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The Devil’s Mistress by David Barclay | Book Review
The Devil’s Mistress is superiorly dark and lyrical. It transcends from bleak to a darker shade of grey. The witch trials have always been an interesting but upsetting period of history for me. It’s an enjoyable read but also is a keen investigation into the human condition. This story looks to examine the depth of the human mind. Barclay tackles themes of misogyny, sexism, and turning the idea of what a witch should be on its head. When tackling such a trope, the author has to create protagonists that we want to root for, Barclay has done this with consummate skill. The Devil’s Mistress takes place in Virginia in the…
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Maggie’s Grave by David Sodergren | Review
If you haven’t added Maggie’s Grave to you TBR, then why the hell not? This is in my opinion the best example of a witchy folk tale horror out there. It brings it all to the table, Sodergren slaps it all down, liquified organs and all. The first couple of chapters are usually enough to decide whether a book is going to be for you…the author nailed it in one. I had a keen sense of foreboding, that small time village feel, residents knowing everything about you, talking about you, judging you. Sodergren nails it. The shades of darkness is quite literally written on the wall. “Was this parenthood? Love…
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Diabolica Britannica: A Dark Isles Horror Compendium by various authors
How the hell do I write this review? Diabolica Britannica is quite frankly everything that is good about the horror fiction genre neatly compacted in a kick ass anthology. The genre is producing some of the best fiction out there at the moment and it’s getting harder to get scared and shocked but this awesome work of art packs a swift punch to jugular. A Dark Isles Compendium instantly took me to the freezing and rugged coastline of the Scottish highlands, the brutal streets of London and the isolating manor houses watching your every move, so it can make theirs! As much as I love the genre, sometimes, the titles…
