Freaks of the Heartland by Steve Niles

This story was not what I had expected from Steve Niles.  If you are not familiar with his work – they are usually violent, horrific stories.  So one about freaks living in the sticks made me think I was picking up something similar to House of 1000 corpses.

Instead what I got was a sweet story about two brothers.  Set in the country in a non-descript time (feels old fashioned but there are little things that make me wonder) Steve Niles has woven a tale that is more haunting than anything else he has written.

Trevor has to help take care of his brother Will, who has been chained up in the barn.  Like a good older brother, Trevor watches out for Will.  Late at night they sneak out to enjoy the fields and moonlight.  However, one night he returns to hear his father talk about how he should have killed Will when he was born.  Will manages to steal away his father’s pistol. 

The next day, a neighbor comes to tell how they will have to kill their daughter.  Trevor’s father decides it’s time – the monsters must go.  Trevor and Will escape but they can’t leave the valley without rescuing the others like Will.

It’s not an overly deep story but the journey the boys go on carried me away.  I wanted to know more at the end.  I would have loved answers but there were none given.  But that didn’t make me love the story less.

The drawings are soft and subtle.  The muted colors would have normally irritated me but I found they worked well with this story.  It added to the timeless feel to the story as if it had been tinted with sepia.  I do think this is one I’d love to revisit time and again, hoping to find more in each panel, each subtle phrase.

Silver Streak by Jack Cole

This is a reprint of several of the original Silver Streak comics.  It’s not my cup of tea.  The pages are far too busy as was common during the early days of comics.

However, it’s a nice piece of nostalgia.  If you love old comics or origins, this is the edition for you.  Not only does this volume have the original stories but also includes several original ads that were printed with the comics.  Nothing like catching a red rider set ad in between issues.

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster

Some stories will haunt you for a long time and this is one of them. 

Grace and her husband have moved into a cottage in the moors with their new baby.  It’s the start of a new chapter as Grace starts to come to terms with leaving London.  Christmas is coming and a new year promises great things, until Grace opens the front door to find her child sleeping peacefully in her pram and no husband. 

A year later, Grace returns determined to discover what happened to her husband on that cold winter day.  Filled with tales of ghosts and omens, Grace fights her fears to uncover why her husband was gone.  Everyone around her feels she should just move on but how can she when she has so many unanswered questions.

The story is frightening, sad and full of twists and turns.  It reminds me of Mary Stewart’s mysteries.  You just never know what dark secrets people harbor until you start digging.  Not everyone will come out of this alive but Grace won’t stop until she knows the truth.

I was captivated by Sara Foster’s book.  The life on the moors is enchanting and yet harbors its own secrets.  Are there ghosts on the moor?  What is up with the grandfather clock that stops when it wants and seems to still keep time? 

There’s a touch of romance and sweetness in this book.  Beneath the Shadows deserves a place with other gothic mysteries such as Rebecca and Wuthering Heights.  There are far more things to be frightened of than ghosts and they are all here.

Severed by Scott Snyder

A good creepy tale about a young man who wants to find his real father.  Jack discovered he was adopted and decides to run away.  His dream is to be a fiddle player and travel with his father.  However, what he finds is a predator that feeds on children’s dreams.

Set in the early part of the 20^th century, Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft have put together a tale that will leave you breathless.  It’s frightening in ways that you don’t expect.  The monster is not overly original but the tale will still cause your heart to pound.

Not only does Jack have to deal with this man who wants to eat him for dinner, he’s battling those who would stop at nothing to take everything from him.  It’s a dirty and tough time.  Monsters lurk in the shadows and look a lot like humans.  Jack is far too innocent to be on this adventure and it’s hard to watch that be stripped away from him.

The art is fairly basic – nothing overly dynamic but it also doesn’t distract from the story line.  It moves smoothly from page to page carrying the reader away.

The Last of the Greats by Joshua Hale Fialkov

This was a weird one but I still enjoyed it.  I get the impression I’m missing part of the story and there’s definitely more to come but nothing indicated that this wasn’t a complete tale.

The Last is the last of his kind.  They came to Earth like Gods with a plan that you just get glimpses of.  They cleaned up the environment, healed disease, feed the starving and housed the homeless.  They wanted the nations to give up their military defenses so the world replied by killing them off.  The Last hadn’t joined his siblings in society so when aliens come to attack the Earth, he is their only hope.

