Things We Say in the Dark

Book Title: Things We Say in the Dark

Author: Kirsty Logan

Date Started: June 19th 2019

Date Completed: June 24th 2019

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Short Story

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

Final Rating: Four Stars

Review:

◆ Thank you Harvill Secker for the uncorrected proof! ◆

A girl leaves her window open to the monster that calls to her, while a couple explores treetops, caves and icy landscapes looking for the right home, and a woman sleeps with a marble man to escape a ghost. My favourites followed a Kelpie's revenge, a woman isolated in the city, and parents taking their child to an amusement park where things are not what they seem.

Kirsty's short story collection is a lot of things, but above all else it is a haunting commentary on female identity, blurred somewhere between the vengeance of Angela Carter and the unsettling mystery of Shirley Jackson. It's not horror in its gore, its creepy inferences, or prophetic warnings of death and depression - it's horror because in so many ways it's real. Girls are dressed like dolls even when they're corpses, we do fall into the hands of abusers because they feel safe, and disapproving family members do play on our minds even when they're long gone. But with that realism comes empowerment too; it's nice to have lesbians in practically every story without it being a 'thing', and it's damn satisfying for the woman to be the one to swallow the man whole for once (literally).

King of Scars

Book Title: King of Scars

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: Nikolai Duology #1

Date Started: May 4th 2019

Date Completed: July 15th 2019

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

Quality Rating: Three Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

Final Rating: Three Stars

Review:

Oh boy. So I was hoping this rating would shift by the time I came to write up my review. Unfortunately, it's still a three-star read for me. I don't know whether it was bad timing (I was finishing my degree) or just the book, but King of Scars took me forever to read because I only really read a few pages at a time. I did enjoy it, but the fact it felt like a snail's pace to get through it didn't help.

King of Scars follows three stories, essentially: you have the foray into the Fold, from Nikolai and Zoya's perspective, the drama back at Os Alta from Izaak's, and then hundreds of miles away there's Nina infiltrating Fjerda. Each is good individually, but they don't necessarily fit together. There were times when it felt a little bit like there were three different novellas being cross-cut between, but they didn't connect at all in some cases. I'm sure it's probably something that will become clear in the second book, but if you know me you'll know I think every story should be able to stand on its own, whether it's part of a bigger narrative or not.

And, even though there's technically three stories going on at the same time, not a lot happens. It's enjoyable to read if you know and love the other books because you get all these little peaks into their backstory and personal lives. But it's also self-indulgent in the way that Six of Crows so wonderfully avoided; it gives us so much information that just isn't necessary to the story - and maybe it will be at one point but it's just filler in an already sparse narrative. Weirdly, the ending feels rushed my comparison because all the exposition gets dropped and it's just the events. Which is fine, but it's not what I was expecting or what I feel like the story totally deserved.

Leigh Bardugo's characters are an absolute gift; that's where her talents really shine through. They're diverse, both relatable and fantastically eccentric, and have a real way of surprising you. My personal favourite is, of course, Nina thanks to Six of Crows, but it was really nice to see some old faces mixed in with them. It's like a little game of mix and match. Entertaining. But not necessarily the best use of their potential.

It's a shame you kind of need to know the original trilogy to understand a lot of what's going on in King of Scars. It's also a shame I can't really remember much of it myself. But, regardless, I'm sure the next book will be the one packed with action and the knots to tie loose ends.

Bedlam

Book Title: Bedlam

Author: Derek Landy

Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #12

Date Started: May 30th 2019

Date Completed: June 1st 2019

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Horror

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Final Rating: Five Stars

Review:

Anyone that knows me knows that the staple of my reading is basically Skulduggery, Throne of Glass and anything Neil Gaiman writes. I've enjoyed the last couple of sequels to the original series, this Bedlam was one of those books that hit me straight in the face. It’s taken a running jump, but Skulduggery’s finally back to its old self.

Bedlam was a lot more in the line of the action/adventure/fantasy genre like the old books (rather than maybe the horror thriller direction the first two sequels looked at) which is more my kind of thing. But it takes what worked really well from Resurrection and Midnight and mixes it in too; these sequel books get to look at the darker and more 'mature' consequences of the original series, primarily through Valkyrie being genuinely traumatised from it all amongst other things. Bedlam balances the two temperaments really well.

There's a hell of a lot going on now. Only two books in and it's hotting up real quick. But it's coherent, even with what is already a massive cast of characters, I can remember their plots as I get to each chapter. I think a big part of this is the fact that Derek humanises his villains out of stereotypes and into people, sometimes for comic effect but also to raise the stakes. If we can relate, on some level, to a villain they're so much more engaging. I'm sure as hell not rooting for China or Sebastian or Caisson, but they're still interesting to read about.

Speaking of characters, I have to put out recognition for Tanith Low, my own true queen, idol, hero, badass. I can't explain how happy I am that she's back in the fold, damaged but fighting. Again with Val, characters may be messed up from their experiences, but they're getting better. Derek's really good at letting his characters evolve consistently, they're not stuck in characteristics forever. Val's been in pretty dark places, but she can work her way out of them too. As someone with mental health difficulties, it's rare to see characters functioning in a story with these issues, let alone see them go through good and bad days alike.

Derek's just great on representation all round, man. His characters go beyond ticking a box because he just writes people, in all their weird and wonderful variations. The protagonist is bisexual, and while it's a part of her identity, it's not her storyline. The female characters are kick ass because they kick ass, not because they have to prove themselves (I will refer once again to my one and only queen swordlady). I'm so grateful that I had the original series when I was a kid and that it's grown up with me as I've grown up, but it also makes me happy that they're still coming out for new generations.

It's been a long time since I read something, looked up and realised four hours had unexpectedly past. I've had quite a few 'not-want-to-put-down' books, but none that I physically couldn't put down. I can't wait for the rest of this series because it's going to be just as epic as the first one.