Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been talking about reading Blood Slaves for months now. I often see people online say we have enough slave stories or don't recommend me any stories with slavery in them or back in the day the only Black books were slavery stories. But if we pause for a moment how many book titles can be name that we read that have been about slavery? I've spoken about it before but I too used to be one of those people who would see a mention of slavery and run in the opposite direction. Until I finally sat down and read some historical fiction and dealt with why. Blood Slaves takes that slave narrative and interjects some fantasy and horror answering the question, "What would the slaves do if they had the power to free themselves?" I received a copy for review from Kensington Books Publishing.

In 1710 Carolina the enslaved people are suffering on the Barrow plantation. Every day is like hell on earth with no end in sight. Though they try to steal moments of joy here and there, there's always someone waiting to snuff it out. After a failed escape, and brutal assaults on both him and his love Gertie, he finally reaches his breaking point. This is when he meets Rafazi, a survivor of the Ramanga tribe, an African vampire tribe. He convinces Willie to take back his power and together they build an army to rise against the plantation owner and his overseers.

Blood Slaves does not shy away from the true horrors of slavery which does make this a heavier read. The novel opens to every day life in slave village. There's gruesome violence against men, women, and children. The cinematic writing style helps paint a vivid image of the life of these people. While Willie is the main character readers also get outside povs from a variety of characters and seeing the male perspective contrasted against more than one woman's perspective allows for some interesting discussions. 

This book explores who gets to decide what is good and bad and how we make those decisions. Gertie for much of the book is against the idea of vampirism and taking revenge into their own hands believing it will make them the same as the monsters they're rising up against. She clings to the few happy moments she and Willie have had together having hope that one day their suffering will be over. While Irene is a mixed-race house slave that doesn't quite fit in anywhere, having the blood that makes her closer to the white people may elevate her over those in the field but there's horrors working in the house she must deal with. And when she and a few of the other women take vengeance into their own hands it is satisfying. 

Even-paced with a cinematic like writing style Blood Slaves will keep readers wanting more. The same way Sinners was more than a movie about vampires this is more than a book about vampires.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It's been a minute but I'm glad to be back and I'm switching gears with a horror novel. Devils Kill Devils was gifted to me by Macmillan Audio. I had read The Spite House by Johnny Compton and was curious to see how he followed it up. While I'm not a huge horror reader I do like to indulge every now and again. 

Sarita has had a guardian angel named Angelo watching over her since she was a child and he rescued her from almost death. He has since saved her life on multiple occasions. The book opens with Sarita's husband Frank being killed by Angelo on their wedding night. Sarita is confused by why her guardian angel would feel threatened by someone so close to her. moves from solely Sarita's perspective to also focus on her mother in law Harrah, and Cela, also know as the godmaker. 

While The Spite House kept me engaged from start to end even as it built upon the story and branched out into new perspectives, Devils got murkier and harder to follow. After a strong start the book lost momentum in the middle. There was definitely some interesting vampire lore mixed in as well as commentary on religion but the book start to meander and make the reader wonder if certain points are even important to the overall plot. It should've been more streamlined and kept the focus on Sarita. This book feels less like a horror and more like a dark fantasy and a lot could've been done with the demon and vampire lore. But the pacing was off here where it felt like a lot was happening but nothing was really happening. Harrah's chapters in particular felt more tell than show than tell.

Imani Jade Powers does a good job narrating but not much can be done to elevate the book during the slower, messier parts.

Black Horror and SFF

Welcome Back, Booklovers! So I heard people wanted more Black genre fiction and I'm definitely one of those people. But I wanted to share some that are already out and available for purchase because we need to support these authors so they can continue to get published. So i wanted to list some Black Horror and SFF that I feel is more underrated. Some of these I read, some are on my tbr, and some I'm in the process of reading. 

Curdle Creek by Yvonne Battle-Felton

Welcome to Curdle Creek, a place just dying to make you feel at home.

Osira, a forty-five-year-old widow, is an obedient follower of the strict conventions of the remote all-Black town that’s stuck in the past and governed by ominous rituals including a one in, one out population policy. Osira has always been considered blessed, but her luck changes when her grown children run off to parts unknown, escaping Curdle Creek’s harsh traditions, she comes in second to last in the Running of the Widows, and her father flees after his name is called in the annual Moving On ceremony.

