The Collector: Unit 731 – Graphic Novel Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Using real world horrors and atrocities in entertainment is a very, very dangerous thing to do. You need to make sure that you handle the situation with care, otherwise the project can come across as crass and exploitative. There have been times when such things have been done well, when they serve the story in ways that don’t feel like the real life tragedy is being used without careful thought. Examples like Magneto’s origins in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, and how it informs his entire character. But there are a lot of creators who seem to expect to be able to use tragedy for their own profit; just look at the recent push back against comedic ‘girl bossing’ true crime podcasts that treat victims and their families like toys.

One subject that is rarely covered in fictitious work is the Japanese research centre and prison camp Unit 731. Everyone has heard of the concentration camps in Nazi Germany, which were run at the same time as Unit 731, in part due to the sheer numbers of people who were killed at them. Auschwitz alone was responsible for 1.1 million deaths. But not as many people have heard of Unit 731. Whilst Unit 731 was not responsible for as many deaths, with it believed to have seen 300,000 people killed it should not be forgotten, nor the events there downplayed.

Unit 731 was responsible for some of the most gruesome and horrific war crimes perpetrated by Japan during World War II. Its prisoners were dehumanised, referred to as ‘logs’, and were treated as objects rather than living people. The camp conducted disease experiments; testing of biological weapons; performed frostbite testing where they’d freeze and beat living victim; performed vivisections on people; dehydration experiments; hypobaric chamber experiments; amputations; and standard weapons testing where they would shoot, stab, and beat prisoners just to see what would happen. And those they did this to included children, babies, and pregnant people. It was a horrific place that rivalled any atrocity at the time (and since), and it’s impossible to even go and read the Wikipedia article about Unit 731 without feeling feeling your faith in humanity die a little. If you’re anything like myself, you’ll end up in tears before the end.

So with that in mind, writing a story set there would have to be handled with extreme care. Does The Collector: Unit 731 do that? No. Not at all. The story is about a man named Michael Smith, an apparently immortal man who in the present day learns of the death of someone he once knew. This begins his tale of his time in Unit 731, where he and his friend were detained by Japanese forces and sent to the camp as prisoners. The depiction of the camp in the book barely reflects the reality of what it was. We follow Michael as he is infected with a virus to see what will happen, but other than that we don’t really see much.

The tight focus on Michael and his small group makes it seem like Unit 731 is a tiny operation, where they’re doing virus research on around twenty men. There is one section where we see an escaped prisoner purposely shot and then vivisected, and one time we see one panel of a frostbite experiment on a woman, but that’s it as far as expanding the camp and acknowledging the reality of it goes. The book does an incredibly poor job at depicting Unit 731, to the point where it might as well have been called something else. I understand that creating a comic that covers the events of that place accurately would be a very hard read, but glossing over it all like this to concentrate on the story of an immortal white man who breaks out and escapes feels kind of gross.

And the fact that this super special man is apparently the only person to have ever escaped this place (there were none known to have done so in real life), and that he basically punches and fights his way out, again feels kind of awful. And it once again feels like its downplaying the horrors of the camp and the things that the people there went through. If this story was set anywhere else – literally any other research camp – it would be fine, because the story itself is fine; the characters whilst not particularly fleshed out still work, and it would have made an interesting enough story. But setting it here and handling it the way it does just doesn’t work. Especially as it ends with the main scientist who was experimenting on Michael still alive and trying to chase him down in the modern day. It makes these very real monsters feel like cartoon villains.

I wanted to read this book because I knew about Unit 731; I’d read about it years ago and have never been able to forget about it. I was hoping to see a book that would perhaps try to tell this story in a way that respected the victims and introduced this dark part of history to new people. Instead, it’s perhaps the worst piece of exploitation I’ve read, that honestly left me angry. Zero stars.

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Lair of the Crystal Fang - S.A. Sidor Interview

 

S.A. Sidor is the author of four dark crime thrillers and more recently two splendid supernatural-pulp adventures, Fury From the Tomb and The Beast of Nightfall Lodge. He has written a number of Arkham Horror titles for Aconyte books, including Cult of the Spider Queen, and The Last Ritual. I got the chance to ask him a few questions about his latest book, Lair of the Crystal Fang.

This isn’t your first Arkham Horror title, and you’ve written some fantastic stories for the series. Were you a fan of the work of Lovecraft before coming on to write for the series, and did you have much experience with the games?

I was a reader of Lovecraft, but more often I prefer tales and writers inspired by the Cthulhu mythos rather than the original tales themselves, although I do have a soft spot for At the Mountains of Madness. Lovecraft has an odd appeal compared to most writers of the pulp era. His characters and plots are not what resonate the most with readers, I think. It’s the eerie weird vibe, the creeping dread of cosmic terror, and the ornate prose which is often hypnotic. Our family played Arkham Horror games (Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness, and Elder Sign) before I ever dreamed of writing stories in the game universe. But I found an old note I wrote to myself years ago about looking into the prospect of writing novels based on the AH games. A premonition? It freaked me out when I found it.

The Lair of the Crystal Fang is a sequel of sorts to Cult of the Spider Queen, did you always know that you were going to be telling another story with those characters, or was it a decision that came about later on?

When I originally pitched the idea for Cult of the Spider Queen to Aconyte, they asked me to consider writing a duology. I liked the idea. I knew some characters would return for Lair of the Crystal Fang, but the setting would be different. After an adventure in the Amazon jungle, a horror visiting the characters back in New England made sense to me. I wanted to show the team of investigators dealing with the traumatic aftermath of their first encounter with the Ancient Ones while they were confronted with a new cosmic terror. How would they react?

Your story brings back three of the characters from your last Arkham Horror novel, and it shows that they’ve not really been having too good a time of things. Was it tough to figure out what happened to them after the book ended and where they’d be when this one started?

