Logos 43 – A Witty Philosophical Adventure Chasing the Logic of Desire by N Wende

April 9, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Logos 43 – A Witty Philosophical Adventure Chasing the Logic of Desire by N Wende
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When one morning, a brilliant robot named Logos discovers he wants to play the violin, his life spirals into dangerous chaos. The transistors in his brain vibrate, copper coils heat up, as he can’t bear a thought as random and unfounded as desire. Now, he has no choice but to find a logical justification for this strange phenomenon. Otherwise, he’ll fall into a severe psycho-electric crisis, and his mind will completely crash.

And so, with a draining battery and a determined enemy in pursuit, Logos embarks on a daring, dangerous, and hilarious journey. He’ll examine with robotic sensitivity the values and fundamental thoughts of us all. He’ll encounter bizarre religious sages and mad scientists. He’ll confront deep philosophers and active idealists, all in pursuit of one troubling question: Is it even logical to want something?

Everyone has desires, even robots.

The setting grabbed my attention immediately because of how crisply and clearly it was described. Sometimes I’d go back and reread a previous paragraph to have another chance to imagine what Logos 43 was experiencing as it attempted to figure out why it suddenly had the urge to play the violin despite its programming. The gentle beaches and peaceful forests provided a nice contrast to the conflicts the characters dealt with and the complex discussions that happened during this quest.

It took me a little while to settle into the rhythm of this book due to how differently Logos 43 viewed the world when compared to how the average human would describe the same experience. I needed to observe him respond to multiple types of religion before things clicked for me. Patience was key, and while I was a bit confused in certain places in the beginning, it was well worth it later on once I better understood what the main character was saying and how to better interpret some of his unusual reactions to ideas I wouldn’t necessarily find surprising myself.

With that being said, I appreciated the protagonist’s logical approach to what should or shouldn’t be classified as a religion. His arguments made sense even though I wouldn’t ever have thought to lump some of those belief structures together before I read this. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy reading science fiction so much, and I look forward to checking out more from the author in the future.

Logos 43 reminded me of a grownup version of The Phantom Tollbooth. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves wordplay and thought-provoking fables.

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Wrath of the Never Queen by Storm Lomax

April 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Wrath of the Never Queen by Storm Lomax
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Historical, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Lilikoi

A doomed prince with a monstrous curse. A sadistic king with a dark history. And the witch who will be his reckoning.

Gifted witch Shivani has so far avoided the annual Summoning. In her village, women are sent to the King each year and given six months to win the Prince’s heart and break his beastly curse. Anyone who can do so will be named Queen.

No one has succeeded.

Deep in debt and with the promise of a handsome reward, Shivani’s father volunteers her for the Summoning. With her magic stripped, Shivani is taken to the castle and thrust into the deadly challenge against her will.

As she navigates the prince’s terrifying curse and the king’s sadistic whims, she discovers decades-old secrets that could mean her freedom. But leaving wouldn’t save the prince and it wouldn’t free the imprisoned servants. Or Shivani could stay – if she’s shrewd enough to decipher the curse before the executioner’s axe drops.

As in the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast, the prince introduces Shivani—an avid reader like Belle– to his immense library. But in a unique twist of the familiar plot, the two main characters scour ancient manuscripts written in “witchtongue” and dragon language, searching for the elusive spell that will break the curse. With intriguing secondary characters and enthralling elements of fantasy, Wrath of the Never Queen is enjoyable and engaging.

I loved the paranormal aspect of this unique version of the beloved fairy tale: the telltale purple light and salty scent of witch magic, the discovery of ancient dragon lore and mystical enchantments, and the thrilling tension of ever-present danger as the story unfolds.

The main characters are compelling and likeable. With her noble, courageous heart, Shivani chooses to remain rather than flee when she finds a hidden passage leading out of the castle. Although she could escape and save her own life, she refuses to abandon the prince and the castle servants who have become her loyal friends. Prince Theo, despite his fearsome outward appearance as the beast, is tender, considerate, and caring. Aunt Meena, Vanya, and Inez enhance the complexity of the intriguing plot.