Forced to jump into a well in a test of allegiance, Osira finds herself transported first back in time, and then into another realm where she must answer for crimes committed by Curdle Creek. Exile forces her to jump realms again, landing Osira even farther away from home, in rural England. Safe there as long as she sticks to the rules, she quickly learns there are consequences for every kindness. Each jump could lead Osira anywhere but will she ever find a place to call home?

The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison 

On a rainy day in May 1964, history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis begins to search for the sixty-five acres of land she inherited from her father’s family. The quest leads her to uncover a dark secret: In every generation, one offspring from each Bridge family unit vanishes—and is mysteriously whisked back in time. Rules have been established that must be followed to prevent dire consequences: Never interfere with past events. Always carry your free Negro papers. Search for the survival family packs in the orchard and surrounding forest. The ribbon on the pack designates the decade the pack was made to orient you in time. Do not speak to strangers unless absolutely necessary. With only a family Bible and a map marked with the locations of mysterious containers to aid her, Cecily heads to the library, hoping to discover the truth of how this curse began, and how it might be ended. As she moves through time, she encounters a circle of ancestors, including Sabrina Humbles, a free Black woman who must find the courage to seize an opportunity—or lose her heart; Luke Bridge, who traverses battlefields, slavery, and time itself to reunite with his family; Rebecca Bridge, a mother tested by an ominous threat; and Amelia Bridge, a young woman burdened with survivor's guilt who will face the challenge of a lifetime—and change Cecily's life forever. It is a race through time and against the clock to find the answers that will free her family forever.

Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh 

Bata, a young girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin’s door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton 

Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel her entire life. She calls him Angelo, and keeps him a secret. But secrets can’t stay buried forever… When Angelo murders someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what's really been lurking in the shadows surrounding her. And she will have to embrace the evil within if she hopes to make it out alive.

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

We are a people who do not forget.

Survivors from a flooded kingdom struggle alone on an ark. Resources are scant, and ravenous beasts circle. Their fangs are sharp.

Among the refugees is Iraxi: ostracized, despised, and a commoner who refused a prince, she’s pregnant with a child that might be more than human. Her fate may be darker and more powerful than she can imagine.

The Improvisers by Nicole Glover

Velma Frye is many things. A pilot, a former bootlegger, a well-seasoned traveler, a jazz pianist…and a wielder of celestial magic. She’s also a member of the mystical Rhodes family as well as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization, dealing with both simple and complicated cases. And when a pocket watch instigates a magical brawl after one of her flight shows, things become very complicated. In 1930s America, enchanted items are highly valuable, especially in the waning days of the magical Prohibition. As Velma digs deeper, she discovers the watch is part of a collection of dangerous artifacts manipulating people across the country—and in some cases, leading to their deaths. Something about all this is tickling Velma’s memories, and the more she discovers, the more these seemingly isolated incidents feel as if they’re building to something apocalyptic. Connecting the dots isn’t easy, though, and further complicating her work is journalist Dillon Harris. He hounds her steps, and while not actively sabotaging her investigation, he also clearly knows more than he lets on. Whether it’s his presence that she finds so vexing or his easygoing charm, that’s a mystery she isn’t interested in solving. Because someone is out there seeding cursed objects with the intent on wreaking havoc, and Velma will have to use every trick in her tool kit, including some well-placed magical improvisation, to win the day.

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

Jane Edwards hasn't spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she's found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past.

This World Is Not Yours by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

After fleeing her controlling and murderous family with her fiancée Vinh, Amara embarks on a colonization project, New Belaforme, along with her childhood friend, Jesse.

The planet, beautiful and lethal, produces the Gray, a “self-cleaning” mechanism that New Belaforme’s scientists are certain only attacks invasive organisms, consuming them. Humans have been careful to do nothing to call attention to themselves until a rival colony wakes the Gray.

As Amara, Vinh, and Jesse work to carve out a new life together, each is haunted by past betrayals that surface, expounded by the need to survive the rival colony and the planet itself.

There’s more than one way to be eaten alive.

Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown

As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears’ failed colony on a distant planet.

Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn's crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion.

Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship’s unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive.

Malicia by Steven dos Santos

Welcome Back, Booklovers! It's still Read Caribbean and I needed a good fast paced read after coming off a more slow burn book. Enter Malicia, a haunted theme park book I've been wanting to read. 

