Fans of subversive fairytales will love the twists and turns Sharp imagines into her version of Cinderella. Witches, stepsisters, curses, prostitutes Fans of subversive fairytales will love the twists and turns Sharp imagines into her version of Cinderella. Witches, stepsisters, curses, prostitutes and some borrowed elements from other fairytales creates a story that is brimming with action, suspense, humor, romance, and a huge dose of feminism. I look forward to reading more from Sharpe in the future. ...more
Once again Patricia Briggs brings her A-game when Charles Anna are forced to defend the pack from a dangerous threat determined to destroy them all. BOnce again Patricia Briggs brings her A-game when Charles Anna are forced to defend the pack from a dangerous threat determined to destroy them all. Bold, unapologetic, and brimming with action and suspense, Burn Bright blows open some long-simmering storylines as it propels the arc to new fantastical heights.
Favorite Quote: “Persephone’s blessing says hands off to creepy boys who bargain with the crossroads and want to hurt me.”
Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, MI. On her way to look for her boyfriend after he stood her up for the prom, she is chased to her death on the infamous Sparrow Hill Road. A psychopomp of sorts but referred to a hitcher, Rose haunts the local truck stops and diners, always the last face seen before death claims another traveler while staying one step ahead of her killer. Hellbent on winning her freedom from a man who bargained with the crossroads, Rose will do whatever it takes to destroy him. After all, she has all the time in the world.
Anyone who has grown up in the midwest has heard of the Phantom Prom Date Ghost or the Girl in the Silk Green Dress. An Urban legend that despite its many names and appearances, all centers around a sixteen-year-old girl who died on her way to the prom and often appears to those driving down a long winding road, looking for a ride home. McGuire expands upon this legend, gracing readers with a humorous and bittersweet piece of Americana folklore as she tells us the story of the spirit known as the Girl in the Diner, the Lady in Green, The Phantom Prom Date, the Shadow of Sparrow Hill Road, and her journey through death as she plays guide for the dead while plotting revenge against the man who killed her.
“Let’s go kick some dead guy arse.”
McGuire’s already active imagination goes into hyperspeed as she builds a whole nother world that exists between twilight and daybreak. Set in her Incrypid world, McGuire draws upon different legends and mythology to add flavor and depth to Rose’s story. Originally presented in serial form (2010), McGuire restructures these stories, shuffling them into four parts, with each part focusing on an individual moment in Rose’s life. Though they are all set loosely in order, they read a little abrupt with some repetition until they find their rhythm. Using a conversational style of narrative, McGuire flashes between the past and the present as she slowly prepares Rose for what’s to come.
Rose is an entertaining conversationalist. Lively and opinionated with a very dry wit, she had me laughing throughout the book.
“I have never wanted to punch a highway in the face as badly as I do right now.”
Though perpetually sixteen, Rose is no juvenile anymore having been dead for over fifty years. Surprisingly not bitter over what happened to her, she took her death in stride and now looks forward to the little things that soften the unbendable rules she is forced to adhere too. Cheeseburgers…milkshakes… a nice warm coat. She has plenty of friends among the living and dead, each one a viable force to be reckoned with. Rose’s home away from home is the Last Chance Diner, owned and operated by her bestie, a bean sidhe named Emma. Emma knows how the rules work with Rose and helps when she can, but she doesn’t coddle Rose and often tells it like it is.
“I’m not the only hitcher in this state.”
“Is that so? And what state are we in then, Rosie-my-dear? Denial? Transition? Oh, could be in the state of grace? I’m really quite fond of that one, grace.”
Other personable entities drift in and out of Rose’s life as she travels the ghostroads towards her destiny. A destiny that harkens back to her murder and a love that never died.
Sparrow Hill Road is a unique ghost story filled with both light and dark moments that offers readers something different in this genre. McGuire leaves us with more than one unanswered question and I am looking forward to revisiting this world and spending more time with Rose, Gary, and the other residents of this world. Book two
Favorite Quote: “We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed.”
