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Book Review: Normal for the Spider by Hank Schwaeble

Normal For The Spider by Hank Schwaeble.

Blackstone, 2026

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8228365018

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook (pre-order before September 15)

Buy:  Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

Readers know that when they pick up a book with the header “Weird Tales Presents” that it’s going to be a wild ride: something that is anything but normal. Hank Schwaeble, a Bram Stoker winner for Damnable, a stellar supernatural horror-thriller, has produced strong book after book, hitting on all spooky gears without a misstep.

 

Normal for the Spider is his strangest book yet, bringing something different to the world of killers and shadowy groups in an engaging, well-told tale that horror fans (and thriller freaks) will likely love.

 

Sienna Snow is a renegade, a killer who has her own set of rules, but unlike many others, she simply kills for her own agenda. Her reasons are her own and she’s not one to give speeches before the fatal blow. One day, she’s evading someone and dips into a store where the owner helps her hide, yet soon she realizes she’s been captured, like a fly for the titular spider. Something is trapped in the basement with her, something not quite right.

 

When she’s let in on the secret, that a group that calls itself the Book Club (how can that be a bad thing? Plenty of readers here would love to sign up for that) prey on the biggest predators in society. Those who feel they’re the apex in the food chain find themselves in horrific situations by the group are the decision makers in the world and are often terrible people.

 

Sienna jumps aboard, and the Book Club brings her to their island to discover what they’re truly about–  which is when the novel really takes off. What happens on the island? The worst nightmares for those caught in the spider’s web, with fates twisted in evil, but enticing ways. Yet there’s something else present on the island, something even darker than the members, and tougher than Sienna.

 

Schwaeble’s writing, which is always top notch, pulls the reader along the macabre journey with a cast of characters that aren’t exactly easy to fall for, but he succeeds. Sienna is a great character who bucks the system but intrigues enough to keep the pages turning. The writing is crisp and the pace is intense enough for a thriller, but the horror is strong.

 

For novels released in 2026, Normal for the Spider is going to be a strong contender for the year’s best list. Highly recommended reading.

 

 

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on August 25, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: Newbourne Park by Jennifer Thorne

Cover art for Newbourne Park by Jennifer Thorne

Newbourne Park by Jennifer Thorne
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2026
ISBN-13: 979-8217177769
Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook (pre-order before September 29)
Buy: Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com

 

Those obnoxious English aristocrats never want to share their beautiful country houses with the help while they go on vacation. Why? I mean, they aren’t there anyway, are they? What’s worse, when their minions do decide to invite themselves over, one of those snooty people comes back unexpectedly and makes everyone feel like they deserve whatever they get just for having a little fun and relaxation. No one would expect things to take such a turn.

 

Martha has an inkling, though. Those bones in the barrel? They might be deer bones. Maybe. The horses gone from the stable? Strange, but whatever. The main thing is that plenty of food and alcohol are available. Strangely, the meals are all leftovers, but so what? The partiers are too drunk to care. The group’s host has barely started the job. It’s a bit brazen to risk losing his position by having everyone over for an illicit house party, one would think. Clearly, bad things are about to happen– and they do.

 

What makes this story extra interesting is finding out what happens after the catastrophe. The sullen townspeople do not seem very sympathetic to the plight of the survivor when she turns up. In fact, they seem hostile, so you get to thinking the creepy stories like the one about the so-called Dripping Man might be true. The poor victim is going through some physical and mental challenges and spends time on odd websites which give tips on eating and how to lock yourself up at night.

 

In Part 2 of the novel, the survivor is invited to join a club with others she can relate to, which is unusual given the invitation comes from Lady Lambert herself, who has her own secrets and is far from innocent. What blue-blooded nonsense has this woman gotten herself into?

 

Jennifer Thorne’s Newbourne Park is a rollicking good time in spite of its dark take on what goes on in the English countryside after the sun goes down. The narrator is cheeky, sarcastic, and cool. She tells us everything, accurately and honestly, and she is far from naive. At the same time, she is, somehow, not to be trusted. A lurking suspense and fear build throughout this book in the same manner as music heightens the emotions in a horror film making the viewer think the worst even while the action suggests nothing of the sort. At the same time, the most horrible details are unpleasantly normalized. This is a horror novel with attitude and a creative swerve in that we certainly know what there is to know, yet we are surprised by what we know and even more surprised by what happens as a result. Chalk it all up to some superbly inventive writing by Jennifer Thorne.

 

 

Reviewed by Nova Hadley

Posted on August 25, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: The Band From Another World (Alien Survival Guide #3) by Kevin Garone

cover art for The Band from Another World by Kevin Garone

The Band From Another World (Alien Survival Guide #3), by Kevin Garone

Temor Press, 2026 (pre-order out September 8)

ISBN: 9798991328470

Available: Hardcover, paperback, ebook edition

Buy: Amazon.com | Bookshop.org

 

 

The teenaged scallywags of Kevin Garone’s Alien Survival Guide series return for their third (and unfortunately, final) adventure, and like the last two, this doesn’t disappoint. This series should not be missed by young readers (and young-at-heart adults), and it deserves recognition in its genre for how good it is.

 

The team of Marv, Jace, Kenji, Nora, and their new member, Liv (code name: Alien Lover) manage to get into trouble in the first few pages while investigating an abandoned cabin in the woods. There they find instruments that somehow enable them to play better than the band Dream Theatre, which leads to possession and a homing signal, which leads to a school battle of the bands… and in the end, finally resolves whether Marv’s unshaking belief in alien invaders was justified, or a delusional waste of time.

 

As with the previous volumes, these work so well because, as much as they are adventure stories for young readers, Garone manages to throw in some pretty heartfelt material from time to time that adult readers are sure to appreciate. The conversation between Marv and Liv later in the book is a prime example. It’s about finding your big interest when young, and how kids just want something that makes them stand out and be unique from the other kids, even if it is something silly, such as preparing for alien invasions. The conversation is a good example of using simple, straightforward writing to convey some pretty heady ideas. Young readers will relate, and it will certainly make adult readers think back. Didn’t we all have something we wanted to be our own thing, that no one else had?

 

Although there is some touching material, at heart this is a thrill ride of aliens vs. humans, and the author keeps the story moving at a quick pace, right up to the final page of the story, as mankind will finally be saved, or ended. It’s worth noting that the author has always shown an ability to introduce new characters as good as the originals in each book, which helps keep the story from getting predictable, and this is no exception. In the last book it was Kenji, the flame-wielding maniac; this time it’s alien-obsessed Liz, an utterly charming character. Where Marv’s take on potential aliens resembles the mentality of Independence Day or Mars Attacks, Liv is from the Close Encounters of the Third Kind school of thought, that aliens must be benevolent. Her character is an excellent contrast to Marv, and together they learn something important: you can be friends, even if some of your ideas are diametrically opposed, a lesson adults in this day would do well to remember.

 

Bottom line is, this series is a fantastic trilogy of YA fiction, and the final volume proves to be a fitting capstone to the series. Keep an eye out for what the author writes next, he’s very good and worth noticing. Definitely recommended!

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

 

Posted on August 18, 2026 by , Reply
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