Unsettling and frightening: a worthwhile and fast read.
In Zinter’s contemporary fantasy novel, a woman must free herself from a powerful demon.
Doris Draker, an innocent woman, had a regular life working as a secretary when a demon possessed her. The demon made Doris kill nine people—she was finally caught standing in a pool of blood over her last victim. She is sentenced to the notorious Tokema State Hospital for life. While Tokema is a horrible institution in which patients are treated as less than human, Doris finds an oasis of peace and humanity in her sessions with her therapist, Dr. Vernirelli. Being locked up doesn’t keep the demon away (he taunts her throughout her stay), but what’s stranger is the visions she begins to have. She sees herself outside Tokema, but in the blink of an eye she’s back in her room, with her feet covered in dirt. Dr. Vernirelli tries various methods to learn the truth behind Doris’ crimes, attempting to come face to face with the demon himself. A different therapist—a very different one—who’s treating Doris at Tokema is Dr. Tracy, who’s not as comforting as Dr. Vernirelli and indeed seems intent on breaking Doris’ spirit. (“See, my job here is not like all the other psychologists,” Dr. Tracy cheerfully and chillingly confesses.) Doris will need to persevere through the cruel treatment, rely on Dr. Vernirelli’s support, and find the truth behind her demon to exorcise him and end her suffering. This story is both a thriller that builds suspense with surprising plot turns and a horror story that incorporates the supernatural. (The description of the demon swallowing Doris in order to possess her is a creative twist on a traditional horror element.) The worldbuilding of Tokema feels effectively disturbing while toeing the line between fantastic elements that enhance the story and unrealistic elements that detract from its believability; Dr. Tracy’s reconditioning room, in which a great amount of abuse befalls Doris, typifies the latter. The narrative is a roller-coaster ride of twists and shocking revelations that will please readers of both genres.
Unsettling and frightening: a worthwhile and fast read.Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781665755139
Page Count: 226
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
“Nasty little fellows…always get their comeuppance,” a movie character once said. Deeply satisfying.
Following the mysterious disappearance of his wife, a struggling London novelist journeys to a remote Scottish island to try to get his mojo back—but all, of course, is not what it seems.
Grady Green hits the pinnacle of his publishing career on the same night that his life goes off the rails—first his book lands on the New York Times bestseller list, and then his wife, Abby, goes missing on her way home. A year later, Grady is a mere shadow of his former self: out of money and out of ideas. So, when his agent, Abby’s godmother, suggests that he spend some time on the Isle of Amberly, in a log cabin left to her by one of her writers, it seems as good a plan as any. With free housing for himself and his dog and a beautiful, distraction-free environment, maybe he can finally complete the next novel. But from the very beginning, Grady’s experiences with Amberly seem weird, if not downright ominous: As a visitor, he’s not allowed to bring his car onto the island; the local businesses are only open for a few hours at a time; and there are no birds. At all. Not to mention the skeletal hand he finds buried under the floorboards of the cabin, the creepy harmonica music in the woods, and the occasional sighting of a woman in a red coat who’s a dead ringer for Abby. As Grady falls deeper and deeper into insomnia and alcoholism, he begins to realize his being on the island is no accident—and that should make him very afraid. Through occasional chapters from before Abby’s disappearance, told from her point of view, we learn that Grady is not necessarily a reliable narrator, and the book’s slow unfolding of dread, mystery, and then truth is both creative and well-paced. Every chapter heading is an oxymoron, like the title, reminding us of the contradictions at the heart of every story.
“Nasty little fellows…always get their comeuppance,” a movie character once said. Deeply satisfying.Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781250337788
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
