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Title: The Worm and His Kings (The Worm and His Kings Book 1)
Author: Hailey Piper
Published: Fireside Horror, 2021 (2020)
Narrator: Allyson Voller
Rating: 2.5 of 5
Page Count: 115
Total Page Count: 491,055
Text Number: 1745
Read Because: found browsing "horror I can read right now on audio, please"; ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Our protagonist's search for her missing girlfriend leads her to discover a hidden society of people paving the way for the arrival of a cosmic entity. This frequently overexplains itself - the mythology; the social repercussions of a worm-cult - and with infodumps and pointed interior monologues rather than grace. And it's a pity, because it is one of those Lovecraftian-style socially-aware stories for a new age and some bits of the worldbuilding (the 'scientific' explanation in particular stands out) are fantastic. I like the attempt, I like the reveal, I like the ending; but this maps too cleanly, social and cosmic themes interlocking in a perfect fit which make both feel simplistic.
Title: Hemlock Grove: Reflections On The Motive Power Of Fire
Author: Brian McGreevy
Illustrator: Matt Buck
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012
Rating: 2 of 5
Page Count: 30
Total Page Count: 491,085
Text Number: 1746
Read Because: big fan of Hemlock Grove, available free online
Review: The introductory blurb gives a pretty clear image of where this came from: in writing the Netflix script, McGreevy fleshed out some backstories for the adult cast and explored them via a graphic novel. As such, this feels in character and can integrate well as backstory, as occurs in the adaptation. But as a stand-alone graphic novel, it's dry stuff: the supernatural/gothic elements are limited, which kills the good bits of the aesthetic; the tone is relentlessly smug and grim and joyless. The messy graphic sketches only exacerbate these problems. I love Hemlock Grove and don't regret reading this for the sake of completionism, but give it a miss.
Title: The Ghost of Gosswater aka The Ghost of Midnight Lake
Author: Lucy Strange
Published: Chicken House, 2021 (2020)
Rating: 2.5 of 5
Page Count: 330
Total Page Count: 491,615
Text Number: 1748
Read Because: no idea how I found this, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: After her wealthy father dies, our protagonist inherits nothing but her birth father, a goosekeeper and known thief. She build a new place for herself in the world while unraveling the secrets of her birth.
This (plucky protagonist, creepy manor, issues of class and protagonist identity, mysterious origin story, supernatural/gothic elements) reminded me a lot of Beatty's Serafina and the Black Cloak, which probably means I was spending more time noticing the tropes and pacing of modern gothic/fantasy MG than I was paying attention to this specific book. Take that as you will, but I think it indicates a lukewarm response. This is fine. I like the spooky atmosphere; the plotting is adequate but perhaps over-explained because this lacks the sense of the numinous which is what I love best in MG fantasy.
Author: Hailey Piper
Published: Fireside Horror, 2021 (2020)
Narrator: Allyson Voller
Rating: 2.5 of 5
Page Count: 115
Total Page Count: 491,055
Text Number: 1745
Read Because: found browsing "horror I can read right now on audio, please"; ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Our protagonist's search for her missing girlfriend leads her to discover a hidden society of people paving the way for the arrival of a cosmic entity. This frequently overexplains itself - the mythology; the social repercussions of a worm-cult - and with infodumps and pointed interior monologues rather than grace. And it's a pity, because it is one of those Lovecraftian-style socially-aware stories for a new age and some bits of the worldbuilding (the 'scientific' explanation in particular stands out) are fantastic. I like the attempt, I like the reveal, I like the ending; but this maps too cleanly, social and cosmic themes interlocking in a perfect fit which make both feel simplistic.
Title: Hemlock Grove: Reflections On The Motive Power Of Fire
Author: Brian McGreevy
Illustrator: Matt Buck
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012
Rating: 2 of 5
Page Count: 30
Total Page Count: 491,085
Text Number: 1746
Read Because: big fan of Hemlock Grove, available free online
Review: The introductory blurb gives a pretty clear image of where this came from: in writing the Netflix script, McGreevy fleshed out some backstories for the adult cast and explored them via a graphic novel. As such, this feels in character and can integrate well as backstory, as occurs in the adaptation. But as a stand-alone graphic novel, it's dry stuff: the supernatural/gothic elements are limited, which kills the good bits of the aesthetic; the tone is relentlessly smug and grim and joyless. The messy graphic sketches only exacerbate these problems. I love Hemlock Grove and don't regret reading this for the sake of completionism, but give it a miss.
Title: The Ghost of Gosswater aka The Ghost of Midnight Lake
Author: Lucy Strange
Published: Chicken House, 2021 (2020)
Rating: 2.5 of 5
Page Count: 330
Total Page Count: 491,615
Text Number: 1748
Read Because: no idea how I found this, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: After her wealthy father dies, our protagonist inherits nothing but her birth father, a goosekeeper and known thief. She build a new place for herself in the world while unraveling the secrets of her birth.
This (plucky protagonist, creepy manor, issues of class and protagonist identity, mysterious origin story, supernatural/gothic elements) reminded me a lot of Beatty's Serafina and the Black Cloak, which probably means I was spending more time noticing the tropes and pacing of modern gothic/fantasy MG than I was paying attention to this specific book. Take that as you will, but I think it indicates a lukewarm response. This is fine. I like the spooky atmosphere; the plotting is adequate but perhaps over-explained because this lacks the sense of the numinous which is what I love best in MG fantasy.