Raymundo, Sofia, Joaquin, and Isabella are on a small island off the coast of the Dominican Republic shooting a documentary on the now defunct amusement park Malicia. Malicia was closed 13 years earlier after a mass killing took place there. Ray's mother and brother were killed in that mass murder, Isabella is hoping this film project will get her recognition and into the school of her dreams, Sofia is looking for one last adventure with her friends, and Joaquin is apart of a coven and knows the secrets of the Malicia Massacre and is ready to sacrifice Ray to save himself. When a hurricane hits the island and the demon El Baca starts attacking the adventure truly begins.

I was looking for something spooky and this definitely delivered on atmosphere without being as vague as some of my other reads. I appreciated the short and to the point chapters as we alternated povs amongst the characters. The constant shifting between characters did a great job keeping up the tension and it kept my attention. I laughed out loud of the descriptions of Malicia the park because it's like a horror themed Disney complete with a scary version of  "It's a Small World". Various characters from Dominican folklore also make appearances on page. It has all the elements of a fun teen horror romp.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Spite House made the list of my most anticipated releases of 2023. Macmillan Audio offered me the audiobook for review and I was ready to dive in. And from the moment I started reading this book captured my attention.

The Spite House follows a family who is on the run. Vague details are given at first but the father, Eric Ross is traveling with his two girls and his wife isn't in the picture. He decides to take a job in a small town where an old woman with major influence is offering a large sum of money to people willing to live in the house and document mysterious activity. Despite the vagueness of the offer, Eric realizes that this money will allow him to settle down with his girls. He and his eldest daughter Dess have been doing dangerous odd jobs to make ends me and movie from city to city to remain undetected so this will give them  the chance at some stability.

There's not too much I can say about this book without spoiling it but this was a refreshing spin on the classic haunted house story. It did follow many different povs which normally is a deal breaker for me but I felt that each served it's intended purpose even if I wasn't really into that chapter.  Johnny Compton does a great job setting up the backstories for various characters. I enjoyed reading about the Ross family and their bond. At first they seem like a normal family but as the story unfolds you realize why the family was drawn to the Masson House in the first place. But the history of the town also plays a role in this book and I like how that was revealed slowly over time. 

If you like atmospheric writing then you'll enjoy this. Especially if you get the audiobook. The writing manages to keep the the spookiness and tension going throughout which keeps readers wondering what's next. While I did end up reading some of the middle physically so I wouldn't miss things, the narration was very well done.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Fall officially starts this week and I know you're ready for all the spooky season books. I loved The Year of the Witching. It was dark, atmospheric and it kept me enthralled. So of course I was hyped for a sequel. But when Alexis Henderson said she would be doing another standalone instead I was intrigued. With promises of more darkness and blood I was ready! I received an arc from Ace in exchange for review.

House of Hunger opens up in a setting that can be described as a dystopian mix of Victorian London and the US South. Marion is working as a maid for barely enough coin to survive when she comes across an ad in the local newspaper asking for young women to be bloodmaidens. Seeing it as an opportunity for a better life with promises of a big pension, she applies and is whisked away to the North where she's not quite sure what awaits her. Soon Marion finds herself striving for the affections of the mysterious Countess Lisavet and is struggling with how much she's willing to bleed for her.

One thing this book gets right is the descriptions of gore. So many times I found myself squirming while reading descriptions of blood spilling and needles piercing skin. And it was the way she wrote those scenes that kept me reading even as the plot was unclear.

Marion just comes across as too smart to get so easily sucked into this world. She's not a naïve young girl. She grew up in the streets taking care of herself and has dealt with women who fed her lies in the past for a good time. So to see her instantly falling for Lisavet's affection and positioning herself to favorite shortly after entering the house didn't track. Outside of job security there's no real reason to be vying for the position of first bloodmaid. Lisavet is blatant with her favoritism pitting the girls against each other as soon as they enter the house. It's not as if she presents herself as one way in front of them and behind closed doors tells them each what they want to hear.  At the same time strange things happen at the house but no one really questions it until the end. And at the end she makes some questionable decisions that make no sense knowing what we know about her. 

There's so much build up to Marion's arrival at the manor and very detailed description about the midnight train and the foods she ate on it. I wanted more of that detail once we reached the manor. The Year of the Witching did such a great job establishing atmosphere. Here I never got a full picture of the house.  I still was unsure how the house structure had an effect on the rest of the North. While there is a hedonistic court present in the manor there's really no court intrigue as we see so little of this court outside of the first night. And there's also a distinction made with race with people of the South being implied to be darker skinned while people of the North were described as pale. But ultimately race had little factor on this world and I didn't see the need for Lisavet to be white. 