I wanted to place the action soon after their return to Arkham while their physical, psychic, and career wounds were still healing. I wanted to present them with another challenge before they’d had a chance to rebound fully. That’s how life is. You get hit with things all at once, and you must fix yourself as best you can while you try and move forward. Life doesn’t play fair.  We’re all headed into the next battle nursing old wounds. I took each of the returning characters and challenged them where they were most vulnerable. Andy loses his job, Jake is physically challenged in a way he never imagined, and Maude is lost in her nightmarish dreams.

The story also brings in some characters that have appeared in the games, as well as in some other Arkham Horror stories from Aconyte, who were your favourite of the new characters to write, and were there any that you considered including in addition to them?

I envisioned a citywide threat that had the possibility of spiralling out of control, imperilling the whole planet. At first, my imagination wanted to include as many investigators as possible. But I soon realized cameo appearances by the games’ characters wasn’t the way to go. If an investigator from the game showed up, they needed to play an essential role. Rex Murphy was a lot of fun to write. Dr Carolyn Fern added great psychological depth and insights, especially into the subject of The Dreamlands. Surprisingly, Mayor Charlie Kane was my favourite to write. I hadn’t expected that. But looking at Arkham’s problems from his perspective opened previously hidden imaginative doors for me. Likewise, Wendy Adams observes the city, and its monsters, from a completely different viewpoint. Diversity is what makes these games great.

Your previous story took the action far away from Arkham, and put readers in an extremely different environment. In this story you return to the city, what was it like returning to Arkham, and was it a different kind of writing experience because of that?

It was good to return to Arkham. I wanted to tap into Arkham history a bit, and I liked the idea of a growing threat underneath the city itself. Setting part of the action of the story in subterranean Arkham was a way to bring the story home but also to enter a hidden world. The setting proved just as complex as the Amazon. In the beginning, it was a challenge to keep all the characters and locations sorted out so the reader might follow things without trouble. The plot tightened up in the editing phase. The result is twisty but always propulsive.

Cult of the Spider Queen had a pulpy adventure kind of vibe to it, and reminded me of stories like Creature From The Black Lagoon. Lair of the Crystal Fang has a much more claustrophobic kind of feel to it, and the horror of being trapped in the dark tunnels was quite intense at times. Did you choose to make the books thematically different that way to change things up, or are these kinds of stories and themes that appeal to you?

It's funny that you mention Creature From The Black Lagoon. I’ve always loved that film. Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Mummy are the two old Universal horror films that scared me the most as a child. It’s no mystery that they influenced my imagination. Being trapped in a confined space is a recurring motif in horror because it’s a basic fear that works on an animal level, but it also has many symbolic levels of interpretation. I’m not particularly claustrophobic; in fact, I happen to enjoy snug little spaces. I spent a great deal of time as a child playing in boxes and making little forts where I acted out my imaginary fantasies, travelling in time machines, hiding from monsters, rationing my supplies and scanning for voices on a staticky old walkie-talkie. I live in my head and that’s a dark, tight spot most days. 

This story delves into some of the history of Arkham, and introduces another mysterious group into the novels with the inclusion of the witch coven and their ties to the city’s past. Is it ever daunting to start digging into to the past when it comes to a franchise like Arkham Horror, or is that something that you enjoy?

One of the great things about working with Aconyte and Arkham Horror is the amount of collaboration that goes into planning and vetting the stories as they move from the idea stage to the final product. The smart folks at Fantasy Flight Games have oversight and input while the book is in development. They steer people like me away from dangerous or complicated elements that might conflict with the games and their long history spanning many storytelling formats. The editors at Aconyte know what territory other Aconyte writers have covered, or will be covering, so everything is well-coordinated. Short answer: it is daunting to dig into Arkham’s past, but I know I’m not going into the dark alone. My teammates look out for me. 

Some of the other writers on the Arkham Horror series have spoke about the huge wealth of characters and stories that the game has created that you’re able to draw upon when writing the books; what’s it like working in a pre-established universe like that?

It’s both a challenge and a source of inspiration. I want to make sure my work measures up to the legacy of stories that have come before me. I hope readers have an experience that is familiar but surprising. I want readers who play the games to feel as if they are diving into another form of the same immersive universe. The books ideally work two ways: readers will want to play more games, and gamers will want to read more books. As the Arkham universe deepens, it becomes a fountain of new possibilities. I never felt limited in what I might write.

You definitely seem to be a big fan of horror, and you write it very well. What horror stories have been some of your favourites and might have had some influence upon your own work?

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve read Lovecraft and many writers influenced by the Cthulhu mythos. It’s a rich legacy to explore because it’s shrouded in ambiguity and strangeness. It’s hard for me to pick favourites, because my answer would change every day. I’m a big fan of the stories of Clark Ashton Smith, Fritz Leiber, T.E.D. Klein, Robert Bloch, Michael Shea, Ramsey Campbell, Caitlin Kiernan, Stephen King, and Thomas Ligotti. Other writers whose work I find myself returning to include: Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Jackson, Elizabeth Hand, Sarah Waters, Margaret Atwood, Anne Rice, and Octavia Butler. I could go on and on.

If people enjoyed this book is there anything you can tell us about to expect in the future, or any upcoming projects that you might be able to tease us with?

I think I’ll always work with an element of horror. I like blending genres. In the past, I’ve mixed historical and westerns with horror. In the future, I’d like to try science fiction horror.

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A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin - Book Review

 

'A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

'Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi—a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making—has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.

'But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world...'

I really enjoyed A Magic Steeped in Poison, the first part of this duology, and the book featured on my list of best books for 2022. As such, I was really looking forward to seeing what Judy I. Lin would do with the second part of the story; especially as the first book seemed to indicate that what was coming next would be quite different.

The first book saw Ning, a young woman from a remote rural village, travelling to the capital city to take part in a competition to find the next shénnóng-shi, a magic user that uses tea making to craft their powers, that will advise the royal family. Ning, who had faked her credentials to get in, simply wanted to win in order to help find help for her younger sister, who had been poisoned in a series of attacks that are threatening people across the kingdom. Knowing that if she wins she can get whatever help she needs, she enters a dangerous world of lies, intrigue, and double crosses.