Despite the appealing elements of fantasy in this novel, there were many inconsistencies in the characters’ actions and language which were implausible and jarring, given the story’s antique medieval setting. Although the main characters engage in formal conversation, polite mannerisms, and eloquent forms of address reserved for royalty, Shivani uses modern obscenities which are culturally inappropriate and offensive within the context of such extremely proper etiquette. The budding romance between Shivani and the prince is depicted as innocent and chaste throughout the work, but one sexually explicit scene stands in stark contrast to the rest of the young adult novel.

With a bit more editing, this novel could really shine to its fullest. Also, rather than its abrupt conclusion with an appendix–the sapphic romance of the siren and the witch, a tale Shivani enjoyed hearing as a child—the ending would have been much more rewarding if that legend had been woven into the novel, explaining the ancient dragon culture associated with the castle and the iconic statue Shivani discovered in her quest to cure the curse.

In spite of its faults, Wrath of the Never Queen is an entertaining fantasy adaptation of the famed fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Orion’s Masquerade by M.E. Rose

March 28, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Orion’s Masquerade by M.E. Rose
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Years ago, Chancellor Talia Steele’s husband vanished on an exploratory mission, leaving her to lead their aging generation ship alone. Now, with New Horizon’s life support failing, Talia must attend Orion’s Masquerade—a rare gathering where leaders from across the galaxy forge alliances through marriage. This is her last hope to secure a future for her people and her unborn daughter, who lies in stasis, awaiting a chance at life.

But Ryker Steele survived. He crash-landed on an uncharted planet—one that could be the perfect new home for New Horizon’s colony. After years of survival and rebuilding his ship from scrap, he’s finally on his way back to Talia . . . only to find that she’s left.

With time running out, Ryker must race to reunite with Talia and save their family and people from being scattered across the galaxy. Will love be enough to bring them back together, or will he lose her to Orion’s Masquerade?

M.E. Rose’s Orion’s Masquerade offers a compelling blend of contemporary issues, science fiction elements, and a touch of romance. The story centers around Talia, appointed Chancellor of New Horizon, a strong and committed woman striving for the survival of her people while dealing with heartbreak. Rose creates an intriguing political landscape where people depend heavily on Talia, adding a layer of complexity to her character and motivations. The plot is concise and engaging, quickly capturing my interest in the characters and their world. While I occasionally struggled to discern which character was speaking, the overall narrative flow kept me invested.

Rose clearly possesses a talent for writing science fiction, crafting a world that, despite my limited experience in the genre, was easy to follow and enjoy. The dynamic between Ryker Steele and his wife, Talia was particularly admirable, highlighting the power of love amidst conflict. I enjoyed the clashes between Talia and Vice Chancellor, Jules Strickland, over what was best for New Horizon. I found Jules’s personal biases about why Talia should marry Chancellor Abernath added an interesting dimension to the story. I am curious about the characters’ lives beyond the masquerade and would eagerly read a sequel to see their stories further developed. Despite the minor confusion with dialogue, I would read more from this author.

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Anomaly by Jennifer Milne

March 20, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Anomaly by Jennifer Milne
Publisher: Auctor Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Inspirational, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if every day you woke up as someone new?

Every day a new past, every day a new life.

Then what if one day you woke up and you were no one at all?

Ellie Coleman has been erased from existence and now she must fight for the love that no longer knows her and the life that is no longer her own.

What if you had to choose: to be erased and save the world…or to live and let it burn.

The world wouldn’t be the same if you, I, or anyone else weren’t in it.

Making the right decision isn’t always clear cut. What sounds good in the moment might turn out to have negative consequences in the future, and vice versa. I was intrigued by the many different factors Ellie and the other characters had to consider when deciding which choice made the most sense not only for themselves but also for the rest of humanity. There’s something to be said for embracing the nuances of life.