There was also just a lack of chemistry between the girls both in friends and lovers situations. The ending relied heavily on them coming together for this own good but Marion immediately made enemies with them by being ambitious. The Sapphic obsession promised didn't live up to expectations. Lisavet and Marion's didn't have the chemistry to sell this dark romance. Their sex scenes felt mechanical and dry. Lisavet readily discards Marion whenever she says or does something not to her liking. 

There were good ideas in this story but ultimately they needed to be developed more. More character development, more development with the world, more even pacing so the ending didn't feel so rushed. After such a strong debut I was expecting more than the simplistic ending and straightforward plot here.

Interview with Author Britney S. Lewis

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been anticipating her book The Undead Truth of Us ever since I saw it announced in the Rights Reports in Publisher's Weekly. With zombies, Black kids, and dancing; what more do you need? I enjoy her bubbly personality on Twitter and I'm so happy to introduce some of you to Britney S. Lewis.

What is The Undead Truth of Us about? And how did you come up with the idea for it?

The Undead Truth of Us is about sixteen-year-old Zharie “Z” Young who, after her mother’s sudden death, starts seeing zombies. Then she meets an undead boy who shows her how love can change you–for good or for dead. I think readers who enjoyed The Astonishing Color of After and Warm Bodies will enjoy it!

I came up with the concept when I was in college. I wanted to explore different kinds of love (Eros, Philia, and Agape), and I also wanted to explore zombification through the lens of the Haitian folklore and how a zombie remains under the control of a bokor as a personal slave, having no will of its own - rather than of a virus or infection. 

How would you describe your writing process?

I would describe my writing process as chaotic. Once I have an idea, I start a word document, and I jot everything down. Then I open another document, and I start playing around with an opening scene, and an opening chapter. If I love the idea, then I’ll plot it, using the Save The Cat beat sheet. And just for fun - I like to create a Pinterest Board and a playlist on Spotify. 

What are your favorite types of fantasies?

These days, I’m loving low fantasy, dark fantasy, paranormal (monsters, witches, etc), magical realism, and a very select smidge of fairy tales. Also, whatever Legendborn is - I love Legendborn!

How did you celebrate signing your contract?

Ah! Such a great question! Were at the beginning of the pandemic when I signed my contract, so I’m pretty sure I ordered cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, and I’m almost certain my husband got champagne! 

What’s one thing you wish you would’ve known about publishing before this journey? 

There’s still SO MUCH I don’t know, but the most valuable lesson for me is that “no agent is better than a bad agent.” My current agent is AMAZING and deserves all the accolades, but there are literary agents who have the potential to ruin your career before it even begins. Research is everything! 

What advice do you have for authors navigating social media? And how did you decide the right platforms for you?

Woof! Social media is hard, and they can become work if you let them. My advice is to choose the platform you genuinely enjoy and stick with that. I will say, as more and more events are moving to the virtual realm, it might be important to at least have Instagram if anything else.

Have you started planning for your launch? And do you have any teen events planned?

Launches are so fun! I have a few ideas in mind, but as a debut author, there’s a lot I'm still learning. For example, many publishers have a hand on events and launches - they assign you to a publicist who pitch authors for these events, and if they’re lucky - they get picked! I’m hoping I get selected for a few events, and as we move closer to the release date of THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US, I’ll have a better idea on what my launch looks like. All that to say - I’m REALLY excited for both!

Like Zharie, you enjoy dancing. At what age did you start dancing?

I was in cheer as an elementary school student, and then in middle school I was on the pep squad and on drill team. It wasn’t until 2015 when I was introduced to West Coast Swing, which is a form of ballroom dance! I started competing in 2016, and I’ve been smitten since then! 

Have you picked up any new hobbies in the past 2 years?

That’s such a great question! Honestly, the pandemic has really stunted my sense of adventure the last two years. I’m still active in my local dance community, but recently, my husband and I got into puzzles! They’ve been a lot of fun (but definitely time consuming)!

What’s your go-to cafe order when you’re in a writing mood?

An iced, dirty chai tea latte with almond milk! Yum!

If you could have any other career in the world besides full time author, what would that career be?

It would be in the career I am now! I get to write and edit cards for Hallmark, and it’s so giving to be able to put a smile on someone’s face once they get a card from someone. 

Any info you can share about your current work in progress?

Hm! I can share that it’s not a sequel to my debut novel, but it’s still contemporary horror - AND there may or may not be creepy, alternate universes. 