And whilst she does well during the competition, even coming to form something of a friendship and mutual respect with the princess, things go horribly wrong when an exiled general performs a coup, and ousts the princess from her throne. Worse still, Ning is framed for multiple crimes. Forced to go on the run, Ning, the princess, and the princess' lover and bodyguard flee the capital. Travelling home, Ning uses the magic she's learned to cure her sister, and the four young women set out to find a solution to the issues facing the kingdom.

And this is where this second book begins. Where the first seemed to be something of a fantasy take on competitions like The Apprentice, with a group of young hopefuls competing for power and position, slowly whittling down the competition and impressing the judges, this book has none of that. The tone changes dramatically. Instead of court intrigue and mystery we have a quest to save the kingdom; one that involves searching for mysterious figures, gathering ancient relics, and preparing to fight an evil god. Despite sounding like this book should have nothing in common with the first, it feels like the perfect continuation. Things have changed, dramatically so, but it absolutely feels right for the story.

One of the things that's really wonderful about this second book is that is expands the world Lin has created. The first book was pretty much set in one city, and mostly in one area of that city (the royal palace). And whilst we got to meet people from all over the country, and learned a lot about the rest of Dàxi from conversations and small pieces of lore dropped throughout the book, we never really got to see it or experience it. This book changes that, as Ning and her companions travel to several new locations; some of which border of the fantastical.

Much of the first book felt like a story that could take place in the real world too, with the magic existing in what seemed to be a fairly fantasy light environment. The second book, in contrast, has magic possession, alternate planes, a living forest, ancient warriors, and evil gods trying to return to corporeal form. It goes hard on the fantastical parts, and because so long was spent on getting readers used to the more recognisable and realistic parts, as well as the characters, it became a lot easier to accept the wilder elements.

But even through all of these new developments, changes, and fantastical moments, it's still a story about Ning; and she's still very much at the heart of the book. Her mission has changed, but she's still finding herself caught up in something that she never wanted. She's pushed in ways that she never expected, and one of the best things about this book is her learning that she's much more powerful, more intelligent, and more important than she ever really gave herself credit for. She spends much of the first book doubting herself, unsure if she's doing the right thing, but here she's really come into her own, she's taking an active role, and proves why she's the best choice to be the royal shénnóng-shi.

This proves to be a pleasant, enjoyable conclusion to the story that goes in directions I honestly couldn't have predicted. Lin seemed to be creating a certain kind of story with the first book, and manages to completely subvert my expectations at every turn with this one. And whilst the book is very different, it proves to be a fantastic conclusion to the story.

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Wolf Manor – Film Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Werewolf movies seem to have one of two approaches: they either play things completely seriously, and make things dark, distressing, and gory, or they inject a little bit of humour into things to try and lighten the mood somewhat.

Films like An American Werewolf in London manage this second option perfectly, giving the film moments of genuine humour and levity, whilst also making it truly terrifying at times. Sometimes it can skew a bit too far into comedy, giving us films like Werewolves Within, which felt like a comedy film with some monsters thrown into the mix. The new British-made horror film Wolf Manor is trying to create a werewolf movie with some fun, but seems to play it a bit too safe, and never really veers far enough into horror, or comedy, to really excel at either.

Wolf Manor drops viewers into the final days of a film shoot, where a small team of people have stayed on at an old manor house in the middle of nowhere, past their agreed upon time, in order to get the final few pick-up shots to finish their Gothic vampire movie. The crew are tired and ready to go home, with the past month of shooting having drained many of them. It doesn’t help that the film is the final hurrah of old horror legend Oliver (James Fleet), who seems to find it difficult to get into character, has problems with his fake teeth, and keeps sneaking off for a drink whenever he’s not being supervised.

Determined to make the film a success, a couple of horror magazine reporters are stopping by the shoot to try and promote the movie. However, the locals warn them that they shouldn’t go up to the isolated manor house on the full moon. As the moon rises the bodies begin to mount, and the cast and crew discover that they’re under siege from a creature right out of their nightmares.

Wolf Manor knows it’s a bit of a campy, silly film. It makes it clear straight away when the film begins with classic horror credits, with a model plane flying around a spinning globe, and old style titles appearing on the screen. The movie within the movie is a love letter to old films from Hammer and Universal, and the rest of the movie seems to embrace many of the tropes and references that fill most werewolf films.

There are comments about the pub nearby being like The Slaughtered Lamb from An American Werewolf in London, and the locals inside all go silent and creepy when outsiders come in. There’s the wolf head cane from the old Lon Chaney movie, and warnings to stay on the road when out at night. If you’ve watched a few werewolf movies you’re going to recognise the trappings of the genre here, and will probably appreciate their inclusion.

As mentioned before though, the film isn’t just a horror movie, and it tries to inject quite a bit of humour into things. Whilst some of it works well, such as a visual gag of an ever expanding pile of balls every time the camera comes back onto a certain character, other times it feels a bit too forced, like the contents of the old wooden chest the pub landlord brings out. Comedy is always a difficult area, as you can never guarantee just what is going to make people laugh, and can end up with a film that people hate. It’s perhaps because of this that Wolf Manor never quite seems to be comfortable to push the comedy too much, relying on giving the audience a smile and a small chuckle, rather than going for out and out laughs.

On the horror side of things the film does pretty good, with some gory, surprising moments when the werewolf attacks. Some of it is a bit predictable, and you know that the character carefully sneaking outside to try and escape is going to get grabbed by the beast, but it’s always done well enough that the moments feel frightening and awful for the characters. The film doesn’t skimp on the blood, guts, and dismembered body parts, and every time a character gets snatched you know that something terrible is happening to them.

The werewolf design is pretty decent too. Rather than going more wolf-like, the film almost goes for a bestial, ape-like wolf, and the face brought to mind the vampires from From Dusk Till Dawn or the hellhounds in Buffy the Vampire Slayer more than it did something from The Wolfman. Whilst I’m sure there are some who would want to see a more classic wolf-like look, the design felt different and interesting enough to stand out, and showed that the design team put some effort into their creature effects.

