Twisted Book Junkie

The Black Hours is an authentic historical fiction tale based on Matthew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, who sent hundreds of innocent women to their deaths based on false accusations of witchcraft.

I found this tale to be so heartbreaking, it was difficult to pick it up at times. However, Alison Williams certainly did her research and wrote a fantastic tale.

Alice Pendle and her grandmother use herbs and ointments to heal fellow villagers, and the villagers were content to use their concoctions until it benefited them to do otherwise. Oh, how quickly the villagers turn against young Alice. What I found interesting was the unique storytelling not only from Alice Pendle’s perspective, but from Matthew Hopkins’ as well. Though I felt dirty after getting a sneak peek into his inner thoughts. As the victim of abuse himself, he became a fanatic who convinces himself that he’s doing the right thing.

In direct contrast to Hopkins is Constable Hargreaves, who is very admirable in his attempts to shield Alice from the rumors and escalating village confrontations, yet is unable to intervene to save her.

As a first historical novel, Alison Williams’s The Black Hours is a stunning tale of the ordinary people whose lives were affected by the beliefs of those who had power over them.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

First, I want to mention the cover. I really like it a lot. The artwork is perfect for this age group and genre.

Let's talk characters. I love Coriander's spit-fire attitude and the way she is so protective of her friends and little sister, Autumn. Autumn, who "can't go five minutes without having her hands on a book"  and who has an odd obsession with grammar is my kind of girl. I can't name all of the delightful characters, but Colette was so quirky and adorable. And, how can I not refer to Marcus, a Florida State fan who was upset about the team colors: blue and orange. I totally understand you, Marcus. ;) I can't possibly name all of the great characters, but all were very well developed, and the three-dimensional characters made this story for me.

Odium was a terrifying, exciting ride through a land of zombies. A land that is not rotten and black, as the self-proclaimed leaders behind the walls of the barricaded cities would have you believe, but alive and flourishing. Except for the dead that bring their rotten stench with them.

One of the many things I loved about this novel was how Claire C. Riley used the sense of smell, which is usually overlooked in zombie novels, to bring another level to the dead she created in this world. I felt like I was in her world from the start. I clearly saw the rot and distinctly smelled the putrid decay. I desperately fought to stay alive.

Odium’s characters were alive and credible. The characters’ decisions were believable, even if they weren’t always reasonable or practical. But that’s what made them genuine. And the humor injected between the nail-biting moments, was spot-on.

This book has it all: a black redneck, which is probably what you’re thinking and space zombies, which is most likely NOT what you’re thinking.

Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, and knocked it out in two days! What an exciting, emotional ride!

I’ll start with Jefferson, the black redneck. He, of course, is our loveable hero. I mean, who wouldn’t love a black guy raised in the Deep South who ends up being a rodeo winning child prodigy? He is by far the most interesting book character I’ve ever met. He is likeable, even with his mistakes that he realizes is too late to make right.

Adopted by a white family as an infant, he cured them of their “prejudice, not KKK prejudice, but, you know, the regular sort.” Because, it seems, “prejudice is no match for love."

 I truly like the concept of this zombie novella. Using a zombie corpse to imprison a spirit is a unique take on the zombie genre. But the novella is filled with rhyming incantations that slows the pace to an undead gait.

I also felt that prior to Mary becoming a prisoner in a walking dead corpse, her conflict with Azrael the Angel of Death was vague and undefined. More details on how Mary discovers Azrael’s scheme to take over the spirit realm would justify him sentencing her to an undead dungeon as well as her rage toward him.

Overall, I like the concept, but the novella lacked background that would have improved it and the pace was much too slow to be thoroughly enjoyed.

I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Well, maybe a little. But once I figured out what was happening, I was in too deep.

Though I’m not normally a fan of romance, I was instantly in love with Mia and Ollie, and awestruck by their apparent love for, and dedication to, each other.

Once I started reading Limerence, I couldn't stop. It is full of tension, suspense, and yes, even heartbreak.