Make sure you purchase or library request The Undead Truth of Us. You can follow Britney on Twitter @britneyslewis on Instagram @britney.s.lewis and Tik Tok @britneyslewis

Interview with Author Ryan Douglass

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! The Taking of Jake Livingston releases July 13, 2021. You can check out my early review here. I follow Ryan on Twitter and he's hilarious, witty, and his hot takes are on point. And with horror on the rise and his book getting plenty of early buzz I was glad to get an interview with him. 

What was the inspiration for The Taking of Jake Livingston?

I started writing it when I was getting more into horror reads in college. I’d already been a ghost story fan but hadn’t read a lot of horror, so I was reading horror novels and realizing how much the genre spoke to me, how it resonated differently in written form. When I gave it a try, it felt effortless. The genre made it easier for me to address personal traumas. I started thinking about what I needed to work through from my teen years, in addition to things I wanted to meditate on about the world, and how I could do all of that through a fun, scary story. 

What would you like readers to take away from The Taking of Jake Livingston?

That toxic cycles can be broken, and that there is light to be found even when you feel like you’re in the pits of hell. But I also want readers to take whatever they feel the book supplies to them and not overthink those personal conclusions. 

What made you decide to become a writer?

I started writing as a kid because I wasn’t much of a talker and it was a hobby I used to express myself. It also satisfied my need to space out and daydream, which I did a lot of in school. When I was a teen and started thinking about my future career, I knew I didn’t want to get into the corporate world, and that it would stifle my creativity. So I had no choice but to work hard enough to turn writing into a career.  

Have you always been drawn to horror and the paranormal?

As a kid it used to freak me out because I was prone to nightmares. But I was as traumatized as I was fascinated. Fear and uncertainty was a big part of my internal world growing up, so seeing characters in fear made me feel understood. When I was really young I couldn’t handle seeing good characters face devastating fates, so stuff like Monster House and Coraline really spoke to me because they were scary but the good guys won.

What would you call your brand of storytelling?

My editor says it’s “utterly unapologetic” and I like that description because the style is very direct. I like using non-linear narratives that switch between the past and the present, and I like a combination of poetic and prosaic styles. There’s also a heavy emotional pulse to the writing and it’s very sensory. 

Is it hard balancing writing, working, and having a social life?

Yes, and I usually choose writing at the expense of the other two things, which is probably why I don’t stay at day jobs for very long, and why it can be hard for family and friends to reach me. Novel writing is such an intellectually demanding exercise and the industry feels like it’s moving faster than my brain, so I have to make sacrifices so I can sustain my career. 

What types of stories would you like to see more of on the shelves?

I want more stories that encompass current realities of Black life, including realistic examination of how ideological differences in the Black community stunt our capacity for liberation. Specifically how homophobia and transphobia work in our own communities and how differences between Black radicals and Black liberals show up today. I’m dying for stories that don’t focus on racism, and ones that aren’t concerned with convincing white people how Black people are human too. That always feels pretty shallow to me, conceiving of a Black story through a white voyeur. 

What’s the last 5 star book you’ve read?

Luster by Raven Leilani. I always talk about it because it’s so daring, and it feels so radical. It’s exactly what I want more of in fiction. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Montreal, Canada has been one of my favorite places to visit so probably there if not L.A.

Are there any upcoming projects that you’re able to discuss?

I’m working on a romantic comedy currently, and I’m enjoying the lightness and humor of that after working on Jake. I also have a series opener that’s similar to Jake in that it’s about kids who have unique powers, but it’s more of a science fantasy with grimdark infusions than horror. I probably shouldn’t reveal more than that, but I’m excited to continue writing about young people with powers who take down evil. 

You can follow Ryan on Twitter and Instagram  and of course got order his book!

When The Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I was provided an arc courtesy of Harper Perennial and Harper Audio for an honest review. This story touches on the very relevant discussion of holding weddings at plantations and does so in less than 300 pages

Mira fled her small and segregated North Carolina town over a decade ago and never looked back. One day she receives an wedding invitation from a white friend she long grew apart from.  The venue is the newly renovated Woodsman plantation. Mira still holds memories from an excursion gone awry on the those old grounds that almost cost her friend Jesse his freedom.

