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Graphic Novel Review: Falconspeare by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell and Mike Mignola

Falconspeare by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell

Dark Horse Comics, 2022

ISBN-13: 9781506724768

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, comiXology ( Bookshop.org )

Monster hunters extraordinaire Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan have investigated and hunted the uncanny before, but now they come together to answer the question that’s haunted them for years: what happened to their friend and notorious vampire slayer, James Falconspeare?

Upon finding their old friend, he tells them of his adventures. After dealing with a werewolf problem, Falconspeare ended up in a community where young people were disappearing, only to be found later dead, the bodies in terrible condition. The people in the community found the police less than helpful, so they turned to Falconspeare for aid.

Upon investigation of the bodies, Falconspeare at first believed the victims were killed by a vampire. The incredible vampire hunter, acting under the suspicions of dealing with such a creature, found he was in error. Clues point to Baron Fontin, whose appetites were gossiped about in influential circles, but the baron is no vampire. He is a serial killer. When the vampire hunter approached local authorities to address the situation, no one listens.

Out of desperation and frustration, Falconspeare went in search of the Black Docks Biter, a female vampire who lives in the sewers feasting on rats, and ventures out rarely for human blood. Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan discover their old friend has done something unthinkable to deal with the human monster that is Baron Fontin. Johnson-Cadwell’s unique art style provides a good accompaniment to the Victoriam tale of terror.

Falconspeare is the third installment of Johnson-Cadwell and Mike Mignola’s series that include the trio of monster hunters, Ms. Van Sloan, Mr. Knox, and Professor J. T. Meinhardt.

Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Kirsten, Reply

Book Review: All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

All These Bodies by [Kendare Blake]

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

Quill Tree Books, 2021

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062977168

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

In All These Bodies, Kendare Blake imagines a murder spree throughout the Midwest in the summer of 1958, known as the “Bloodless Murders” or “Dracula Murders” because the victims have all been drained of blood. On September 19, the Carlson family is found murdered in their Minnesota farmhouse, with a fifteen-year-old girl, Marie Catherine Hale, drenched in blood, still alive. Is she a victim, accomplice, or killer?

Michael Jensen, the seventeen-year-old son of the sheriff with hopes of becoming a journalist, is the only person Marie Catherine will talk to, and revealing the killer is her one chance to avoid being extradited to Nebraska and tried for the death penalty. Getting the truth out of Marie Catherine is trickier than just asking her questions once and expecting straightforward answers, though; it becomes a long, drawn out process that creates a sympathetic connection between the two teens. Michael is also facing other dangers: his peers are turning against him as he continues to spend time with Marie Catherine, and he’s almost certain he’s being watched, and perhaps even hunted, in a way that feels almost supernatural.

Inspired by the fictionalized murders in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and a murder spree that occurred in the Midwest in 1958, Blake has created a gripping, grisly, fictional “true crime” story that clarifies what it means to be human, a monster, or both. Recommended.

Contains: murder, graphic descriptions of gore, blood drinking, mentions of pedophilia

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Kirsten, Reply

The Vampirates Are Here! A Guest Reading from Justin Somper

As promised from earlier this week, not only have we published a review of the first book in the Vampirates series, Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean, but as we are participating in a blog tour for the series, we have a guest reading from the author, Justin Somper (accompanied by his dog, Bella). Justin chose to read a rather gruesome scene from the third book in the series, Vampirates: Blood Captain. This book is considerably longer and gets much deeper into characterization of the pirates– Connor is only briefly mentioned, and Grace not at all– but it is a great, suspenseful, dark scene that I’m sure will encourage you to continue on through the series past the first book. All six are scheduled to be reprinted this month: #1 Demons of the Ocean, #2 Tide of Terror, #3 Blood Captain, #4 Black Heart, #5 Empire of Night and #6 Immortal War. With the completed series available, I’m sure we’ll see middle-grade and early teen readers zip right through them! Thanks very much to Justin for providing us with this great reading from Blood Captain!