However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this story.  It’s so multi-layered that I’m left feeling like I haven’t gotten any answers.

It’s well drawn and not for children.  It’s violent and sexual and quite disturbing.  I did enjoy it but it’s bittersweet.  I’m puzzled and wondering if there’s more volumes coming.  Thankfully there’s www.thelastofthegreats.com which gave me the answer – this is volume one.  That’s all I learned from their site.  It’s got potential but it’s falling short.

Gary Gianni’s Monstermen and Other Scary Stories by Gary Gianni

This was an interesting collection. The first half consisted of five graphic /comic stories by Gary Gianni. His Monstermen series was introduced as a companion to the Hellboy series. Lawrence St George is a film maker and hunter of the supernatural. Partnered with Benedict, an ancient knight who can’t die, they search out and stop a variety of demons from taking over the world. They are quick stories reminiscent of those from the early days of movies. St George looks a bit like Vincent Price. I would believe these are set in a time such as the 1930’s if it wasn’t for the occasional glimpse of a computer or other technology now and again. I rather enjoyed these. I do prefer color to black and white but the drawings gave it a spookier, old movie feel. There’s enough action to pull you through and enough character development that you feel like you know the characters towards the end. I look forward to more Monstermen stories. The second half of the book didn’t delight me as much as the first. It was stories but not told in graphic/comic form. Personally, I think it disrupted the flow of the book. Not that the stories were bad but they felt like they should be a separate book. The stories were illustrated by Gary Gianni but not written by him which made it feel more like a separate book. Had they been additional stories about Monstermen maybe I would have felt differently.

The Dresden Files Fool Moon Volume One by Jim Butcher

If you followed any of the Dresden Files formats from the books to the tv show, then the graphic novels are a perfect addition. I love these books. The only complaint I have is they are not long enough. This particular volume is equal to four issues.
Fool Moon starts with a series of deaths that occur during the full moon. Dresden suspects a werewolf but he doesn’t know that much about them. The killer might be a werewolf but Dresden’s going to discover that there are many types and he has no idea how many are in Chicago.
I love the humor and the realism Jim Butcher tosses into his fantasy/mystery stories. I so wish the tv show had lasted because I just love the character. Time to dig into more of the books but do I really have time for another series.

Magdalena Vol 1 by Ron Marz

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this one. I like the action but not so keen on the characters.
The Magdalena has served as the Catholic Church's weapon for 2000 years. Patience is the most recent in the line and doesn't care for how the church is ran. Called back to stop the son of Satan, Patience finds that there's more to the battle than meets the eye.
I'm interested in more of her story but probably not enough to seek it out. The art is well constructed and the plot is engaging. As I said I just couldn't connect to the characters. I liked Patience but her wishy washy feelings about her calling was less than desirable. I don't think she needed to be fully invested in the church and she could question the church's role but I don't think it came across well.
Her companion Kristoff had a lot of potential but it just feel flat.
I know we're supposed to hate Innocence but I really didn't like him. Not even as a villian. He just came across as mealy. I, also, didn't care for his name. Cardinal Innocence just sounded cartoony especially with her name, Patience. At least they had enough sense to give Kristoff a more human sounding name.
The rumor is there's a Magdalena movie - I'm interested but will have to see how it plays out.

My Dead Girlfriend Vol 1 by Eric Wight

I picked this graphic novel from the new book selection at the library. I am so glad I did. This is a light, funny story that touches on real teen angst.
Finney Bleak comes from a long line of cursed individuals. His entire family has been fated to die in weird and horrific ways (some so funny I had to stop and breath after reading them). He just knows his time is coming.
Finney doesn't live in the same world as we do. His classmates include witches, werewolves, vampires and other assorted creatures. Finney comes across as the only "normal" one in the bunch except that his dead relatives refuse to stay dead. The ghosts of his family irritate him.
The only shining moment he had was at the carnival months previous when he met Jenny, his true love or so he thought. His heart is broken when she disappears from his life.
Stuck in high school hell, Finney is just trying to survive. He's bullied and friendless but when he learns what happened to Jenny he discovers he can find something worthwhile.
It doesn't feel like one of "those" books but underneath the charm of Finney's plight is a real emotional story about growing up, falling in love and facing the world.
The only thing that disappointed me was when I discovered that this was Volume 1 (of course at the end of the story) and I would have to wait to find out what happens next.