Wolf Manor is an interesting and entertaining horror film that doesn’t really do anything new or different, and seems more focused on just having a bit of fun. The people who made the film are clearly fans of the genre, and that love comes across in the film. Wolf Manor doesn’t take itself seriously, and if you’re looking for a film that’s a bit of decent fun that will keep you entertained for a few hours you could pick a lot worse than this.

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The Ward: Welcome To The Madhouse – Graphic Novel Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Medical dramas are a genre of stories that do extremely well. Shows like Casualty, ER, and Greys Anatomy go on for literal decades, with just those three shows alone having nearly 2,000 episodes between them. Folks who couldn’t tell you what the difference between an EEG and an EKG, or what it means when a patient is in tachycardia, love watching capable, competent medical professionals rush around, shouting out instructions, and saving lives. There’s something about watching medics at work, literally saving lives, that feels bigger than life and awe inspiring. So it’s something of a surprise that the genre has never really made much headway into the realm of comics.

This gap in the market seems to have been filled, however, with the release of the graphic novel The Ward: Welcome To The Madhouse, which collects together each of the four-issue limited series into one book. But, this isn’t just a book about an ordinary emergency room – as the cover makes clear. This is the story of St. Lilith’s, a hospital hidden away from the prying eyes of the general public, where monsters, mythical creatures, and the supernatural go to get themselves patched up.

The book begins by introducing us to the hospital in the most appropriate way: with an emergency. Natalie Reeves works in insurance, and has a nice normal life until she finds her neighbour at her doorstep with a bleeding woman. The woman, who Nat knows, was knocking on her door looking for help when she collapsed. This drags Nat back into a world that she thought she’d left behind, as she’s forced to use her medical training to stabilise the woman whilst a special ambulance arrives to take them to St. Lilith’s. Going with the injured woman, Nat finds herself back in the hospital she once worked in, helping to save lives, and realises that she made a mistake in having walked away from it before.

The first issue of the book introduces readers to St. Lilith’s, and the existence of supernatural beings, through Nat’s neighbour, Wilfred. Despite Nat being our main character, and Wilfred not being in the book past this first issue, he’s the audience cipher. He, like us, knows nothing about Nat’s secret life, he’s not aware of the secret world beneath the carefully maintained facade, and he doesn’t know squat about medicine. As such, when he’s taken into St Lilith’s and shown the barely contained chaos there, he’s us. And much like most medical dramas, it’s chaotic, complex, and awe inspiring to see it all play out. Cavan Scott does an amazing job at capturing the feel and the drama of what we’ve come to expect from these kinds of stories, and has translated it incredibly well to the written page.

Over the course of the book we get to see the St. Lilith’s staff dealing with stabbings, overdoses, births, building collapses, and a plague sweeping through the city. There’s a lot going on at all times, and it feels like there’s very little time to stand still and take stock of things because one emergency is quickly followed by another (though sometimes they happen at the same time). Despite the fast paced nature of the book, Scott manages to squeeze some character focused stories into the mix too, and we get to know Nat quite well over the course of the book, and get to discover her past, and watch fraught family drama unfold.

The cast of The Ward: Welcome To The Madhouse is fairly small, focusing on several core characters, but all of them manage to have something to do across the book, and most of them have interesting character traits that would be easily explorable in future instalments of the series, if they ever decide to make more. The head physician for the hospital is Dr Kumasaka, a faceless ghost woman from Japan, who seems to be an interesting choice for a doctor as she doesn’t seem able to touch much. Lydia Black is the main nurse for the ward, and thanks to her abilities is able to split herself into multiple people (each with their own fancy hair colour), which makes her a pretty handy person to have in a busy emergency room. There’s also Luis Cervantes, a hot shot new doctor who, like Nat, is a human, and much like Nat he gets a pretty interesting personal journey throughout the book. There’s a wisecracking ambulance driver who’s also a Welsh swan nymph, and a troll security guard named Earl who make a few appearances.

Despite only being four issues long the book seems to really pack in the drama; there’s always something happening and the result is a book that feels a lot denser than most four issue runs. And the artwork plays a part in this too. Drawn and coloured by Andres Ponce, The Ward: Welcome To The Madhouse is a book where there are very few panels that aren’t filled to the brim. Whether it’s the ward itself filled with rushing doctors and injured patients, or close-up shots of the doctors working their hardest to save a life, almost every part of the book is packed with energy and drama. It’s so easy to get caught up in the drama that you’ll find yourself rushing through the book along with the characters, almost glossing over everything else that’s going on, so it’s worth going back and looking through everything a second time. It’s worth the time to just sit and look at the pages where you can see the emergency room filled with amazing creatures, and just spend some time taking it all in and seeing how much effort Ponce put into creating a fully realised world.

Whether you’re a fan of fast paced medical dramas, or of urban fantasy stories of hidden worlds filled with supernatural creatures, The Ward: Welcome To The Madhouse will tick your boxes. It’s a wonderful mixture of genres that hasn’t really been seen in comics before, and one that immediately stands out as a series that not only works fantastically well, but deserves to have a lot more than just four issues. If you’re looking for something a little different to the normal comic fare, this book is one that you definitely need to have on your radar.

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Frankenstein: New World #4 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Frankenstein: New World has returned readers to the world of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. in the distant future, long after our world has ended and been reborn, and this final issue in the limited series run highlights perhaps the biggest flaw in many of these four part series from Dark Horse – they’re not long enough. The story comes to something of a close here, yet readers are left wanting more as it just doesn’t feel like enough.

Previous entries in the series spent a good deal of time introducing this new, evolved world; a world where humanity and most other life on the planet was destroyed millennia ago (check out the events of B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know to see how all that went down). We spent a while with Lilja, one of the few humans left alive living in the centre of the Earth, watched over by their Oracle, the ageless Frankenstein. Since then the two of them have set out for the surface, and we’ve gone along with them as they’ve explored this new paradise, and made new friends.