I struggled with the plot holes in this novella. For example, it was hard for me to understand how Ellie could continue to exist when she had been erased from existence. The reason given for this never made sense to me, and I found myself wishing more time had been spent explaining how it worked and why nobody expected it to occur. The ending, too, didn’t seem to fit what I’d learned earlier about the rules in this universe about what should happen to someone who exists despite every attempt to prevent that from happening. If only I could have had more information about how it all worked.

Time travel is one of those topics I automatically gravitate towards when I read speculative fiction. Even a small change in the past can have major repercussions in the future, and I appreciated how much time and effort the author put into extrapolating how her characters’ earlier decisions could logically affect what happened to them next. She clearly put a lot of thought into these passages!

One of the interesting changes I’ve seen in the inspirational genre over the past few years has been how often books do not mention this in their blurbs or other descriptions of their content. I did not go into this novella expecting to find religious themes and messages, so I thought I’d let other readers know in advance that it does have them. It’s important for readers to be able to find tales from the genres they love.

Anomaly was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

I Know What UFO Did Last Summer by Kevin Garone

March 12, 2025 By Leave a Comment


I Know What UFO Did Last Summer by Kevin Garone
Publisher: Temor Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The alien invasion is upon us! At least, that’s what twelve-year-old Marv thinks when a mysterious craft appears in the woods behind his house. If there’s one thing he’s learned from his trusty alien invasion guidebook, it’s that ETs are just as likely to land in your backyard as they are on the front lawn of the White House.

A plot to take over the planet is the only logical explanation for what’s going on. Why else would a suited pilot chase Marv and his friends through the woods? What else could explain the creepy leech-like creatures attached to the hull of the ship? As if that wasn’t enough, the recently moved-in next-door neighbor girl and her dad seem to be directly connected to the alien conspiracy.

The National Guard won’t take his calls seriously. His family thinks he’s making everything up. Marv and his friends are on their own if they want to stop the invaders from Pluto-unless that mysterious red pickup truck that keeps driving by is somehow involved in all this, too.

But Marv is wrong. The threat is real, but the aliens aren’t. And getting mixed up with the wrong people might still result in an abduction…

Aliens are full of surprises.

One of the reasons why I enjoy reading the middle grade genre so much has to do with the differences between how kids and adults can interpret the same experience. Mr. Garone tapped into this in order to give the audience multiple explanations for why certain things happened, and it made me chuckle to take note of how Marv and his friends understood those events versus what the average adult would probably say about them.

It would have been helpful to have more character development, especially for Marv. His interest in aliens was so strong that it sometimes overshadowed everyone else’s interests. There was a thought-provoking scene later in which another character confronted him for expecting his hobby to always be put first that I wish had been given more time to grow. Marv could be a little selfish at times even if he didn’t always realize he was coming across that way. If this had been explored more, I would have happily gone for a full five-star rating.

The plot twists in this book were imaginative and exciting. It was difficult for this reader to find good places to stop when I needed to go do something else for a while due to how often these revelations made me look at the characters in new ways. What an excellent problem to have! Every scene propelled things forward in some way, and I was surprised more than once by what Marvin, Nora, and Jace didn’t see coming.

I Know What UFO Did Last Summer made me wish for a sequel!

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Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey

March 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Cambridge University, 2005: Student Joe Greene scribbles verses in the margins of his notebook, dreaming of a future where his words will echo through the ages, all while doubting it could ever happen.

Then, the future quite literally finds him—in the form of Esi. She’s part of a time-traveling tour, a trip for people in the future to witness history’s greatest moments firsthand. The star of this tour? Joe Greene. In Esi’s era, Joe is as renowned as Shakespeare. And he’s about to meet Diana, a fellow student and aspiring actress, who will become his muse and the subject of his famous love poems.

But Esi is harboring a secret. She’s not here because she idolizes Joe—actually, she thinks his poetry is overrated. Something will happen at Cambridge this year that will wreck Esi’s life, and she’s hell-bent on changing it. When Esi goes rogue from her tour, she bumps into Joe and sends his destiny into a tailspin. To save both their futures, Esi becomes Joe’s dating coach, helping him win over Diana. But when Joe’s romantic endeavors go off-script—and worse, he starts falling for Esi instead—they both face a crucial question: Is the future set in stone, or can we pen our own fates?

