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Book Review: The Bone Worms: The Expanded and Revised Edition by Keith Minnion

Cover art for The Bone Worms by Keith Minnion

The Bone Worms: The Expanded and Revised Edition by Keith Minnion

Cemetery Dance Press, 2022

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1587678547

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition ( Cemetery Dance | Amazon..com )

 

The Bone Worms is one of the best horror novels of the past decade. That’s high praise, but well-earned. Keith Minnion has long been a force in the horror genre, both as an author and artist. He made his name as an illustrator for several magazines and publishers, most notably and recently for the Stephen King/Richard Chizmar novels Gwendy’s Button Box and Gwendy’s Magic Feather. His short stories have been making the rounds since 1979, and his two collections have garnered high praise.

 

This expanded and updated edition of Minnion’s earlier book The Bone Worms is immensely readable and well-written. It tears into ground that feels untrodden and fresh. These days, finding something that is both new and successful in execution is tough. This novel nails it on both counts. It is easily one of the strongest entries in the genre in the past ten years, a very strong time for dark novels. Just dive into the story with as little advance knowledge as possible

 

The sky holds secrets that man has yet to figure out: the boneyard exists somewhere above the clouds. To explain the bone worms and their lair would be akin to spilling the secrets of a macabre Santa. 

 

Back in 1921,  a six-year old is taken for a biplane ride for his birthday party. Something terrible happens up in the sky, in the boneyard, that will scar the boy and his friend for life. Many years later, in 1983, the boys, now senior citizens, hole up in an apartment together, one trying to keep the other safe from what’s been seeking them for decades.

 

Detective Frank Lomax searches Philadelphia for the killer who’s been flaying victims open all over town. Left behind are gruesome crime scenes– yet no bones. Fresh off a breakdown, he knows this case could make him, or shatter his psyche for good. The deeper he plunges into the world of the bone worms, the stranger the case becomes, and the edges of reality fray with each clue uncovered.

 

Part horror novel, part police procedural, part thriller, The Bone Worms will rattle readers’ bones, at least while they’re still inside the body. Easily one of the best reads of this year.

 

This gorgeous edition includes extras and artwork. Minnion also created the dazzling cover.

 

Recommended reading for fans of great storytelling.

 

Posted on December 12, 2022 by , Reply

Book Review: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

cover art for House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593110348

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook ( Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com )

 

 

House of Hollow was shortlisted for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult Fiction this year.

 

Ten years ago, Grey, Vivi, and Iris Hollow mysteriously disappeared, reappearing a month later without clothes, covered in strange white flowers, and with their hair and eye colors changed. Their father, shortly after, died by suicide. Grey, Vivi, and Iris all have the power to seduce people into doing what they want.

 

Grey is now a model and fashion designer, estranged from their mother. Vivi is a nomadic rock musician. Iris still lives at home and attends school. One day Vivi, Grey, and Iris arrange to meet and Grey never shows. It’s a sign that something is very wrong.

 

The body horror is strong in this. Girls coughing up decayed plants, flowers growing out of wounds, ants crawling from inside the skin, constant descriptions of rot and decay, flayed bodies. And yet it’s also very much a fairytale, with the girls walking through a portal and finding themselves in a lost place. It’s gruesome and yet also gorgeous, and a horrifying tribute to just how far sisters really will go for you.

 

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on December 11, 2022 by , Reply

Book Review: The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm Series, Book 1) by Lenore Borja

The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm Series Book 1) by Lenore Borja

Spark Press, Nov. 2022

ISBN-13: 978-1684631735

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

 

The Last Huntress is a young adult fantasy/adventure with romantic underpinnings, clearly targeted towards  junior high and high school girls.  That doesn’t mean adults can’t read and enjoy the book: I’m a 48 year old man and found plenty here to like!

 

Alice, Hadley, Olivia, and Soxie are four high school girls with the power to enter the Mirror Realm, a sort of ‘between’ plane of existence that contains thousands of portals to locations all over the earth.  Their task as Huntresses is to destroy the demons from another realm that cross over to Earth to wreak havoc, using the Mirror Realm as a gateway.  That’s the bare-bones plot.  There’s actually a good deal more, and it ties into Greek mythology through Hades, Persephone, and the Furies, among others.  In the interest of not spoiling the plot, that’s as much as this review will cover.

 

The four Huntresses are the engine that provides the go-juice for the book; their interactions with each other are the best part.  The author nails it when portraying somewhat outcast, powerful high school girls, right down to their mannerisms and dialogue.  I’ve got a decade of experience teaching high school girls, and Borje hits it perfectly.  She knows how to write for this age set (not easy for adults) and the young adult crowd will find this easily relatable.  The four of them are a smart, rambunctious bunch that knows how to get tough when needed.  Whether they are falling through a mirror and crash-landing in a restaurant, or stealthily breaking into a police station for a raid, you’ll love the exploits of the four.

 

As for pacing and interest level, it is good throughout, with some notable high points.  One of the best is the three girls introducing Alice to the Mirror Realm. Their gravity-defying travels through the mirror halls are very well done.  The section towards the end of the book involving Hades is another standout section.  The rest of the book maintains a consistent level of interest and excitement, enough to keep the pages flipping.  The romance angle between Alice and Colin is there but thankfully, it’s not the overriding book focus, it’s just another color on the painting.  The book is more about ashing demons and saving the world, but there is enough of the true love/soulmate stuff to keep  young readers swooning.  Older readers will probably just chuckle and keep reading.

 

The only minor flaw is that the plot gets convoluted at times.  With the various prophecies and deals made by the Greek gods in the book, it can get confusing.  While readers who need everything to make sense might get frustrated, it’s best to just take it at face value and enjoy the story, since it is a good one.   

 

Bottom line…young girls will love it and learn a thing or two about Greek mythology.  Adults will likely enjoy reading this also, enough to generate interest for the next book in the series when it comes out. Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on December 7, 2022 by , Reply
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