Last issue things went badly for their allies, the frog-like Bonji, when their village came under attack from their vicious rivals, the Varsu. This issue picks up where that left off, with Frankenstein and most of the Bonji prisoners of the Varsu, brought in chains to their sacred space to answer for the crime of one of the Bonji having looked upon their god. Not only has this act condemned the entire village, but it also transformed the man who looked upon the god, Bih’tak, into a monster. Whilst Frankenstein is forced to fight against the transformed Bhi-tak, Lilja and the village children try to mount a rescue, and something evil lurks in the shadows, watching it all.

Despite this being the end of this series it really feels like we’ve only just scratched the surface of this story. The end brings this particular chapter to a close, but there are still several important plot threads left hanging that means there surely has to be more coming. Which is a good thing, because as enjoyable as this issue is it would be a bit disappointing if this is how it all ends. Going off past Hellboy books, however, and the popularity of the series, I think it’s pretty safe to say that there’ll be more coming in the future. But how does this opening chapter stack up?

Overall, this is a decent start to the story, and the main focus is Lilja and Frankenstein, and the relationship that they’ve built. This issue really shows that off, as when everyone else is either cowering or running away, Lilja is the one running towards the danger in hopes of helping her friend. We get to see Frankenstein go from a mythical, inhuman figure for her, into someone that she genuinely cares about, and is willing to put her life of the line for. And this issue bonds the two of them in an important way, in a way that could change their dynamic a great deal going into later stories. Whilst discovering this new world and its mysteries has been an enjoyable part of the mini-series, it’s these two characters that make it a comic worth reading month after month.

The art on this issue, provided by Peter Bergting and Michelle Madsen, continues the signature look of this universe, and continues to make the new world both beautiful and creepy. This issue really shows off that balance well, particularly with Murk and his minions having a much larger presence throughout. The art team are able to make a setting that felt wondrous and awe-inspiring a few issues ago into something sinister without really doing much different, and these subtle shifts are deftly done. This is also one of the more action packed issues of the series, and the artwork when Frankenstein is left to fight the huge monster that was once Bih’tak are filled with energy, and are easy to understand.

Frankenstein: New World has been an enjoyable return to this universe, a great continuation for long time fans, and an easy, interesting jumping on point for new readers. There’s a great character focused story at the centre, tons of new things to discover, and some interesting mysteries and a looming threat still to be resolved. Hopefully readers won’t have to wait too long for the next part of this story.

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Saint by Adrienne Young - Book Review

 

'As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don’t heed the old tales. Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he’s grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favour. As stories of the fisherman’s son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest bastard to sail the Narrows.

'Now, he’s mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias’ faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he’s spent the last three years working for.

'He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he’s seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he’s going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he’s known for - Saint.'

There are a few authors that I've discovered over the last few years whose work is so fantastic that I will pick up any book with their name on it, without even needing to read what it's about. Adrienne Young is one of these writers. From her first book, Sky in the Deep, and it's sequel The Girl the Sea Gave Back, I knew she was a writer that I needed to keep her eye on, and with the Fable universe, Fable, Nanesake,and The Last Legacy, she's created a series of books that never fails to disappoint. Saint is the latest entry in that series, and takes readers backwards in time to witness the origin of one of the more important characters that exists within it; as well as showing us how many of the plots and characters started off.

Despite having his name on the cover, this book isn't just about Saint, and the book begins by introducing us to another character that fans will instantly be familiar with, Isolde. Having fled from her mother, with one of the rarest and most expensive jewels in the world in her possession, she seeks to get away from her mother's reach and heads for Narrows. However, the captain of the ship she's on, Zola, has plans for her that could lead her into even more danger. But when she crosses paths with the dashing young helmsman, Saint, who's secretly smuggling fake gems in order to raise the money he needs for a traders license and a new ship, Isolde thinks that she might have found her way to freedom. But as Saint and Isolde's fates intertwine it brings them both into danger.

This being a prequel novel there's a lot here that fans of the series are going to love. From the first few pages it's clear that the events of this book are going to be referencing important people, places, and events. And whilst the book absolutely works on its own, and you don't need to know who everyone is or the importance of the things that are happening for future events, it definitely adds to the enjoyment. Those coming to this universe fresh will understand that Isolde has an expensive jewel in her possession, but for those that have read the other three books, as soon as the midnight is mentioned there'll be a moment of 'oh shit!' as you realise the implications of that and how important a thing it is.

And this is something that happens multiple times across the course of the book. It relies on you having read the other books to go from enjoying the novel to loving it on another level. And it's honestly a really great experience. Another thing in the book that instantly feels like it means more is the relationship between Saint and his best friend, Clove. Coming to this without any other knowledge they're two friends whose lives are so intertwined, so tied together they seem more like brothers. But those who've read the other books will know where their stories will ultimately end up, and so seeing them here in this way changes it from a good background relationship into one of the better parts of the book. I wanted to see more of them together, I needed to see what they were like at this stage of their life because it gives what comes after so much more impact and importance.

I'm making it sound like Saint plays upon fan service, and that you need to have read three other novels to get something from this, but that's not the case. The book absolutely does stand on its own. It has its own story that works within the confines of its book and doesn't rely on anything else to reach a satisfactory conclusion. The world is clear enough, and it makes sense and feels interesting without any knowledge of things beyond this story. And that feels like a very impressive line for Adrienne Young to have walked. It could have been easy to make this purely for the fans of the other books, and she certainly goes include a ton of stuff for those readers, but she doesn't forget that this could be someone's introduction to this series, and makes sure that that's taken into account.

The one thing about this book that does give me some slight pause, that leaves me unsure how I feel, is the ending. This book ends in a great way, the story it wants to tell her gets told and the characters end up in a good position for this to be it. And if this is the only time that Young goes backwards in time to play with these characters then it's absolutely fine. But I do also kind of want more. I want there to be another prequel. I want more from these characters. And yes, I know that that's nothing to do with the book or the author and is all down to me, but now that I've finished it I'm just left yearning for more of it. Though that does speak to the quality of the writing that even when its come to a satisfying conclusion my reaction is to turn around and demand more.