Mira knows it's a bad idea to stay on these lands that are rumored to be occupied by the ghosts of a slave revolt, but the prospect of seeing Jesse again and seeing what could've been fuels her return. It doesn't hurt that her friend Celine is completely funding this trip. As she find herself sipping antebellum themed cocktails by the bar and watching performances by slave reenactors she can't help but notice how privileged she is compared to the other workers. She's very aware of her presence as the sole Black guest among white guests who can blissfully overlook the memories this place holds. 

Haunting visions of cruel and horrifying acts blend with present day reality and flashbacks of past memories Mira tries is trying to grapple with. There's the shame she felt growing up in a poor Black neighborhood in the part of town that white folks dare not visit. Memories of a mother who saw herself as better than the other Black people held white perception in high regard while drilling that "Good Negro" mindset into Mira. 

This novel was not what I expected. Going in I just expected the white people to get their comeuppance courtesy of the ghosts that still haunt the land. Which this does deliver on to an extent. But this is also a story about a woman confronting her own anti-Blackness. It's a novel that tackles revisionist history in the US; a reminder to never forget the past and brush aside the true horrors of slavery in all it's gory details. Sometimes it's downplayed just how barbaric it was and how Black people never get justice. Even the ending is quite bittersweet. 

Not too long ago I used to see the word slavery attached to a story and run in the opposite direction. And like Mira I had to stop disregarding the past because it made me feel uncomfortable. While we can't go back in time and give those people the justice they deserved we can recover what we can of their stories and respect the sacrifices they made to survive.

While this story touched on many modern issues that stem from slavery another standout was Mira's relationship with Jesse. Mira's mother is so anti-Black she despises Jesse even when he's just a child for being a Black boy who will grow into a Black man. Because a Black man hurt her she hates them and believes one will end up hurting her daughter. And we don't address that mindset enough though people use it to justify their interracial relationships while not holding white people hurting them in the past in the same regard. 

LaTanya McQueen is a skilled writer. I'm not someone who usually has a running picture going throughout my head while reading but there were many times throughout the text I could clearly picture the plantain grounds. And I think reading the words on page while listening to the audio helped me become fully immersed into this story. The interstitial passages in this story were some of the most haunting of all. And the most horrific parts of this story come from the memories of long erased history. 

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm back with another YA book and this time it's a horror novel. Horror is not my usual genre and horror is on the come up in YA lately so more titles are appearing. I was ready to read this one when I saw a trailer back in January of 2020. And then it kept getting pushed back so glad to finally see it make it's debut into the world. I would also like to preface this review by saying Ryan and I are Twitter friends but this is still an honest review. I received an arc from Penguin Random House for review.

As if the teenage years weren't hard enough Jake has to battle fitting in at his private school and the literal ghosts that haunt him. I like how we were thrown into Jake's life of ghosts on death loop and navigating a world between worlds. We don't get the completely backstory about how Jake found out he is a medium. He's reluctantly settled into the role by now and is doing his best to ignore it. This is just one thing left to label him by and his family and friends just don't seem to understand. The descriptions of the dream-like state he's in provided the right amount of creepy and mystifying. 

Sawyer is a deranged killer and his POV shows us how he ended up enacting a school shooting. As he still haunts this world he starts to attack some of the students from his school he had vendettas with but didn't get the chance to kill. Jake's neighbor Matteo happens to be one of them and Jake ends up enduring Sawyer's wrath. We as readers are inside his head flipping through pages of his diary. What was even scarier was the similarities between him and Jake. Jake himself notes how their stories start to take similar paths. These chapters did a good job at showing Sawyer's motives in a believable way that didn't make him cartoonishly evil. But they also aren't asking you to excuse his actions either.

Whenever there were scenes at Jake's fancy Catholic school I got flashbacks to my own time. Walking down the hallways in those navy blue sweaters, being one of a handful of Black kids in the entire school and the racist teacher picking on you for no reason at all. While Jake is more passive when it comes to dealing with navigating the very white school environment his brother Benji takes charge and isn't afraid to stand up to the racists. And unlike Jake he has found his place. 

This is actually what I was hoping a recent read would give me but fell kind of flat with. Jake is queer and struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality. And as we know in the Black community there's a stigma about Black male masculinity. So it was nice to see him explore his identity. He has complicated relationships with his mother and brother where the love is there but also resentment.  I enjoyed how that was explored throughout and tied into how he feels comfortable in his identities.

This book manages to be dark, creepy, and fast-paced. It never lags like some of my more recent thriller reads. Nor does it overextend itself and I appreciate a story that can cover some ground without being too lengthy. And in between everything going on with Sawyer he's able to make friends at school and find brief moments of levity that balance out the darkness of this story. This book also has a very teen voice which I appreciated because I think it will allow it's target audience to connect better while it also addresses complex topics.