BPRD Being Human by Mike Mignola

After watching Hellboy and Hellboy 2, I was ready to take on BPRD. I love the Hellboy stories. The difference with BPRD novels is that Hellboy does not take center stage. It's nice to get more story on the other characters.
Being Human starts with a story starring Liz as a teenager. This gives some back story for Liz and shows the start of her growth into a strong confident woman.
The next two stories come and go rather quickly - a short with Abe and Liz. Their dialogue is touching when they discuss how they didn't choose the life they are living.
Followed by Johan Krauss's backstory. Johan's backstory wasn't even hinted at in the movies so this was a real delight for me.
Finally, the book is wrapped up with a case for Hellboy and Roger. Roger was not in the movies nor has he appeared in the Hellboy graphics I have read so he was an interesting character to me. There was backstory included with this tale of VooDoo.
My only complaint is the same one I have for most graphic novels - it wasn't long enough. I love the simplicity and design of graphic novels but they are never long enough for me to feel like I got completely emmersed in the world. It's not a bad thing because it gets me looking for the next issue but sad for those of us who want to visit for awhile longer.

The Midnight Gate by Helen Stringer

This book reminded me of Harry Potter. Not in the broad sense, they aren't witches but in the smaller sense that a young child is forced into a position where they have to be so much wiser and older than their years. Poor Belladonna is still only 12 years old - this story is only months away from the previous. The adventure is far more dangerous. The sad part is that those who have put Belladonna in this position really don't care if she lives or dies, she's replaceable as the Spellbinder. She has people who love her and want to protect her but they are not in positions to really help her.
There were things I loved about this story. Belladonna and Steve take their missions very seriously but there seems to be loose ends from one book to the next. In the first book, the oracle gives them two riddles to solve and they only solve one. That second riddle doesn't come up in this book. Aside from that, it's very good.
Belladonna is forced to live with foster parents but her new family is not what they appear to be. So many things happen but I worry about spilling any of the surprises. Early on you figure there is something wrong with her foster family and you find yourself very suspicious of hot chocolate but what is going on has so many details and twists that you can't guess it all.
I love the way Helen Stringer mixes in all types of mythology. There's so many more creatures in this book than in the last one. I really need a good mythology book but that will have to wait until after I finish my growing reading pile.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

I was going to give up this blog and stick with the two sites I mentioned in my last post. As I was transferring reviews around, I realized how limited those sites were. There are things I can share here that I can't really share on Goodreads or LibraryThing. There are some great features to those sites but I can only review books that they have in their databases. Sometimes I come across books sold by the author or, as the case is now, be given an ARC that isn't available. So here I am. I'll share the same reviews here as I do on those sites (or vice versa) but will add things here that don't apply on the other sites. It's a little more work for me but reading is my passion and sharing what I read brings me joy.

