“The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” Review

“The Spirit Bares Its Teeth” by Andrew Joseph White

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter that he’s needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its rotten guts to the world—as long as the school doesn’t break him first.

Review

This was such a good book with a lot of great characters besides Silas. While it doesn’t have quite as much gore as the other’s other book, there is some, all with a medical focus this time. I really enjoyed how Silas struggles to work everything out while dealing with everything else going on for him. The plot is very dark and disturbing but I really like how everything plays out. Certain things were not a surprise while others completely were and I really enjoyed it all. And I was really glad a particular plot point was resolved the way it did. The ending is a bit open ended but I think it makes sense given the storyline.

Be sure to take note of the authors warnings at the beginning of the book. Also be sure to read the authors end notes because while this story is fantasy the ugly truth is people always been sent a way because they were deemed unfit by society and many have been experimented on throughout history.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “The Spirit Bares Its Teeth”.

Book Details

The cover has a young person standing in the middle of it facing forwards but with their head turned to the right. Their skin is very pale white with brown hair and they are wearing a purple dress and holding a broken shard of glass that is also purple. Behind them is a sky in purple with white clouds. They're framed in an oval shaped image with other images of violet eyes all around the cover. The authors name is at the top and the title is at the bottom on a ribbon that is wrapped around the picture frame.

Author’s Website
Andrew Joseph White
Publisher / Date
Peachtree Publishing Company, September 2023
Genre
Historical Fiction, Horror, Young Adult
Page Count
381
Completion Date
July 21, 2024

“Gideon the Ninth” Review

“Gideon the Ninth” (The Locked Tomb No. 1) by Tamsyn Muir

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Review

I read this for one of my Discord book clubs and it’s ultimately not my cup of tea. I tried to give it a fair chance but the personalities of the main characters and the writing style made it harder to get through than I like. I also ended up needing the Wikipedia for the book series to keep track of all of the characters. All of the characters were referred to by first name, last name, nickname, or sometimes only a description, depending on who was talking and some had similar names, which made it hard to keep track. That said there were some interesting parts, the world building seemed interesting if not fully described, and I did like how the relationship between Gideon and Harrowhark developed despite my frustration with them in the beginning. I don’t believe I’ll continue the series at this time, but you never know.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Gideon the Ninth”.

Book Details

Gideon the Ninth book cover showing a person standing holding a sword in one hand wearing all black with red hair and face painted as a skull. They are surrounded by parts of many different skeletons on a black background. The Title of the book is at the bottom with the author's name on top.

Author’s Website
Tamsyn Muir
Publisher / Date
Tor.com, September 2019
Genre
Fantasy, Science Fiction
Page Count
464
Completion Date
June 27, 2024

“Never Whistle at Night” Review

“Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology” edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

Review

(Updated October 20, 2024 with reviews for the individual stories)

I always say this but anthologies are a fun way to be introduced to a group of new authors all at once. In this case there were a few author’s I’ve already read but it was good to see more of their work. There were a few stories I didn’t really understand but overall I really enjoyed this anthology. It was a good mix of types of horror stories where sometimes the horror came more from people (colonizers) rather than the supernatural which is to be expected when reading Indigenous stories. This will be another anthology where I look up all the authors and see what else they have written.

Some thoughts on the individual stories:

“Kushtuka” by Mathilda Zeller – I loved the ending for this one! I’m still not entirely sure I understand what happened in the end, but maybe that was the point? Multiple things seemed to be happening at once but at the core it was about a young woman forced to work for a bigoted man who is would love to take advantage of her and the rage it produces.

“White Hills” by Rebecca Roanhorse – The ending is a little vague on this one because I do think it’s implied that another choice was made than it appears? But I’m not entirely sure. In any case it’s about a woman who thinks she has it all but learns how little control she has over her life once her husband and his mother learn the truth about her. And then she has to make a choice.

“Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” by Conley Lyons – This one gets very dark as it goes along but it’s an interesting tail of someone finding themselves in an abusive relationship that gets more and more disturbing before they have to make a desperate choice.

Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon – This is a story about two kids living in an abusive foster home. They each are reacting in different ways – one displaying violence themselves and deliberately making a scene even to the point of provoking abuse (as a distraction to protect the other kid) while the other watches. Until one day… it’s not entirely clear from the ending how it will work out but there’s an implication that it will lead to the arrest of one of the children rather than stopping the abusive foster parents.