Whether this is the only time that we'll get to go back in time and play in this era or not, and whether this is your first introduction to the Fable universe, Saint is an incredibly addictive and engrossing novel filled with interesting and engaging characters, and a world that's incredibly well realised. Young continues to be one of my favourite authors thanks to this book; and I can't wait to see what she does next.

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Listmas 2022 – Best Comics

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Even during the height of the pandemic, comics were one media that managed to carry on with little disruption. Thanks to the way they’re produced, they were able to keep up a pre-pandemic release schedule whilst other mediums faced some difficulty. Coupled with the ever increasing popularity for the characters and properties thanks to film, TV, and video game adaptations, comics have attracted a lot of new readers over the last few years. Here are ten series that we’ve been reading in 2022 that have been our favourites.

Superman: Son of Kal-El – Tom Taylor

It may come as a surprise to those not reading comics on a regular basis, but there are actually two people with the name Superman at the moment. One is the mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, the other is is teenage son, Jonathan. In 2021 Clark set out into space to help the people on a distant planet, leaving Jon to take care of Earth and carry the name Superman. Superman: Son of Kal-El charts his various adventures in the absence of his father.

The series followed Jon as he went from Superboy to Superman, having to step up and become a symbol of hope and peace. Across the series readers get to see Jon tackle important issues, fight giant monsters, and learn about the delicate line Superman has to walk. The series also told the story of him finding love with a powered revolutionary, Jay Nakamura. This was the first time readers have ever had a queer Superman, and it became a core part of the series, with the book treating it no differently than it would a heterosexual relationship. One of the best issues of the comic dealt with this story too, when Clark returned from space and his son tells him that he’s bisexual. Perhaps one of the most well written and deeply heartfelt scenes in comics in 2022, I’m not afraid to say that issue made me cry a lot.

If you’re looking to read a Superman book but are afraid of the masses of Clark Kent stories, this series offers a great introduction to the mythos. Whilst the series has come to an end this month, Jon is set to continue his time as Superman in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent next year.

DC vs Vampires – Matthew Rosenberg & James Tynion IV

Set in an alternate universe outside of the main DC continuity, DC vs Vampires began as a horror-mystery story that soon turned into a post-apocalypse horror. Readers learn very quickly in the first issue that the vampires which live in the fringes of the DC Universe have decided they no longer want to skulk in the shadows, wishing to rule the world. They’ve infiltrated the Justice League, having turned at least one of the team, and are spreading. Batman discovers this and, unsure of whom to trust, begins to gather his troops and prepare for war.

Unfortunately, not even Batman can stop everything, and soon the vampires take over most of the world’s heroes and villains, populating their ranks with the super powered. The vampires now rule the world, with humans having become a hunted species. A small group of survivors battle to save humanity, but hope is in short supply.

The beauty of DC vs Vampires is that it’s set in another universe, so when characters are in danger in this story there’s no guarantee that they’re going to make it out alive. And the series makes a point of this, by brutally murdering some pretty big name figures. Heroes become monsters, villains step up to save the world, and beloved characters die in brutal, bloody ways. If you like horror this series will appeal to you; there’s always a sense of tension when reading it, and with one issue left (at time of writing) I honestly can’t tell you if the heroes are even going to survive, let alone win. A brutal, but brilliant series.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest – Mark Waid

Batman and Superman go together well, and comics are littered with team-ups between the two of them. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest is all about those team-ups, and takes readers back to the past to read adventures with the titular heroes in their youth. Together with Dick Grayson’s Robin and occasionally Supergirl, the two find themselves dealing with a variety of foes, such as ancient demons out to take over the planet, low-level Justice League villains with mysterious boosts in power, and even the Joker. The latest story even introduces us to Superman’s own side-kick, Boy Thunder, and tells us the untold story of what happened to him, and why you’ve never heard of him before.

Whilst the series is set in the past, and you know nothing truly bad or world changing can happen, the series manages to still have an impact on the wider DC Universe. The demon that Bruce and Clark fight in their first arc reappears in the current event series Batman vs Robin, for example. And whilst the series can’t make you worry that its characters are in any real danger it instead fills its pages with some of the best written interaction between its leads. Superman and Batman feel like firm friends here, and they have tons of charisma; something that is sometimes lacking in other team-ups.

If you’re a big fan of the two characters and want something that feels a bit lighter, a bit more focused on having fun and telling decent character focused stories, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest might just be for you.

Nightwing – Tom Taylor

Another series written by Tom Taylor (he’s just that good!) worth a read is Nightwing, which charts the adventures of Dick Grayson (the original Robin) in the city of Bludhaven. Following the tragic death of Alfred Pennyworth, Dick finds himself receiving a fortune in inheritance, and decides to use it to help the people of Bludhaven, founding the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation. However, his attempts to help the people of the city lead Nightwing into conflict with some of the worst criminals around.

This series charts his efforts to make his city a better place, whilst also reigniting his relationship with Barbara Gordon (Batgirl). What makes this different from being just another Batman type book? Well, Dick has a lot of friends, and isn’t afraid to call on them for help. The series features appearances from Wally West’s Flash, the Teen Titans, Jon Kent’s Superman (who Dick is helping to mentor), the Bat-Family, and more. Every person who makes an appearance feels natural, and their connection to Dick justifies it. The book also walks a fine line of throwing in these other heroes yet making Dick fully competent and not needing the help because he’s poor at the job.

This series feels like a celebration of Dick Grayson, a character who’s kind of the heart and soul of the DC Universe. It also gives him a three legged puppy to care for and look after; and anyone who resists little Bite-Wing has to have a heart made of stone.

Dark Knights of Steel – Tom Taylor

Taylor keeps on making hit series, and Dark Knights of Steel might be one of the most ambitious on this list. Set on its own strand of the DC multiverse, this series sees the infant Kal-El brought to Earth by his parents, arriving on a world that has evolved at a slower pace, and finds itself in medieval times. Fast forwarding a few decades, we’re introduced to a world where the Els rule a kingdom where magic (one of the few things that can harm them) is outlawed. They maintain a delicate peace with neighbouring kingdoms, but soon find themselves on the brink of war when Jor-El becomes the target of an assassin.