Spellbinder by Helen Stringer
Spellbinder was an amazing book. Helen Stringer did a great job of creating a story that is frightening, funny and wonderful. It's a touching story of a young girl who can see ghosts. She feels like an outcast and works to separate herself from her classmates. Her ability works in her favor when her parents are killed. They pretend they are a normal family until all the ghosts disappear. Belladonna wants to save her parents but no one will tell her what is happening. She and her friend Steve opt to do it on their own.
The journey mixes in some old mythology with some new ideas. It's a quick lesson in learning to trust and learning to be cautious. The two have unusual chemistry. They are such good friends and on this great adventure but they are challenged in ways they didn't expect.
At one point Belladonna cries "But I'm only twelve years old." It was so easy to forget how young they were. The book follows a sort of prophecy-like format but the kids involved have no idea who the Spellbinder and it's Paladin is or how they are involved. Right up to the end, they question and wonder.
There's a great realism with these two children. They are willing to try anything to help save the ghosts and the world but they don't think of themselves as heroes or warriors.
The story is not full of that many twists and turns but it does keep you reading. There's a number of struggles which kind of reminds me of Wizard of Oz. Not that the stories are similar but that you have an idea of where the journey is going - it's what happens on the way that makes the story great.
I will say that there were some weak spots in the writing but I can't say for certain that they are obvious. I've been doing a fair amount of editing lately and researching how to edit better so those particular parts may have just triggered my internal editor. They weren't enough to turn me away from the book or to prevent me from recommending this book.
The main character is female but I believe that this story will appeal to boys and girls. There's lots of action and age appropriate interactions.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Stephen King has a way of getting into the darkest reaches of the human mind and this book is the darkest. King noted that this collection of four short (for him) stories is the deepest he has gone into that dark world. Of everything I have read by him, I would agree. This book is about the separate parts of ourselves - the "normal" and the "darker" parts.
In 1922, King shares the story of Wilfred Leland James as he tries to save the family farm from his wife. She inherits 100 acres and wants to sell them and their farm to move to the city. Wilfred wants to stay and farm. He kills her with the help of their 14 year old son and everything goes downhill from there. It's not only the story of murder but how desperation makes a terrible bedfellow. Their world may not have been perfect and life may still have been a struggle but the dark cloud that hovered over them left them just as dead as his wife - they were just waiting to fall. There were so many rats in this story that I was sure they would haunt my dreams just like Wilfred's but thankfully my mind did not incorporate that nightmare into my nightly journeys.
Big Driver was one of my favorite stories in this book. The main character, Tess, seemed like such a every day sort of gal and one I could really relate to. Tess is a writer who writes cozy mysteries and makes enough money to live off of. She gets an offer to speak at a neighboring library and takes it up. Everything is going great; the event went well and the nice librarian shows her a short cut home that will get her home to her cat before dinner. There's something that comes to mind in reading this and it's "Have we learned nothing from Red Riding Hood!!!!" I can't imagine 10 minutes is worth all the heart ache. As you can guess, her shortcut ends badly. She finds herself on the side of the road with a flat tire due to nail riddled boards on the road. The man who stops to help her does unspeakable things to her and leaves her for dead. She doesn't die and what happens from there is a wonderful story of redemption and salvation. Makes me wish I had her strength when it comes to those who have wronged me (not that there is many).
Fair Extension was my least favorite. It was the shortest story in the book and maybe that had something to do with my dislike. There wasn't enough in the story to make me care and I really didn't like what happened. Dave Streeter is dying from cancer and makes a deal with the "devil" to get an extension on his life. As all deals with the devil, there is a down side. He must choose someone to take his place. He chooses his best friend who has always had better luck than he has. It's just a really sad tale of what jealousy does to people and made me really hate Dave (very early one). I am sure that was the point but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
Which is why I was so grateful that the book ended with A Good Marriage. This was my absolute favorite. Darcy and her husband have been married for 27 blissful years. It's a comfortable, average marriage for two average people. It's a nice little tale until Darcy discovers her husband has a horrible secret. To tell you what it was would ruin the surprise but I wondered myself what would I do in her shoes. The secret haunts her and there is nothing she can really do about it without destroying her family in the process. But she does do something and it wasn't what I thought she would do. I almost wish there was more to her story because she was such a great character but there was nothing more to tell that wouldn't ruin her.
I recommend this book for stronger readers. Stephen King is not an overly difficult writer to read when it comes to the actual words but sometimes picturing the scene can be difficult and sometimes you really don't want to because it's too scary. Because the stories are shorter this may work for those in middle grades but some of the scenes are quite graphic so you may want to save it for a more mature reader.

Hold Me Closer, Necromance by Lish McBride

This book was great. It was funny and suspenseful. As a first book, Lish McBride sure hit the ground running.
The book follows Sam whose life is just fine. He didn't make it through college but he has a job at the local burger place and is spending his time just coasting until he comes up with a better plan. Well, it didn't work out that way. He's discovered by Douglas, the biggest baddest necromancer in Seattle. Douglas knows that Sam is not who he thinks he is. Sam is a necromancer too. What happens next is unbelievable. Sams friend is murdered and her head is brought back to life. He is attacked by a rogue werewolf and then put in a cage with the local packs heir to the throne. If that isn't enough, a young "ghost" comes to help him sort it all out while he's trying to uncover his talent and his past.
The story would have worked without all the supernaturalness but what it adds is a level of ridiculous and flavor that makes the Twilight books fall way flat.
I look forward to Lish's next book and I secretly hope it involves the next chapter of Sam's life.