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

Changing course I recently finished a Middle Grade Horror story and wanted to share that with you. Especially for my followers looking for books for their young sons, nephews, and cousins. This story has a male protagonist Justin and features a new twist on a beloved childhood game. Releasing just in time for Halloween this is a must pick up. I was lucky enough to receive an arc from Scholastic Press in exchange for an honest review.

The book starts a little over a year after Justin's mother has died and his friend Zee has recently reappeared. The story gets right into the creepiness expected from the title and cover as Justin and some other friends from the neighborhood gather at Zee's house for his birthday and start a game of hide and seek. Now slowly friends are disappear and strange marks are appearing on them. Justin and his friends soon learn you can't break the rules of Hide and Seek unless you want to be hunted down by The Seeker.

When the Seeker hunts them down the children find themselves trapped in a land called Nowhere that looks similar to their own world except their greatest fears come to life there.

Daka Hermon does a great job keeping this book fast paced and enjoyable with just enough scary elements to earn it's horror spot. She also mixes the perfect amount of humor to add a bit of levity. She rounds it out by with a good portrayal of grief and loss that will be relatable for some kids. Justin is reeling from his mother's death throughout and must confront his fears about relieving those moments. He's also dealing with panic attacks and anxiety and on top of that there's the worry that he and his sister will lose their house to bill collectors.

It's a mostly Black group of children and the story is set in small town Tennessee. Children who are about 9/10 years old and like creepy things will enjoy this one. Overall a very solid debut story.

Holding Myself Accountable: A September ARC TBR

 

Welcome Back, Booklovers!

It's about to be a very BLACK September. Your girl may have gone a tad bit overboard with the arc requesting and accepting for the September books. But best believe when I put my mind to something I do it. And I plan on reading and reviewing all of these books so get ready for a content heavy September. I'm reading Black books across the spectrum!  I've got YA Fantasy, YA Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, MG Horror, MG Contemporary, and MG Fantasy. 

Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston

 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 

 

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

 

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

 

Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron

 

 Everybody Looking by Candice Iloh

Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Welcome Back, Booklovers! 

This week I decided to take on fantasy with Year of the Witching. I had been hearing Rena Barron promote this story and since I loved her Kingdom of Souls and this one sounded intriguing I decided to take the plunge. And the Penguin gave me the opportunity to download the book from Edelweiss. Earlier this month I did an interview with Alexis Henderson so feel free to check it out.

Some of you have been looking for adult fantasy stories and this is one I fully stand behind.

I will say this is darker fantasy then I usually read. If dark fantasy and occult is not something you're comfortable reading then skip this one. I went in open and fell into a story that drew me in. I flew through the first half after one day of reading. I loved how Alexis Henderson described the violence with just enough details that make you squirm and suck in a break but at the same time doesn't feel like it's too much. And I didn't find any violence for the sake of violence. There was blood, assault, pedophilia, and domestic violence but it wasn't thrown in for shock value. It was written in a way that had great impact.

Immanuel Moore lives in Bethel a very religious town town where a bishop-like figure name The Prophet and his apostles of the Church govern all. The Church worships the Holy Father and condemns The Dark Mother and the witches who serve her. As someone who grew up in Catholic school during the week and Catholic Church on Sundays I caught many of the references.

Most of the people of Bethel are fair-skinned with straight hair while Immanuel is of a darker complexion with curly hair. This is because her father was a farmer from The Outskirts which is where the people with dark skin reside. The people of the Outskirts are considered lesser and in need of sanctification.  So though they are not explicitly called Black and White you will see many parallels throughout the story that elude to the experience of the people of the Outskirts to Black people such as the forcing of this religion as well as language and other customs of the "white" people of Bethel on to them. Immanuel is seen by the other girls her age as lesser than them because of her appearance.

The Prophet who is a much older man has numerous wives and his most recent betrothed is Immanuel's best friend Leah. Despite Leah being a teen on the cusp of adulthood it is seen as an honor to be his wife. With Leah soon to be busy with her new role as wife Immanuel is unsure of her place in the world as she doesn't quite fit into their society but she also doesn't identify with the people of the Outskirts who live a very different life than hers. For while her family has little money they aren't on the fringe of society completely. 