Catriona Silvey’s Love and Other Paradoxes is a captivating exploration of love, ambition, and the intricacies of human relationships set against the backdrop of early 2000s Cambridge. The novel follows Joe Greene, a poet who becomes entangled in a surreal twist of fate when he encounters Esi, a mysterious young woman who helps him navigate the complexities of love and success.

From the outset, Silvey crafts an engaging narrative that pulls the reader in with its unique premise. The introduction of Joe’s future success book of poems serves as a clever plot device, creating a palpable tension as he grapples with the notion of love dictated by the demands of his future. Esi emerges as a compelling character, providing not only support but also a moral compass as Joe struggles with his feelings for Diana, the woman he believes will fulfill his poetic destiny. Their friendship is beautifully developed, and the chemistry between them adds depth to the story.

The pacing of the novel is brisk, ensuring that readers remain engaged throughout the twists and turns of Joe’s journey. Silvey deftly weaves themes of friendship, success, family, and the often-paradoxical nature of love, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences and the sometimes-contradictory motivations behind their choices. While the character of Diana is intentionally less likable than others, this adds to the complexity of Joe’s predicament, highlighting the often-unglamorous truths of romantic pursuits.

One of the strengths of Silvey’s writing is her ability to create well-rounded characters who are relatable and flawed, making their journeys feel authentic. The surprises that unfold keep the narrative lively, and the satisfying conclusion ties together the various threads of the story while leaving some questions open to interpretation.

Overall, Love and Other Paradoxes is an entertaining read that will resonate with anyone who has ever grappled with the intersection of love and ambition. Silvey’s exploration of the multifaceted nature of love makes for a thoughtful and engaging story that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. This novel is a testament to the idea that while love can be fraught with complications, it is also an essential part of the human experience. Highly recommended for readers looking for a blend of romance and philosophical inquiry, it earns a solid 4 stars.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

My Only Friend, the End by Steven Owad

February 6, 2025 By Leave a Comment


My Only Friend, the End by Steven Owad
Publisher: Paper Angel Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by Astilbe

Surviving was easy. The hard part—living alone—starts now.

For Owen Bale, life in Great Falls, Montana, is good. He has a loving wife and son, a career as a writer, and plenty of reasons to get up in the morning.

The charmed existence ends one sun-kissed day when everyone in town—maybe everyone everywhere—drops dead. Owen is left alone in a city on fire.

The options now: sit tight and wait for help or seek out survivors. One thing’s certain: if Owen doesn’t move—and move fast—the stresses of the flash extinction will swallow him whole.

He sets out in search of people—and of the cause of the devastation. Cosmic cataclysms. Pandemics. Bio-warfare. Earth has been through five mass extinctions. How do they differ from what’s happened now? Maybe God was behind the carnage. Or little green men. Whatever the answer, why was Owen spared? And if he’s alive, it stands to reason others survived, too. If all people everywhere are in fact gone, will there be any point in going on?

Staying sane and strong in a hostile landscape filled with unexpected dangers would be easier if Owen’s own inner demons weren’t along for the journey. Finding the post-civilization promised land will take every ounce of courage and self-knowledge he can muster.

Survival comes in many forms.

I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was about only one person, and I was curious to see how the author used the smallest cast possible to explore this world. Even the most introverted and shyest among us eventually need companionship, after all, so Owen was dealing with something humans aren’t well-equipped to handle in the long term. Other readers should find out for themselves how this conflict was explored, but it was a breath of fresh air to this longtime fan of the genre.

From the perspective of an invested reader, it would have been helpful to have more details about why everyone died. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting a character who had no scientific or medical background to discover everything there was to know about these mass deaths and why they affected humans in particular, but I was a little disappointed by the answer that was eventually given due to how much time was spent pursuing it. For example, was this something that was likely to happen again or was it a tragic one-time occurrence? Was it a worldwide phenomenon or did it only affect North America? Having a few more answers here would have propelled this into a five-star read for me.

