2 November 2020

Am reading - Winterwood

Winterwood
by Shea Ernshaw




What they say: Be careful of the dark, dark wood…

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

For as long as there have been fairy tales, we have been warned to fear what lies within the dark, dark woods and in Winterwood, New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, shows us why.

SHARE:

18 October 2020

YA Scary Treat - Magic Dark and Strange

Magic Dark and Strange
by Kelly Powell





What they say: The Bone Witch meets Sherlock Holmes in this thrilling historical fantasy about a girl with the ability to raise the dead who must delve into her city’s dangerous magical underworld to stop a series of murders.

Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life.

When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life—not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past.

This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death—for all of them.

More info

SHARE:

22 December 2014

A Christmas Horror Story ARC Review

A Christmas Horror Story
by Sebastian Gregory





Add to Goodreads


On the night before Christmas, lock the doors to the house...
Forget the jolly old man in his red, big-buttoned suit. Because another creature is up on the roof, preparing for his annual visit to little children everywhere.
With a belt of knives round his waist, a writhing bag on his back and a Santa-sized appetite, he's a little...different to the St Nick you might be expecting.
And you can leave out all the carrots and mince pies you like...but it's you he's after.
A horrid Christmas to all, and a terrible night.
Every white Christmas has a dark side. Don't miss A Christmas Horror Story, the gruesomely festive new story from Sebastian Gregory.


I received a copy from the publisher Carina UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!


What I say: A Christmas Horror Story is an alternative Christmas Eve tale for children. It focuses on teenager Katie and her siblings Emily and Jake as they battle against the evil Child Eater (think of the Child Catcher combined with the judder man but one who eats kids). The Child Eater is like something from one of the Brothers Grimm stories; under the guise of Santa he abducts children on Christmas eve. 


The story is very different from most children (and in fact most adult) Christmas stories, but I think this is why I liked it. I'm a big fan of A Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline and although A Christmas Horror Story isn't modern gothic like they are, it fits in with the idea of combining horror and children's stories. 

The plot covers several timezones so we get to see more examples of the Child Eater at work. The creepy bad guy combined with the fighting spirit of the kids made me smile. I appreciated the clever twist on the Father Christmas story and think children will be equal parts intrigued and terrified of meeting him. 


Remember to keep the fire burning...! 

3.5 - 4 Stars in my Sky!

SHARE:
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Blogger Template Created by pipdig