If you’ve ever wondered what DC characters would look like in medieval times this is the book for you. There’s Batman in full knightly armour, Harley Quinn as a literal court jester, Constantine as a court wizard, the Robins as a gang of rogues, and Wonder Woman as… well, she’s pretty much the same to be fair. Taylor does a fantastic job of reimagining the characters fans know and love, and not only makes them work in this new setting, but gives them some awesome new designs too. Plus, there are some twists to certain characters that are absolutely genius.

With political and court intrigue which could rival that of Game of Thrones, this is the perfect book for superhero fans who’re starting to get bored of seeing the same kind of thing over and over, and need something new.

Robin – Joshua Williamson

There have been a number of Robins at this point, with five characters to have worn the title. The latest of them is Damian Wayne, the biological son of Bruce Wayne. Raised by assassins before finding his father, he’s always had a bit of an edge to him, but he has mellowed somewhat over the years. In this solo series, Damian is summoned to a remote island to take part in the Lazarus Tournament, where young warriors fight to the death. Thanks to the magic on the island they get to come back to life until they die a set number of times. Still grieving over the loss of Alfred Pennyworth, Damian enters the tournament determined to find out who’s behind it.

Damian seems to be one of those characters who can either be fantastic, or the rudest and most annoying person around depending on who’s writing him. Luckily, Joshua Williamson seems to know how to write the perfect Damian. The Damian in this series has depth; he’s mourning the loss of his grandfather, he’s fighting against his old killer ways, he’s trying to be a better person, and he even finds romance. This could have been a very grim and serious series, but it manages to have a lot of heart, humour, and fun, giving us one of the most human Damians we’ve ever had. It also introduces one of the best new characters of the year, Flatline.

The Flash – Jeremy Adams

Out of all the comics picked for this year’s list, The Flash might be the most disjointed out of all of them. The other series are either all self contained, or have pretty tightly structured arcs. The Flash, on the other hand, has done a lot this year; but then he is the fastest man alive, so he can fit it all in. This year saw Wally West head off to Gem World to fight powerful magic users, get involved in the ‘War For Earth-3’, attempt to save Barry Allen in a Dark Crisis tie-in, and try out a spot of multi-dimensional wrestling. And that’s not even everything! The one thing that is consistent throughout all of these adventures, however, has been his family. Wally’s family has become a big part of the book, and him being a husband and father is as much a part of the series as him being a hero.

The Flash doesn’t just have him living a normal family life, though. His twin kids have powers and are wanting to get involved in the adventuring life, and his wife Linda develops her own speedster powers when she becomes pregnant again. Readers get an entire family of superheroes, and the stories being told with them are often incredibly delightful. The series also gave us some of the best, and most important, tie-ins for Dark Crisis. Wally West might not be the first man to wear the title of Flash, but he’s one of the best, and this series seems to love showing why by giving him wonderful stories.

Deathstroke Inc. – Joshua Williamson & Ed Brisson

Series focused on villains can be a bit of a gamble. It can take away their mystique, it can humanise them a bit too much, and you run the risk of making them into a hero. Deathstroke Inc., which focuses on the masked mercenary Slade Wilson, felt a bit like that worst-case scenario to start with. When the series began he was going on missions with Black Canary, and seemed to perhaps be leading to a place where he could do some good. But, during the crossover event ‘Shadow War’, he very much reminded readers that he was a villain, and did some pretty bad stuff. Come the end of that he gets taken over by some kind of dark entity and leads an army of evil for the start of Dark Crisis.

But that’s only the first half of his series. What about the second half? Does it chart his actions during the big universe-wide event? No, Deathstroke Inc. went through a slight reinvention when Dark Crisis began, and took readers back to Slade’s past, showing us how he became the mercenary killer. And this was perhaps the best move that the series could make. Whilst it had been a pretty solid series up to that point, his origin story is where this became a must read. The series gave new life and depth to the character, and did it all without sacrificing any of his villainous qualities.

Even if you only pick up this series for the ‘Year One’ arc, you should. You might not be interested in seeing his current day missions, but learning how he became who he is, in some of the best written scenes the character has been in, with amazing action, has to be a must.

Batman – Joshua Williamson & Chip Zdarsky

2022’s Batman title a pretty decent series whilst Williamson was at the helm. It had a storyline that saw the Caped Crusader go up against a new foe which pushed him, setting up for the new Batman Incorporated series, and it featured the ‘Shadow War’ crossover event. But the series went through a big shift with issue #125, where a new creative team came onto the book, led by writer Chip Zdarsky. And this is what gets Batman onto this list.

The first issue of the new creative team saw Batman being framed for the Penguin’s death when the villain faked his own death and made it appear like Batman killed him (no one really knows he’s still alive at this point). This resulted in the public thinking Batman had broken his one rule, becoming a killer, and activated a device within the Batcave, a dangerous robot called Failsafe, designed with one purpose in mind: to stop Batman if he ever became a killer. Built by Bruce, then having that knowledge removed from his mind, Failsafe knows all of his moves, how to fight all of his allies (including the Justice League), and won’t stop until Batman is dead.

The Failsafe story basically gives readers a Batman vs Terminator-style conflict, and it’s absolutely fantastic. From Failsafe’s first introduction where he brushes aside the Bat-Family, to him bringing down Superman with little effort, his every appearance keeps building the tension to deliver one of the most engaging and exciting Batman stories in a while.

Dark Crisis – Joshua Williamson

DC is known for its big events, especially the ones with ‘Crisis’ in the title. If a book is a Crisis, it’s going to be big and it’s going to change the DC Universe. Dark Crisis is no exception. Picking up after the events of Justice League #75, where the heroes seem to die, Dark Crisis puts the reader in a world where the icons are dead and the remaining heroes are having to stand up against a world in chaos. It’s in this chaos that Deathstroke, infected by some cosmic darkness, leads an assault against the world’s heroes, turning villains and heroes to his cause.