Aaron (Rain) Ryland has spent his whole life on the streets due to his mother’s drug addiction. When his mother dies from an overdose, he is sent to live with an aunt he’d never met before in the small town of New Wurzburg, TX. Right off, Rain senses things aren’t right in this town. He soon finds himself drawn to a group of outsiders at the high school. Particularly their leader, Friederike (Freddie) Burkhart.
Freddie isn’t your normal teenager. She tries to warn Rain away as others seek to draw him in deeper but he refuses to back down. He has finally found something-someone- he’s winning to fight for. When Rain learns exactly what is happening in this sleepy little town, he has to ask himself if Freddie is worth dying for. Because someone wants her dead and Rain may be the only one who can save her.
Haven is a young adult paranormal romance that borrows from Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s Beauty and the Beast but with some gender swapping and much needed modernization. Lindsey takes the old classic trope of beauty saving the beast and twists new life into it, introducing us to a whole new paranormal world of wolves, witches, and magic with two outcasts who are determined to solve a series of murders while making sure they don’t lose their own lives in the process.
The similarity to Twilight is strong in the tone and initial setup. Rain Ryland is obviously Bella while Freddie Burkhardt is an interesting combination of Edward and Jacob. Rain is sent to the small town filled with supernatural beings to live with his aunt Ruby who is on the police force and finds himself unnaturally drawn to the mysterious Freddie and her cousins despite their overt antagonism towards him. There are even motorbikes involved. Lindsey expands on a small scene introduced in Twilight, one that hinted at the werewolves being controlled by vampires in the past. This is the base of the conflict but that is where the similarities end. Neither Rain nor Freddie are waiting to be saved There are no attempts to pretty everything up for the sake of love and acceptance. These strong-willed, intelligent, curious teenagers with raging hormones, mercurial emotions, and the survival skills who work together to save themselves.
‘He’d never feared losing something before because he’d never had anything worth keeping. ‘
The theme of witches controlling wolves is not new. Various authors have alluded to it in their stories but Lindsey succeeds in making it her own with her creation of Watchers, Weavers, and their dark history that she painstakingly records. The weavers are witches who use their magic to help the wolves. In return, the Watchers aka the werewolves protect the witches. Over time, this relationship has become warped becoming more slave/slave owner as the weavers decide who lives, who dies and uses deceptive means to introduce fresh blood into the packs.
“You’re romanticizing the monster.”
“And you’re vilifying it.”
Heavily character driven, the large and individualized cast helps to set the story and keep it in motion. I enjoyed experiencing the story through the eyes of a male protagonist. Lindsey does an excellent job building Rain’s character and creating a unique person more than able to handle what is coming his way. Freddie is just as unique and Rain’s perfect match though she maintains her autonomy in all aspects. Rain’s aunt Rudy is an interesting character and does her best to be parent his mother should have been. Lindsey builds Haven with a steady hand, confident narrative, and lots of organic detail; creating a world filled with potential and brimming with action, suspense, intrigue, and romance. Vampires, zombies, and more decorate this multi-layered fantasy. The addition of murder, mystery, and general mayhem helps to ground the story in reality while elevating it beyond the confines of the stereotypical YA paranormal romance.
”I’ve never had a friend before. I’d like that friend to stay alive.”
The romance has the sweet blush of first love with strong sexual undertone that definitely makes this a more mature YA. Lindsey does an excellent job of using the insta love romance as a way to further explain her leads personalities. These are teenagers who have each experienced extreme trauma in their lives so it makes sense they would connect with little fanfare. Lindsey does speed it up the romance as the story reveals but it makes sense due to the mature nature of the conflict and its subplots. Though vocal in their passion, the actual sex fades to black.
‘She all but consumed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and digging her nails into his skin. Hot. Demanding. Perfect’
Haven is a breath of fresh air in YA paranormal fantasy and sure to appeal to readers young and old. I truly hope Lindsey chooses to expand on this world and turns this into a series.