The wedding ceremony scenes stood out to me because they have the brides climb on an altar like a sacrifice and then carve a symbol on their foreheads to solidify the union.

Despite her grandmother's resistance Immanuel finds herself drawn to the Darkwood. After an experience in the Darkwood, a blood plague strikes Bethel causing all the water to turn to blood Immanuel believes she has brought about a curse and sets out to amend this. And in turn she ends up bringing her friend Ezra, the prophet's son into the madness with her. Ezra and Immanuel's relationship is very well done. And their feelings for each other do not hinder the plot but rather strengthen it as they work together against the church while the threat of the purging pyre hangs over their heads.

So if you're looking for a fast paced well written fantasy that will keep you enthralled I suggest you purchase The Year of the Witching. It's a tantalizing tale ripe for discussion. 

Interview with Author Alexis Henderson

Welcome Back Booklovers! I'm back with another interview with a debut author. Her book The Year of the Witching comes highly recommended by Rena Barron, another author who's debut was among my favorite reads of 2019. And it's occult fiction/ horror which is a genre I don't usually explore.

 

What has your experience been like debuting during a pandemic and one of the largest global racial movements we’ve ever seen? It’s been a bit of a whirlwind honestly. Promotion especially has been difficult because I’m so distracted by everything that’s going on in the world, and I’m always concerned about detracting from the important discussions that are occurring. That said, I think there’s something profound and humbling about debuting at such a critical moment in history.

 

You grew up in Savannah, Georgia and have since relocated to Charleston, South Carolina. What has it been like living in those places and how has it inspired your writing? Growing up in the South was an interesting and, at times, challenging experience. In this area, history is present in such a visceral way, and I think that certain, dark parts of its past certainly inspired elements of my story. That said, the biggest source of inspiration has definitely come from southern folklore. Savannah, Georgia is one of America’s most haunted cities, and so I don’t think it’s any coincidence that my book is rife with ghosts, witches, and other eerie elements. 

 

In your own words what is The Year of the Witching about? The Year of the Witching follows Immanuelle Moore on her quest to defeat a coven of witches who have cast a powerful curse upon her home, a theocratic settlement called Bethel. But her in her plight to defeat the coven, Immanuelle uncovers dark secrets about the Church and Prophet that she serves.

 

In many Black communities there’s a stigma against witchcraft and a strong tight knit Christian community. What drew you towards witchcraft? Much like my main character, Immanuelle Moore, I think I was drawn toward witchcraft because of the stigma surrounding it. That said, witchcraft is a beautiful practice rife with history and diversity. While the magic system in The Year of the Witching isn’t based on any specific real-world faith, I was very inspired by the plight of those whose practices are deemed dangerous or evil by larger, more powerful, religious institutions.

Were there any Black narratives that influenced The Year of the Witching? The work of N.K. Jemisin is a constant source of inspiration to me. I’m always striving to be as creative and ambitious as she is with her craft. 

 

 If Year of the Witching became a movie who would you fancast? I think Yara Shahidi or Zendaya would make a great Immanuelle. I’m a huge fan of Timothée Chalamet, so I’d fancast him as Ezra. I think Jared Harris or Michael Shannon would be great in the role of the Prophet. I’ve always thought that Julia Garner would be amazing as Leah.

 

As Black author have you ever felt pressure to write a certain type of book? Definitely! I think there’s a lot of pressure on Black authors to write books that explore themes like racism or oppression. While I do touch on those topics in The Year of the Witching, I think Black authors should be free to explore stories that don’t focus on those themes. 

 

What drew you to YA and are you interested in writing any adult fantasies? The Year of the Witching is actually an adult fantasy, with YA crossover potential. I’m not sure that anything specific drew me to YA or adult fantasy. I think I just like good stories, and I tend to gravitate toward the spaces where I find them.

 

What is your writing process like? My writing process changes with every book. But lately, I come up with a loose outline, and I attempt to “connect the dots” by filling in the empty spaces between major plot points.

 

What are some of your favorite books written by Black authors? The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron, the anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and Mama Day by Gloria Naylor.

Is there any advice you would give to an inspiring author? Finish what you start! I often see aspiring authors who frequently abandoned projects and are always distracted by the thrall of the shiny new thing. But it’s important to remember that you can’t learn to write books if you never finish the ones you begin.

Do you have any other works in progress? I have several! But right now, most of my energy is devoted to finishing the sequel of The Year of the Witching.

When you're not writing what are your hobbies? I like to paint, read (of course), and garden!