Tag: Werewolves

Posted in Book Reviews, Short Story Collections

REVIEW: X-Files: Trust No One (X-Files Anthology #1) Edited by Jonathan Maberry

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*Spoilers Ahead*

We all want to believe. The truth is still out there. The X-Files have been reopened. IDW Publishing and series creator Chris Carter have authorized new investigations into the weird, the strange, and the mysterious. New York Times Bestseller and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winner Jonathan Maberry brings together some of today’s top storytellers for a series of anthologies featuring all-new case files from the X-Files. Scully and Mulder continue their journey into darkness as they face aliens, monsters, shadow governments, and twisted conspiracies.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted a review and since I revisited the X-Files extended universe. However, I was reorganizing my bookshelf and since I have a few X-Files books of my own, I thought I’d revisit the anthology collections. I think a show like X-Files is best in that short-form content, however like anything else not all of these stories I thought were that good. None of them were ‘bad’, I just found them kind of middle of the road ‘meh’. So enough preferences, let’s open the old case files and talk about X-Files: Trust No One!

“Catatonia” by Tim Lebbon – 5/5⭐ Starting this collection off with a bang! This story delves into the mystery of a group of teenagers who have gone comatose until “angel music” blasts through the town and the teens rise to feast on others blood. References to the Nephilim, and I liked that. Story had a fair ending.

“The Beast of Little Hill” by Peter Clines – 4.5/5⭐ Heartwarming story. Seemingly two different alien species get frozen in the same small town. It’s good to know that the act of domesticating animals may not strictly be a human hobby.

“Oversight” by Aaron Rosenberg – 4/5⭐ This story involves Supervisor Skinner and I liked getting to see some stories with his perspectives. He seems to take some of what Scully and Mulder do seriously. Story had a solid ending.

“Dusk” by Paul Crilley – 3.5/5⭐ Here we get to see the X-Files duo poke fun at the whole Twilight craze amongst teens. I did like the symbolism mentioned, but it started feeling like a giant ‘back in my day’ rant. Justified ending.

“Loving the Alien” by Stefan Petrucha – 3.5/5⭐ This story is being told from Scully’s point of view. Most of her inner dialogue is her worrying about not being able to find Mulder who went on a solo alien hunt. I mean it’s nice that we get the fan service that she does care about him, but I believe we get more than enough of that through the context of the show.

“Non Gratum Anus Rodentum” by Brian Keene – 5/5⭐ Another story led by Director Skinner. I liked that we got to see what we went through during the Vietnam war, it made me crave a monster story that takes place during a foreign country during wartime.

“Back in El Paso My Life Would be Worthless” by Keith R.A. DeCandido – 4/5⭐ This was an interesting look into how the other agents view Scully and Mulder. I don’t think they deserve to be disrespected outright, but maybe that’s because I’m biased. The other agent got his just desserts in the end, and I think it was well deserved.

“Paranormal Quest” by Ray Garton – 4/5⭐ I loved seeing the X-Files duo getting to poke fun at the ‘paranormal reality TV’ genre. The bad guy was an interesting take, just someone who has powers that they are eventually unable to control. No menace or harm intended.

“King of the Watery Deep” by Tim Deal – 3/5⭐ I originally had this rated a 3.5/5, but I decided to lower it. I did like how we got some Arabic/Muslim/Cultish lore. Always fascinating to me about how similar legends can be. Ending was kind of meh to me.

“Sewers” by Gini Koch – 5/5⭐ We have an X-Files take on Killer Croc from the DC Comics Universe! I liked how the author was able to explain how the same creature kept popping up every so often without making it too complicated. In my opinion, the best X-Files stories are the ones where the monster/alien/government creep just melds into the background.

“Clair de Lune” by W.D. Gagliani and David Benton – 3/5⭐ This was a lukewarm werewolf story that takes place in the backwoods of Canada. Nothing much to add here.

“It’s All in the Eyes” by Heather Graham – 3/5⭐ I don’t know why I feel lukewarm towards this story too. It has all the trappings for a fantastic X-Files story. Maybe this needed to be in a longer form story or something. It just felt like after the initial hook the story just started going through the motions.

“The House on Hickory Hill” by Max Allan Collins – 3.5/5⭐ Curse my notetaking abilities or lack thereof. I had to think awhile to remember what this story was about. All I have in my notes is that this was a good story, but the ending felt rushed. Good old fashioned haunted house story though.

“Time and Tide” by Gayle Lynds and John C. Sheldon – 4.5/5⭐ This story reminded me of old school creepypastas. Creepypastas are basically myths and legends written by those on the Internet. It has been fascinating to watch a new way we tell each other stories/myths/legends evolve and develop. For this story however, you just got to enjoy the ride. Don’t think too hard about the finer details.

“Statues” by Kevin J. Anderson – 4/5⭐ This story offers an intriguing answer on how these peoples turned into lifelike statues. Mystical water in these ancient cave systems originally discovered by the Anasazi.

Well, there you have it! My review of X-Files: Trust No One! I hope you liked it and I hope to be returning to writing this blog soon. For now, I’m still going to be taking things kind of slow until I can get back into the habit of writing.

