Do like reading horror? If so, check out my reviews of these 2 new horror books below!
*eARCs provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. I am an Amazon and Bookshop.org affiliate so I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through one of my links
By Lindy Ryan
Pub Date: April 9, 2024 (Minotaur Books)
Genre: Horror
⚠️Check out content warnings here
🔗Book Links:
🩸Synopsis:
Rise and shine. The Evans women have some undead to kill.
It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.
But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi―the original vampire―are back. And the Evans women are the ones who need to fight back to protect their town.
As more folks in town turn up dead and Deputy Roger Taylor begins asking way too many questions, Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna, must take up their blades and figure out who is behind the Strigoi’s return. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.
💭 My Thoughts:
Don’t let the cover fool you. Bless Your Heart may feel a little cozy, but it’s also a horror-filled gorefest, and I was here for it! This book gave me “True Blood”, “Night of the Living Dead”, and “From” vibes. I loved the small Texas town setting, the vibrant characters (especially Ducey!), the creepy moments, and the disgusting imagery.The story centers around Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna Evans. They are a family of ghoul (called Strigoi) hunters. Strigoi are like a cross between vampires and zombies. They are terrifying blood-thirsty creatures. The Evans women are fierce and kick-ass, and I loved reading from all their perspectives. This book did have many perspectives, but it wasn’t confusing or hard to follow in my opinion.
I would’ve given this a higher rating but I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I wanted more from the ending and I didn’t like how certain things played out. It looks like this is the first book in a series though, and I am excited to continue on in this world.
If you like cozy horror mixed with gore and terror, definitely read this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/5 stars)
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By S.A. Barnes
Pub Date: April 9, 2024 (Tor Nightfire)
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
✍️Also by this author: Dead Silence
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🔗Book Links:
🩸Synopsis:
Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.
Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.
While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her.
That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting—a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?
Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by… and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.
💭 My Thoughts:
I haven’t read many sci-fi horror books and I think Ghost Station is the first space horror story that I’ve read. It turns out I really enjoy space horror! Ghost Station follows a crew of space explorers (and a psychologist) on an abandoned planet where strange things start occurring. When one of the crew members ends up dead, the remaining crew members seek to find out what happened.I loved the mystery and the tension that spread throughout this story. I felt claustrophobic and a sense of dread as the story went on. I didn’t have a clue who or what was responsible for the horrific events that took place. The main character, Ophelia, is an unreliable narrator, so I didn’t know whether she had something to do with what was happening or not.
There were some slow parts and I wasn’t a fan of the ending. I liked the build-up but the actual reason for all this stuff happening was kind of odd. It’s just not what I was expecting.
I do love the author’s writing and I will definitely be reading her other books. I’m looking forward to reading more space horror. 👩🏻🚀🪐🩸
If you’re a fan of space horror books or you love movies like “Life” or “Solaris,” you should pick up this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.75/5 stars)
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Thanks For Reading!