One of my favorite themes involved how Owen looked after his mental health – or, in some scenes, absolutely did not look after his mental health – after everyone died off. He had already experienced a horrible tragedy in his life, so he started off from an even more emotionally difficult place after everyone around him died than someone with a happier past would have had. The raw honesty of these passages was an important part of getting to know this character and understanding what motivated him to keep going as he tried to figure out what happened to all of the dead people around him and what he was going to do next.

I’d recommend My Only Friend, the End to fans of literary and post-apocalyptic fiction alike. These two genres are rarely blended together, so this was a treat!

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Free by EB Roshan

January 30, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Free by EB Roshan
Publisher: Roshan Publishing
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An accident brought Rex’s career as an interplanetary bodyguard to an abrupt end. Now, he spends his time tending fruit trees and dreaming of his exciting past. One day, he gets an unexpected opportunity to pick up a ray gun again, but things aren’t how he remembered them…

What could be more exciting than exploring outer space?

The world building in this graphic novel was well done. Rex had already had many thrilling adventures by the time the audience met him, and yet there were even greater things still waiting for him. I enjoyed getting to know the fruit moon where Rex had ended up after a terrible accident took his leg and thought this setting was explained nicely. Farming was completely different from what he’d done before, but his coworkers were friendly and the fruit they picked was delicious.

I would have preferred to see a little more character development here. While I liked nearly all of the characters, especially Rex, there wasn’t a lot of time spent displaying his personality or showing how he’d changed as a result of his accident and the years he’d spent as an interplanetary bodyguard. There was plenty of space there to dive into these topics, and I would have gone for a full five-star rating if the author had done that.

Let’s see how much I can share about the ending without sharing spoilers. I thought it was the best part of this tale and perfectly fit everything I’d learned earlier due to how much time was spent showing what made Rex truly happy and which direction his life might head next. It was also something that I wouldn’t necessarily expect from the science fiction genre, so pushing the boundaries of that genre and the audience’s expectations, especially for the middle grade age when it doesn’t seem to happen as often as it does for adult readers, was also a breath of fresh air.

Free was a wild ride.

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Yes, I Am a Vampire by Stephen Kozeniewski

January 15, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Yes, I Am a Vampire by Stephen Kozeniewski
Publisher: French Press Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Non-Fiction, Holiday, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I swear I am not a vampire. Cross my heart and…eh, nevermind.

Just trust me, there are no vampires within these pages. Plenty of zombies, though. One of the short stories in this book features a zombie caveman, for instance. And another is called Exploding Shit Zombies. You can probably guess what that one’s about.

Not every story is zombie-themed, of course. I’ve also got a monster under the bed piece that’s pretty fucking scary. And in another, a bunch of little alien goblins take over a farmstead.

This isn’t just a short story collection, either. Half of it’s my autobiography. I guarantee you’ve never seen those two styles mashed together before.

I also guarantee you’ve never seen any fucking vampires before. Not here. Not anywhere. So let’s just drop it.

What do you mean, bloodstains all over the book? Don’t worry about those. Just wipe the gore off your fingers and dive in to…

Yes, I Am A Vampire

Truth and fiction are sometimes opposite faces of the same coin.

Before I dive into this collection, let’s talk about the notes that were included after each instalment to explain how the author came up with them and, in some cases, got them published. I’m the sort of reader who loves learning this sort of background information and always reads it. There were so many exciting tidbits here, many of which helped me enjoy certain stories even more than I had before. I definitely recommend checking out these sections if you don’t normally read them. They were well worth my time.

This may be the first time a swear word has ever appeared in one of my reviews for Long and Short Reviews, but I can’t talk about “Exploding Shit Zombies” without breaking that social convention for a moment. May my editor forgive me! Yes, the premise is exactly what it sounds like, and this fan of undead fiction who knows better than to use the common word for such creatures was quite curious to discover why these walkers are so full of, ahem, feces in this universe. The reason made a great deal of sense and made me wonder why this topic isn’t covered more often in this subgenre. I also enjoyed the jokes sprinkled throughout this one. They fit the tongue-in-cheek tone of it well.