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels, Rapid Reviews

RAPID REVIEW: Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Mooncakes has been making it’s way around social media, and I have finally gotten the appetite for some desserts. So let’s dine on this review of Mooncakes.

This graphic novel reminds me a lot of These Witches Don’t Burn. They both have cute witches, and magic, but Mooncakes doesn’t have any relationship drama. I like that the romance between Nova and Tam feels natural and it’s of the popular trope, friends to lovers.

One thing I loved about the story was how Nova is deaf and wears a hearing aid. It was nice seeing disability being represented here in a positive way. Also, for Nova and her family treating Tam like she’s family even though she’s a werewolf.

One small gripe I have is how jarring some of the panels progress. One of the grandmas would tell Nova that her friend is coming over soon, and in the next panel she’s next to Nova talking like she didn’t teleport. Maybe it’s just my imagination though.

Overall, I enjoyed Mooncakes. It was cute and colorful, and even when the story gets dark, it’s still bright and colorful. I would recommend this novel for people who are undecided on whether to read it or not. As well as fans of witches, werewolves, and magic potions.

Posted in Book Reviews, Graphic Novels, Rapid Reviews

RAPID REVIEW: Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Spoilers*

Trigger Warnings: brief sexual assault, swearing, and brief mentions about weight and peer pressure, moderate blood and gore

When Becca transfers to a high school in an elite San Francisco suburb, she’s worried she’s not going to fit in. To her surprise, she’s immediately adopted by the most popular girls in school. At first glance, Marley, Arianna, and Mandy are perfect. But at a party under a full moon, Becca learns that they also have a big secret.

Becca’s new friends are werewolves. Their prey? Slimy boys who take advantage of unsuspecting girls. Eager to be accepted, Becca allows her friends to turn her into a werewolf, and finally, for the first time in her life, she feels like she truly belongs.

But things get complicated when Arianna’s predatory boyfriend is killed, and the cops begin searching for a serial killer. As their pack begins to buckle under the pressure—and their moral high ground gets muddier and muddier—Becca realizes that she might have feelings for one of her new best friends.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This graphic novel has been floating around TikTok and overall the reviews have been mixed. So I went into this story not expecting much, most high school tropes get on my nerves. So let’s sniff out this review for Squad.

This is another one of those novels that is obviously not for my demographic. I was never the new kid at school, and I never really joined a Mean Girls type friend group. Since those are huge aspects of this story that I don’t match then yeah, but I read it because I was curious. You don’t see female werewolves outside of the romance section.

One thing I didn’t like was that there’s pressure amongst the main group for Becca to fit a size 2 or 3 so they can easily share clothes. I want this toxic idea out of YA fiction. You should love your body no matter whether your a 0 or a 42+. If anyone disagrees then you don’t need that kind of toxicity in your life.

Overall, this was a mediocre story to the point where I really don’t have many thoughts or opinions about it. I liked the diversity amongst the main group of girls, but other than that this is just a petty story filled with melodrama and flimsy motives. I’d say pass on this unless your curious like I was.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews

REVIEW: Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

*Trigger warning for brief mentions of gore and torture*

Failed academic Frank Nichols and his wife, Eudora, have arrived in the sleepy Georgia town of Whitbrow, where Frank hopes to write a history of his family’s old estate-the Savoyard Plantation- and the horrors that occurred there. At first, the quaint, rural ways of their new neighbors seem to be everything they wanted. But there is an unspoken dread that the townsfolk have lived with for generations. A presence that demands sacrifice.

It comes from the shadowy woods across the river, where the ruins of Savoyard still stand. Where a longstanding debt of blood has never been forgotten.

A debt that has been waiting patiently for Frank Nichols’s homecoming…

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I started this audiobook not knowing what to expect. At first it was reminding me of The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey. The main character comes into this small town and maybe not everything is as what it seems. The end result is something dark and twisted that will leave you stunned.

That was a mean thought, and not funny at all. I let it turn to sand and blow out of my head.

Christopher Buehlman; Those Across the River

I love how dark, yet beautiful this story was thematically. When Frank and Eudora were just going to the store in broad daylight, you could feel the heavy and intense atmosphere. The financial strain everyone was facing, the PTSD Frank was suffering, and the aftermath of the ending of the ritual made the world feel unnerving.

One thing I didn’t like was how hard it was to keep track of most of the townsfolk. I’m not sure if that was intentional because that seems to be a trope in the horror genre. Where everyone except the main character(s) are cardboard cutouts and monster/demon fodder. I know it’s a necessary evil to convey how full and alive this town is, but even one of the minor plot twists made me feel indifferent.

Overall, this was a beautifully written novel full of small town horror, sophisticated romance, and dark suspense. Frank’s perspective on everything made the townsfolk seem sinister, even when the pastor himself fought to keep the pig ritual reinstated. Frank learns the devil lived in Whitbrow, and the devil soon destroyed the town in the end.

I would recommend this novel to fans of horror, historical fiction, and for fans of The Curse of Crow Hollow and Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics. This story is a great read and would encourage anyone thinking about either getting a fresh take on horror, or just looking for some early Halloween vibes, then I would definitely recommend this book.