Quantum by Nick Medina – A very disturbing story about a woman who finds that one of her two children has enough Indian blood to be one of them and how she treats the children differently. It doesn’t entirely make sense the way things are depicted (no one else seems to notice the second child being treated so horribly). At least the ending implies things will change but I’m not sure how well it will work out.

Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau – This one is sort of two stories at once. A young woman is at a party and leaves to avoid the unwanted attention of a young man. Though it turns out that man has been possessed by an evil entity (though that young man was definitly thinking of doing bad things before he was possessed which is why he gets possessed). The ending is a good twist though as things don’t go the way the entity planned.

Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline – A creepy one. Mostly a surreal story about a young man returning home after his parents have died and eventually going hunting. That’s when the true horror story starts … the ending is a little mysterious as it’s not clear what happens.

The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson – This is a story about a group of men searching for those that killed their people. It takes some effort to read this one because it’s almost entirely stream of consciousness. But it’s still a detailed story.

Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo – The narrator goes on a hike with his cousin and her boyfriend. The boyfriend is racist and his cousin isn’t that much more respectful of Indigenous traditions. As a result someone gets revenge for their disrespect. It’s not actually 100% who caused things to happen – the narrator or angry spirits but the narrator certainly helps things along.

Before I Go by Norris Black – On the one year anniversary a woman goes to the place where her fiancé died. It gets more disturbing from there. This one is short but interesting. Some things are better left alone.

Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris – A ghost story about a woman spending the first night at a new house. Disturbing things happen throughout the night until sunrise. Good story.

Behind Colin’s Eyes by Shane Hawk – Strange things start happening the night before a hunting trip and it only gets stranger from there. I really liked the slow buildup of horror of this one as things start happening.

Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford – This one is honestly a bit confusing – multiple things seem to be happening at once. A young man moves back to where his mother lives after having lived with his father. There’s family conflict because he’s life was different than what his brother had with his mother. Some things make sense but other parts of it aren’t entirely clear but it might have more to do with the narrator than anything else – we just have his internal point of view for everything going on without much external information.

Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp – A young man needs a scary story to win a contest so tries to steal one to use. This one is fun. It starts out as one thing but turns into something else. A story within a story. I really liked the way it ends.

Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf – A grandmother tells her two grandsons a story while they’re waiting for their parents to arrive. Creepy story but a good read and it seems the creatures the grandmother is telling them about are actually there watching the whole time.

The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. – A strange one with multiple things happening at once. I really liked it though! A violent attack leads to more violence and then it gets more complicated from there. Seems like a supernatural entity is trying to help but things keep going sideways…

Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power – A girl is spending time with her aunt and asks if the place they’re staying is haunted after seeing a movie. Turns out it is but it’s more complicated than that. I really like this one and how it ends.

The Prepper by Morgan Talty – This is a sad story about a man who comes to believe that a zombie apocalypse is going to happen and the result of that. There’s also a couple side plots that are mixed up in it. His grandfather is dying at the same time and the man ends up doing something as a result of that that leads to his current circumstances. Also he tells the story of his uncle with Down Syndrome who was killed and the connection he feels.

Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart – This one has a lot in it – two men who lived complicated lives and died but still live on. I enjoyed reading this one a lot.

Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden – It involves a man whose wife has recently passed which has lead to PTSD and flashbacks to the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest. Once he learns there’s no justice to be had by law he decides to confront the priest on his own. It’s not graphic but it’s pretty intense and disturbing.

Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust – A rather disturbing story about what happens when someone wants their brother back. The ending is a little confusing but I like the story overall.

Night Moves by Andrea L. Rogers – Four soldiers stationed in Germany walk home after a night at a bar… things don’t go well. I liked this one. The ending is intense though.

Capgras by Tommy Orange – I have to admit this one is rather confusing. Some of it makes sense – an author is in France and realizes that his book has been translated badly into French after a series of interviews. But things just get more confusing from there as it’s not entirely clear what is going on beyond that.

The Scientist’s Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger – Three scientists are sitting around having a drink and decide to tell stories. Two scary stories one real one fake and you may or may not be surprise at which one is scarier and for what reason. I liked this one a lot.

Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala – A college student attends their professor’s party and finds they have an interesting collection… pretty disturbing and the ending is vague and open ended as the reader doesn’t actually know what will happen next. I enjoyed this one but I wish some things had been explained a little more in the end.

Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice – a native guide is taking a white man on a tour of native lands … Things go from bad to worse when the man decides he isn’t being shown anything of value. While realistic this one was a bit to dark for me. I kind of wish this hadn’t been the last story in the book.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Never Whistle at Night.

Book Details

Around the edge of the cover are various images of plants, flowers and animals (a snake, mouse, frog, snail and butterfly). The title of the book is in the center with the subtitle above it and the names of the editors below it.

Editor’s Website

Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Publisher / Date
Vintage, September 2023
Genre

Horror, Short Stories

Page Count
384
Completion Date
January 12, 2024

“Mata Oti: Eyes of Death” Review

“Mata Oti: Eyes of Death” by Lani Wendt Young

From reclusive librarian to warrior guardian… Iva must safeguard her two nieces as Samoa battles a mutant variant of the deadly virus that’s raging across the world. It transforms people into savage creatures beyond all hope. She’s afraid, but determined to get the children through hordes of the infected to an emergency evacuation plane. It’s a race against time though as the variant rampages through her own veins. Can she fight off the Change for long enough so they all survive?

Review

This was very good book – I really liked the characters and how things played out. The situation starts out very similar to the COVID pandemic with everyone trying to stay safe. The island of Samoa manages to keep the virus out for a while but things go from bad to worse pretty quickly once the virus hits. It also ends up being an engineered virus that got out of a lab accidentally which makes things much worse for everyone. There’s a lot of things going on beyond it just being a virus and the ending makes that very clear as well.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Mata Oti: Eyes of Death”.

Book Details

The cover is mostly blue and shows the upper corner of a persons face so just their eye and cheek are visible. The eye is bright yellow while the rest of the faces is tinted blue. There is a strand of DNA displayed diagonally across the cover as well.

Author’s Website
Lani Wendt Young
Publisher / Date
National Library, National University of Samoa, August 2021
Genre
Dystopian, Science Fiction, Horror
Page Count
295
Completion Date
December 25, 2023

“Mexican Gothic” Review

“Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

Review

I really enjoyed this one. The story does take a while to get going with a slow pace as things unfold but it never really felt like it was too slow. I did think the last few chapters were a bit fast in comparison but it made sense for the story because once the truth came out things had to be dealt with quickly or no one was going to be freed from the house. The description is right that Noemí is an unlikely rescuer or at least she seems that way at first. Given that it’s set in the 50s her personality/behaviors aren’t much of a surprise but the way she handled everything still made sense. I liked the way the central mystery was resolved. There’s a lot that wasn’t explained but like most horror stories some things aren’t ever explained.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Mexican Gothic”.

Book Details

A young Mexican woman is standing or sitting on the cover visible from the nose down wearing a red dress that wraps around her chest with no shoulders. She has her hands in her lap holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. The background is green wallpaper with floral designs.

Author’s Website
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publisher / Date
Del Rey, June 2020
Genre
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Horror
Page Count
320
Completion Date
July 26, 2023

“Depart, Depart!” Review

“Depart, Depart!” by Sim Kern

When an unprecedented hurricane devastates the city of Houston, Noah Mishner finds shelter in the Dallas Mavericks’ basketball arena. Though he finds community among other queer refugees, Noah fears his trans and Jewish identities put him at risk with certain “capital-T” Texans. His fears take form when he starts seeing visions of his great-grandfather Abe, who fled Nazi Germany as a boy. As the climate crisis intensifies and conditions in the shelter deteriorate, Abe’s ghost grows more powerful. Ultimately, Noah must decide whether he can trust his ancestor — and whether he’s willing to sacrifice his identity and community in order to survive.

Book Review

This a novella, so it’s shorter than my usual reads, but I still enjoyed it. It’s another ambiguous ending however I do think the main point of the story is made and clarified. I won’t spoil it by explaining further, but I felt like the main issue is resolved in a satisfying way so while I would have liked to see more I don’t feel like I need to. There’s an interesting group of characters and the way things played out was very realistic.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Depart, Depart!”.

Book Details

The cover is dark toned water ripples at the top. There's a vague figure of a person in the background mostly under the water. The word Depart is reflected upside down in the water making the two words of the title - Depart Depart. The author's name is at the bottom

Author’s Website
Sim Kern

Publisher / Date
Stelliform Press, September 2020
Genre
Science Fiction, Horror
Page Count
94
Completion Date
June 22, 2023