Revenants, demon lovers, shape-shifters, sacrificial rituals -- Fatal Journeys is a terrifying collection full of twisted surprises. Taylor's writing style is sensual and worldly, lush with natural beauty. From the frozen north to the sweaty depths of the tropics, the settings become characters of their own: a town in Japan steeped in tradition, a seedy… Continue reading Review: Fatal Journeys by Lucy Taylor
J-F. Dubeau has firmly established himself as a skilled practitioner of the long form. To hold multiple narrative threads together at length without losing the reader or sacrificing rhythm is no small feat, as any writer can tell you. The artfulness with which he slips the reader into this rich tale of darkness and magic… Continue reading Review: A God In The Shed by J-F. Dubeau
Visceral and unsettling, A Life of Death is an artfully developed novel featuring many relevant themes in regard to young adult readers. The nature of life and death is explored, as is the horror of physical/emotional abuse, the importance of family, and the meaning of grief. Through our narrator, Alex, who finds himself gifted with… Continue reading Review: A Life of Death by Weston Kincade
Mind-rape is perhaps the most fitting description of this book. Ms. Runge holds nothing back as she walks the line between poetry and pornography. (I was reminded of "Heat" by Denis Johnson - "...this exhaustion mutilated to resemble passion...") Here we explore the haunted nature of lust, focused at a remove through a desperate lens… Continue reading Review: Seeing Double by Karen Runge
Transcending time and place, the figure of the vampire—in one form or another— has been present in the mythology and folklore of cultures the world over. Typically ingrained within systems of religious belief, the creature often served as a means of reinforcing spiritual practices and social values—a reminder of the inherent dangers of straying from… Continue reading The Vampire
Dark Hall Press 