I really liked the alternating points of view; it worked so well with this story. It allowed me to really sink my teeth into the characters, and extract the essence of who they truly are.

What a great first novel for author Claire C Riley! She is clearly talented, and her ability to weave a captivating story is evident.

I am a huge fan of zombies, and this is one heck of a well written zombie book!

Each of the multiple storylines is constructed beautifully and is jam packed with amazing details. It was exciting to get to know each of the complex characters. And when they finally come together, it’s simultaneously dreadful and hopeful.

I found the science behind the infection fascinating. The medical jargon was minimal, and to the layman like myself, it was understandable. But most importantly, it was believable.

One of my favorite things about this book is the hierarchy of the infected. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but the generations of infected can be compared to making a copy of a copy of a copy, with patient zero being the original. Genius!

Driven by madness and hatred, a self-loathing doppelganger has shown up to take out Daryl Handy. Because, of all the Daryl Handys, he’s the anomaly, privy to the other versions of him whispering – sometimes shouting – in his head.

I like the hardcore nature of this short. The twisting plot was confusing at first, making me feel as if I was going mad myself; however, the moment I figured out what the heck was going on, I was hooked.

I admit that I found it difficult to cheer for Daryl, but I warmed up to him when I saw his affection toward Gabe, the child who lives next door, something the other Daryl Handy doesn’t seem to share - nor do Gabe's parents.

I read these novellas as they were released, but I am combining my reviews here because Part One is not available on BookLikes. I averaged the ratings of the individual novellas to reach my overall rating of 4.5 stars.

Part One - 4 Stars

I am a huge fan of zombie fiction, and State of Decay nails it!

I have had the State of Decay novellas on my "to-read" list for quite some time now, and I'm glad I finally pushed them to the top of the list.

This novella jumps right into the action, and doesn't give you a breather until you see the words, "The End (of the beginning)."
Though it has quite a few spelling and grammatical errors that can be easily corrected with a simple proofread, they don't overly distract from the plot.

I am honored to have received an advanced copy of Chasing the Green Fairy from the author for an honest review.

This review is going to be difficult because I'm afraid I'll give away something crucial. I'm going to tread lightly, and hopefully give you a glimpse into yet another amazing novel in The Airship Racing Chronicles without spoiling the plot.

When I saw the cover for this novel, I thought it was breathtaking! I still do! Like Chasing the Star Garden, the first novel in The Airship Racing Chronicles, the cover spoke to me, even before reading a single word. There are hints to Chasing the Green Fairy's story in the cover, and it speaks to the cover designer's talent.

Lily Stargazer is thrown into the midst of another adventure! Though this one starts with heartbreak. All I'll say is make sure you have plenty of tissue nearby. And don't read in public where you may have to explain that you're just distraught because of a novel.

First, let me say that I have been in love with the cover of Chasing the Star Garden since it was revealed. It is a true work of art. Then, I fell head over heals - AGAIN - when I began reading it. The reason? Because I realized that the cover art is just a sampling of the overall beauty of the novel.

Lily Stargazer is sort of an anti-hero with her absinthe and opium addictions, not to mention having multiple lovers. But, at the same time, she is so beautiful, rebellious, and tough that I found it impossible not to love her as much as her lovers and friends love her. Even with a broken and dysfunctional past, she is determined to be strong.

We discover why Lily is feeling not quite whole through perfectly-timed and well executed memories, and I found myself wanting to throw my arms around Lily and comfort her.

I wanted to love this collection of supernatural horror shorts. The description guaranteed to shock my senses and rattle my nerves.

Salley Gardens was my kind of horror short. A beautiful garden surrounding a hideous house with a creepy old man who talks about his friends who live in the flowers. The end was just strange enough to be pleasing.

The Throne didn't start out appealing simply because I have no desire to read about someone desperate enough to shit in a crock pot. But I can't deny that I like where this story went with warlocks and spirits.

Habeas Corpse is one of my favorite shorts of the collection. It even had a moment where I chuckled. But that was before the crazy instrument of justice was introduced by the even crazier district attorney Corrigan.