The prehistoric setting of “The Man with Four Scars” grabbed my attention immediately, especially once I realized this was set at a time when hominids had just begun speaking a few words to each other but had not yet come up with the concept of names yet. The protagonist – or maybe I should say antagonist – was a violent and impulsive individual who was terribly jealous of anyone who was more intelligent than him. Creating such an unlikable main character is a brave choice even for the horror genre, and I kept reading as I wondered if there was going to be a moment when I was anything other than irritated by and frightened of the danger he posed to the other members of his tribe. My fingers are crossed I will find more prehistoric horror in the future as this was deliciously chilling to read.

Let’s see if I can include one of my favorite pieces, “The Old Man and the Seesaw,” in here without giving away any spoilers about it. This was set in a universe where there was a grey area between life and death that more and more folks were beginning to inhabit, and it specifically shared how the first person to survive in this hazy place managed to do so. I was impressed with how creative this was, especially given the vivid descriptions of what happened and how the living characters reacted to it.

One of my favorite parts of being a book reviewer is getting to know more about the authors who submit their work for review. It doesn’t happen all the time, of course, but every so often I get to read a funny anecdote about the author’s life in the preface or learn more about how their mind works by reading the notes some writers are generous enough to include after each short story in a collection or anthology. While I’ve never met Mr. Kozeniewski, reading this made me feel like I was fortunate enough to go out to a pub or a coffee house with him for a few hours and hear about some of the many creative ideas rattling around in his skull.

Yes, I Am a Vampire reminded me why I love this author’s work so much. What a treat!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Hauntings and Hoarfrost by Rhonda Parrish (editor)

January 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Hauntings and Hoarfrost by Rhonda Parrish (editor)
Publisher: Tyche Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Holiday, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Wild storms, the sound of ice skates cutting across an empty pond and blankets of soft, white, beautiful death.

In the dark depths of winter, it is easy to become isolated as snow obscures landmarks and drifts create claustrophobic situations that can leave you huddled in your house, struggling to keep warm . . . and, perhaps, to ignore the message scrawled in the frost on the window.

Within these pages, you’ll discover eerie tales of long ago ghosts stretching frost-bitten fingers into the present, unexplained footprints in the snow, screaming madness, and icy cold sanity.

Editor Rhonda Parrish presents Hauntings and Hoarfrost, an anthology brimming with chilling stories and poems of the mysterious and uncanny for all lovers of horror, fantasy, and gothic.

Winter has many faces.

I adored the friendly ghosts in “And We All Come to the End, Around, Around” who all died in or near the same rustic cabin in different years. Finding the similarities between them was exciting due to the wide variety of eras they lived in and lifestyles they lived. I also enjoyed the plot twist later on that involved the ghosts deciding to band together and do something no one could ignore.

I was impressed with how many different approaches were included in this collection, from the kind and gentle tale I mentioned earlier to much darker and scarier interpretations of the theme. “Neither Rime Nor Reason” was one of these, and it followed a man named Donnan who walked into a deadly mountain range to try to save his foolish brother. The anger, confusion, and despair in this instalment made me curious to read more because every single character felt at least one – and usually more than one – of those emotions even if it wasn’t immediately noticeable to the reader. Peeling back those layers to try to figure out why everyone felt this was satisfying and made me want to learn more.

One of the worst things about winter is being deliriously sick and home alone during a blizzard. “Ice Lamp” explored the confusion and danger of that experience for a character who can’t quite tell which parts of their experience are memories of the past, distorted glimpses of their cold, damp cabin when viewed through the perspective of someone experiencing a serious illness, or vivid dreams that simply feel real. While I can’t provide any hints about which of these interpretations are correct, I felt like I was experiencing all of these possibilities alongside the protagonist as they struggled to figure out what to do next.

Hauntings and Hoarfrost was the perfect read for a cold, snowy day.

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