Favorite Quote: ‘Death is quick but retribution moves at a snail’s place.’
Reviewed by Tori
The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb is an thought provoking Favorite Quote: ‘Death is quick but retribution moves at a snail’s place.’
Reviewed by Tori
The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb is an thought provoking tale of murder, revenge, the supernatural; all based on the true story of the Greenbrier Ghost, a piece of American Folklore. Through dual points of views and tenses, we are introduced to James P. D.Gardner and Mary Jane Heaster and shown the depths of a mother’s love and the extraordinary lengths she will go to for justice.
Our story begins in a segregated insane asylum in the 1930s. An older black gentleman, James P. D. Gardner, has been committed for attempting suicide and the attending physician feels that discussing the past is what holds the key to the problems of the present. James decides to tell the Dr about the time he was asked to co-chair a murder trial in West Virginia with a white union sympathizing defense attorney whose past was far more scandalous than the accused, a white Confederate veteran prosecutor, and where a ghost was the only witness to the crime. From there, we switch to Mary Jane Heaster as she leads us up to the trial. Gardner then resumes his tale, describing the events of the trial and his actions defending the accused with Mary Jane interjecting as needed.
Elva Zona Heaster was a wild child from the day she was born. Beautiful and headstrong, she refused to bow down to the dictates of parents or society and did as she pleased regardless of the outcome. While visiting family in Greenbrier County, she meets Erasmus (Edward) Trout Shue, an older handsome drifter who had recently moved there and worked as a blacksmith. Zona falls head over heels and against her mother’s advice, marries Edward. After weeks of silence, Mary Jane and her oldest son ride to the Shue’s home to check on Zona. Mary Jane eventually heads home, fearful for Zona. When riders come to the Heaster farm a few months later to inform them that Zona has died from a fall down the stairs, Mary Jane is convinced Edward killed Zona. Mary Jane goes to the local prosecutor and demands Edward be arrested for murder. She claims Zona’s ghost has come to her, showing her proof of Edward’s lies. She convinces the prosecutor to order an exhumation of the body. The examination shows foul play, Edward is arrested, and a trial date set.
When I first picked this up, I read it fell under McCrumb’s Appalachian Ballad series though I didn’t see the connection. I did enjoy the story though it is definitely drier then what I’m used to from her. Hints of McCrumb’s trademark sly humor in her formattable characters and descriptive narrative help liven it up and force it along when it faltered. I had never heard of the Greenbrier Ghost before this but found McCrumb’s weaving of legend, fact, and fiction interesting, especially her use of the mother and the defense attorney to personalize the story.
Though the story starts out ponderous, your curiously is gradually peaked with its haunting prose and straightforward telling. McCrumb’s research and meticulous attention to detail are showcased as she uses her skills and alternating points of view to paint us a picture of life in the rural South among the working class; drawing attention to the domestic violence and the social, economic, gender and race inequalities that existed. Heavily character driven, Heaster Gardner are the driving forces of the story, both compelling characters whose refusal to sugar coat their circumstances only adds to their appeal. Both are non-apologetic of what they are, accepting their place in life as simply a fact. Yet, there is intelligence, fortitude, and a quiet strength in them both, evidenced by their relentless pursuit of their goals.
The ending is predictable of course but McCrumb adds her own twists to the story, leaving readers to question some of the ethical and moral dilemmas presented. An in-depth epilogue offers more answers and questions as McCrumb lays the story and those involved to rest.
I do wish Gardner’s personal story had integrated better with the main storyline. As it was, I felt as though I was reading two distinctly different stories with no true common denominator. I also found the history lesson given on the civil war and the parts the defense attorney and the prosecutor played in it overly verbose and cumbersome. The point of that escaped me. Regardless, fans of Sharyn McCrumb and American Folklore are sure to enjoy her take on this popular piece of southern history.