Review: The Sorrows

The Sorrows by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In spite of or, perhaps, because of, its dark history, Castle Blackwood, on the remote, uninhabited island of the Sorrows, seems the perfect place for two Oscar-nominated composers to find inspiration for the musical score of a famed director's new horror movie. The duo arrange to spend a month on the island with their companions, cut off from all outside contact, and enter a dark and disturbing world where their baser instincts are brought to the surface, and echoes of the Sorrows' past take root in the present.

In The Sorrows, not all monsters are supernatural, and not all horrific acts can be blamed on the influence of what lurks within Castle Blackwood.

This is one of those rare stories that will keep you up at night. You HAVE to read "just one more chapter" before turning off the light... and when (if!) you do set it aside, your mind spins thinking about what you just read and what might happen next in Jonathan Janz's The Sorrows.

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Review: Pixerina: A Haunting

Pixerina: A Haunting by Joanne Anderton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pixerina: A Haunting by Joanne Anderton, published by Bad Hand Books is a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ riveting tale of an artist being possessed by, and possessing, her muse. Cruelty, neglect, indifference, obsession ... all woven together in this fascinating, gothic story where the present and past merge, and letting go doesn't necessarily mean moving on.

Rebecca Bell and her husband Aidan share their suburban home but as their creative talents take different forms from when they first met, they find themselves drifting apart. Rebecca, an artist, has struggled in recent years to find something that inspires and motivates her. Aidan has set his poetry aside for a career working in government communications. When Rebecca, over Aidan's objections, gives in to the temptation to finally explore a nearby abandoned house, she finds what she is looking for, and more. Will unraveling the mysteries of the past, and of the ghost of the girl who never was, provide her with the keys to her own future, or will she be lost in the search?

This intriguing tale of Rebecca's encounters with the strange house and what remains there is compelling and pulled me right in. It's a fantastic story of searching, discovery and loss ... and the price that both muse and artist must pay.

Thanks to Bad Hand for providing an eARC for my review!


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