This story is an Alice in Wonderland meets Cinderlla smutty monster romance. There are 2 explicit sex scenes, both well written. Nicnevin was committeThis story is an Alice in Wonderland meets Cinderlla smutty monster romance. There are 2 explicit sex scenes, both well written. Nicnevin was committed to the period piece bit, like it was even in the descriptions of genitals. It all takes place in Regency era England. This was my first monster romance, and it was a good introduction for me. Alice has 4 monster lovers. It was a little hard to keep track of their personalities and appearances because this is a short novella. It might not be good for monster romance noobs because the monsters have unconventional appearances, so they were a little hard to imagine. Alice was unexpectedly stabby. There was a point where I did a doubletake because she was fantasizing about biting her abusive stepmother and tasting her blood (not a bad thing, just not a take on Alice that I was expecting to see). This story has a plot, which I was not expecting. After a while, you can tell where the story is going, but it's still very entertaining when it gets there....more
The plot is a mystery for a while. Dr. Djinn doesn't show up to the tour that the kids won, so they're exploring the park and trying to figure out whyThe plot is a mystery for a while. Dr. Djinn doesn't show up to the tour that the kids won, so they're exploring the park and trying to figure out why they were selected. My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the park. The menagerie, the Now and Then trains, and the haunted obelisk especially had a good mix of whimsy and menace that made them very memorable. We also get in-depth descriptions of the trials where the kids are chosen, which had a fun sense of atmosphere and mystery.
I think the conclusion fell flat. I thought the reason Dr. Djinn was in hiding was manipulative, and the final resolution felt forced (it involved revealing information that I thought the characters already knew). Other item that didn't work for me was the magic system. It's very technical and intricate, and it got introduced later in the story without much page time, so it felt like an info dump whenever new facts were introduced and was difficult for me to remember....more
I decided not to finish around the 1/3 point. I picked this up because I liked one of Patten's shorts in an anthology, but the fight scenes in this stI decided not to finish around the 1/3 point. I picked this up because I liked one of Patten's shorts in an anthology, but the fight scenes in this story didn't have the same fun pace and energy. I'm also not big on major characters being government agents. In this case, it's an antagonist who's in the FBI or CIA, and it's supposed to be cool, and for whatever reason that just doesn't interest me. There were some narrative choices I just really didn't understand, so I didn't feel like finishing it....more
CW: racist slurs, anti-Black iconography, rape, gore. This bindup collects 5 issues of the comic. The art style changes when a new artist is subbed inCW: racist slurs, anti-Black iconography, rape, gore. This bindup collects 5 issues of the comic. The art style changes when a new artist is subbed in. I definitely liked some art styles more than others. The 2nd issue it was hard to keep track of some characters because how they were drawn shifted abruptly. Each issue is about the protagonist Lindsey Ford researching a different encounter someone has had with the box of bones. There's not much momentum to the story, and when I finished, I felt like I hadn't learned anything that wasn't in the synopsis. It was unclear to me if this was going to continue with the episodic nature or if Ford was actually getting any closer to finding the box. The timeline of the stories isn't super clear (I assumed it was in chronological order because it seemed like Ford's drinking got worse throughout the book, which I assumed was signaling her increasingly unhealthy obsession with the box), and the drastically different styles each issue adds to the distance. I don't know how well this will hold up if it continues as standalone stories because of the reliance on gore for scares. Two of the monsters in this story are very creative in their mayhem, but the other two just smash or slice. I didn't have a strong feel for this going in. I bought it off the strength of John Jenning's name and the use of collages for issue covers (I love collages). Given the heavy use of anti-Black iconography, I expected this to be a polarizing book for me. I thought I was either going to find it brilliant or trite (I think some creators over-rely on shock value, so I was worried that there wouldn't be much thought or subversion of how the anti-Black iconography was used). I wasn't expecting to feel meh about it....more
Really enjoyed this middle grade and how it incorporates Gullah Geechee culture and folklore. The main character Jez is struggling to make friends aftReally enjoyed this middle grade and how it incorporates Gullah Geechee culture and folklore. The main character Jez is struggling to make friends after she skips a grade, maintain her close bond with her brother Jay, and learn rootwork from her uncle Doc. Royce is a prolific short story author who's written about Gullah Geechee culture and souther Gothic horror for adults, and it was wonderful seeing that made for a younger audience. She captures this air of magic and menace, and the creepy parts really get under your skin. I also really loved that Jez's doll came alive. I read a lot of dolls come alive stories as a kid, and they never featured Black children or Black dolls, so I loved this part. I hope this gets a sequel because there are so many places for this world and this story to go....more
Good ideas, but writing was a bit rough. Sentences included redundant information, flow was uneven, or sometimes the action was unclear. I wanted moreGood ideas, but writing was a bit rough. Sentences included redundant information, flow was uneven, or sometimes the action was unclear. I wanted more steampunk elements. If it hadn't been in the title, I don't know that I would've noticed them. Interesting monsters and possession system for powers....more
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