly before the storm. Dovey's memories of her past make her present even more tragic. And Dovey's passion for the theater also makes her feel wonderfully youthful.

When Dovey first stops taking her pills, she doesn't really know what she's going to find. She's not sure if she's still under their influence, so she doesn't quite trust what she sees. Her uncertainty really ups the creep factor as she starts to explore her new reality. Savannah after the storm is filled with mysterious creatures, like a fox-eared girl and Dovey's dead best friend, who disappear before she can confront them. I knew the demons were there even though Dovey didn't know yet, so the first third of the book was like walking through a haunted house waiting for the monsters to jump out.

Once immersed in the demon world, Dovey gets more confident. She starts to actively pursue answers and the action really picks up. It almost feels like a different story. It's no less creepy, just not as subtle about it. For example, when Dovey goes to the not-so-abandoned-after-all amusement park and sees the expressions of ecstasy on the demons’ faces while they watch people scream on the broken down rides she really starts to understand their cruelty and their inhumanity. The scenes at the park provide some wonderfully vivid, fantastic and horrific imagery. They also make me think that Servants of the Storm might make a great movie.

Servants of the Storm is not a romance, but it does have a love triangle. Baker is a childhood friend who grew up while Dovey wasn't looking and now wants to be more than friends. Isaac is Dovey's Morpheus. Instead of a red pill, he has a red liquid that helps her see the real world. But she's still not sure if she can trust him. She needs to pretend to be interested in him to further her investigation, but while her body might be willing, her heart's not really in it. It seems that Dovey's desire for romance was stunted while she was in her medicated haze, so she's not really sure what to do with either of the men when they show an interest in her. And her quest to find Carly is far more important to her than a relationship. If she gets to have more books in her series, I expect that will change eventually.

I have some mixed feelings about the end of this book (though after I figured out the Matrix analogy I started to feel a lot better for some reason.) There's an action-packed climax that makes me think I'm about to get everything I wanted. But then the end raises even more questions, which is certainly effective in upping the creep factor, but it's frustrating. It also adds to my feeling that this book should be a movie. I could totally see a movie ending like that, suggesting maybe there's a sequel, but maybe not. There is a second book planned, but not yet contracted, so everyone please read this one so I can get some answers.



Recommended for fans of: teen horror films, YA bad boys, creepy demons

    

4  stars

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

The First Days

(As the World Dies: A Zombie Trilogy #1)

Rhiannon Frater

Release: July 5, 2011

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The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni's stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town. There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.

Fast-paced and exciting, filled with characters who grab your heart, The First Days: As the World Dies is the beginning of a frightening trilogy.

“Katie let the curtain fall back into place. Standing before the window, she felt herself let go of the old world and embrace the new. She would survive this. She would go on. That was all there was to it. She wouldn't give up without a fight. She would do whatever it took to survive.”

Well. So, that was awesome. Hold on a moment while I catch my breath from all the zombie killing. 

Frater's zombie trilogy starts off with a bang (and a crunch and a slice) with The First Days. This book really did take my breath away. For fans of zombie movies or that wonderful TV show The Walking Dead, the zombie encounters, and the subsequent killing of said zombies, will be satisfying and exciting. The terror and sense of urgency throughout the story is equally matched by the gore of slaying those creepy flesh eaters. Squeamish readers might find themselves looking away from the page occasionally, but really, if you can separate yourself from reality for a bit, its not all that bad. 

Frater's pacing throughout the book is incredible, each time the story slowed down for a bit I thought, "Okay, here it is. They're safe for a little while and now it's going to get boring". Um, no. The pace never slowed to a halt or left me feeling bored. The story would slow for a nanosecond, and then off we would go!

Aside from the wonderful pacing and delicious zombie killing gore, what really shines here are the characters. I do not avidly read horror, so I was unsure about this series for a while. But what sets Frater apart from others in the genre is two significant things. First of all, her lead characters are women. Strong, stubborn, crazy women. Second of all, her story is really character driven. All of the main characters are well-written and fully developed. Reading from the various characters' points of view also helps to round them out as well.

The two main characters here are Katie and Jenni, thrown together by the luck that Katie just happened to be driving by Jenni's house just as Jenni was running from her now zombie husband. This is how the story begins. Jenni's entire family, including her youngest child, has been either killed or turned into a zombie, and this horrifying beginning really grabs the reader.

So small. So very, very small. The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small. She could not stop staring at those baby fingers straining frantically to reach her as she stood shivering on the porch.

Jenni's reaction to the entire thing is actually not that uncommon of victims of a trauma. She has detached herself slightly from reality and has focused solely on killing the zombies. She is a formerly battered housewife who married young and now has been given the freedom she always wanted, but at a terrible price. She is very damaged and vulnerable, and slightly crazy, for most of the book, but reading her innermost thoughts when the POV switches to hers shows the reader that her pain over losing her family and her confusion about how she should live her life now fuels much of her strange behavior. I really adored Jenni and felt a lot of emotions along with her character throughout the story. I also loved Jenni's back and forth with Juan, a wonderfully strong but hilarious character whom Katie and Jenni meet. Jenni and Juan cracked me up and their relationship provided some lighter moments in the story.

“The crux of the argument was that Jenni was a bloodthirsty psycho and would waste all of the ammo while Juan was too stupid to understand guns were made to be fired.”

The other main character is Katie, whom Jenni looks to as her savior. The two women instantly bond and become almost like sisters after traveling together and killing zombies together for a while. Katie has just lost her wife to the zombies and spends a lot of her private moments mourning her loss and the fact that she was unable to kill her and end her suffering as a zombie. Katie also spends a lot of time trying to stay strong for Jenni and be the more level-headed of the two. She is a really wonderful heroine in the story and I loved her conflicting characteristics that ended up making her almost more complicated than Jenni. Katie strikes up a friendship with Travis, a leader among a group of survivors the two women come across. Their relationship is interesting and complicated and I'm really looking forward to where their friendship goes throughout the rest of the trilogy. 

This was a book I was both excited and nervous about reading, but in the end it lived up to all the hype and took me on a ride that I can certainly say no other book has. 

Recommended for fans of: zombies (duh), The Walking Dead, strong female characters, interesting relationships, emotional rollercoasters, death by shovel.