Despite the best efforts of heroes like Nightwing and Jon Kent’s Superman, the world is on the brink; and all of that is just the prelude. A figure from the past of DC, from the very first Crisis event is returning, and is determined to remake the universe as he sees fit. Even if it means the destruction of Earth-0. As the series progresses, and is renamed Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, it becomes clear that this is a huge game-changing book and will have a lasting impact on everything that comes next. Universes will be remade, universes will die. Heroes will return, heroes will be lost. DC will never be the same after this.

Dark Crisis is a book for those who love the DC Universe, it’s history, and its characters, and will have you shocked, awed, and cheering throughout.

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The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken – Throwback 10

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The early 2010s was an era where if you walked into a book shop and headed over to the teen section you were guaranteed to find one of two things: paranormal romance stories, and dystopian fiction. Both were big business thanks to the headliners of each genre, Twilight, and The Hunger Games respectively, and there were a lot of imitators trying to become the next big thing, and to make their series a must have. The Darkest Minds is a sci-fi dystopia book that might not have done as well as The Hunger Games, but certainly did well for itself.

The story deals with a not too distant future where the world has been ravaged by a new disease, Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration (IAAN), which kills 90% of children and teens. Those that survive the disease awaken with new powers and abilities. When Ruby wakes up on her tenth birthday with her own abilities to read minds, her parents lock her away in their garage whilst they wait for the authorities to arrive, fearing their own daughter. Ruby is quickly arrested, and is taken to one of the specialist prison camps scattered around the US designed to contain and control the surviving children.

Six years pass, with Ruby a prisoner in the Thurmond facility along with other powered kids. Tired of living as a prisoner of the government, Ruby escapes and sets out to find somewhere safe for kids like her. Along the way she meets a group of powered children who escaped from another facility. Together the group heads towards a camp they believe will bring them safety – but nothing is as it first appears.

On the surface, The Darkest Minds will probably remind a lot of people of the X-Men franchise. Once kids reach a certain age they go through a physical change that grants them super powers, ranging through electrical manipulation, telepathy, telekinesis, and control of fire to name a few. And much like the X-Men, those in power fear the newly changed people. They’re put into camps; they’re experimented on; they’re controlled.

And for the first portion of the book Alexandra Bracken creates a believably grim world. The descriptions of the plague, the effect that it has on people, the conditions in the ‘re-education’ camps are frighteningly plausible. We’ve seen enough through our own history, and the current day, to know that this kind of thing can happen. The US keeps migrant children in cages, and they’d absolutely do it to their own kids if they suddenly believed that they were a threat and could other them to the public.

Unfortunately, once Ruby escapes the facility and hits the road The Darkest Minds does little to make itself stand apart from other books in this genre. The novel essentially becomes a long road trip, with much of the action, much of the drama, and much of the character interactions coming in a car on the road. There are occasional car chases to help break up the monotony, but these do little to improve the overall quality. There’s a romance subplot thrown in, where Ruby finds herself attracted to the leader of the group she meets up with, but it mostly feels like it’s been included because it’s expected that these books have some teen romance in them. It adds little to the plot.

Despite this, The Darkest Minds proved to be a successful novel, and not only did it sell well to its target audience, but the book would go on to spawn a series of sequels, with the main series getting three follow-ups, as well as a couple of short story compilations. There was also a film adaptation in 2018, around the time the final book in the series was released. The film, directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, failed to do well with critics, earning mostly negative reviews, and didn’t earn a huge amount at the box office, resulting in the rest of the series not being adapted.

If you’re a big fan of sci-fi dystopia books with teen protagonists and haven’t read The Darkest Minds yet, it’s one that you should give a go, as it does have a dedicated fan base. But if you’re not too sure on the genre there are probably some stronger examples out there to try first.

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Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester - Book Review

 

'There’s something out there that’s killing. Known only as The Cur, he leaves no traces, save for the torn bodies of girls, on the verge of becoming women, who are known as trouble-makers; those who refuse to conform, to know their place. Girls who don’t know when to shut up.

'2019: Thirteen-year-old Lila Sawyer has secrets she can’t share with anyone. Not the school psychologist she’s seeing. Not her father, who has a new wife, and a new baby. And not her mother—the infamous Caroline Sawyer, a unique artist whose eerie sculptures, made from bent twigs and crimped leaves, have made her a local celebrity. But soon Lila feels haunted from within, terrorised by a delicious evil that shows her how to find her voice—until she is punished for using it.

'2004: Caroline Sawyer hears dogs everywhere. Snarling, barking, teeth snapping that no one else seems to notice. At first, she blames the phantom sounds on her insomnia and her acute stress in caring for her ailing father. But then the delusions begin to take shape—both in her waking hours, and in the violent, visceral sculptures she creates while in a trance-like state. Her fiancé is convinced she needs help. Her new psychiatrist waves her “problem” away with pills. But Caroline’s past is a dark cellar, filled with repressed memories and a lurking horror that the men around her can’t understand.

'As past demons become a present threat, both Caroline and Lila must chase the source of this unrelenting, oppressive power to its malignant core. Brilliantly paced, unsettling to the bone, and unapologetically fierce, Such a Pretty Smile is a powerful allegory for what it can mean to be a woman, and an untamed rallying cry for anyone ever told to sit down, shut up, and smile pretty.'

Such a Pretty Smile tells the story of a mother and her daughter, Caroline and Lila, and how their lives forever change when a series of killings begin to plague their lives.

Lila is young, barely in her teens and trying to find her place at her new school. She's never really been one of the popular girls, and most of the time feels like a bit of an outsider. Fortunately for her her best friend, Macie, is popular enough for the both of them, and has elevated Lila's status somewhat. Unfortunately, though, Lila is secretly in love with Macie, and desperately wants to tell her how she feels. She's barely keeping her life together with her secret love, and her father being focused on his new baby with his wife across the country, but when a series of killings of young girls her age begins to happen it starts to shift her careful existence.

The killer, called The Cur, is taking young girls and leaving them broken and slashed apart, their genitals mutilated, their bodies almost looking like they've been feasted on. Everyone is on edge; especially her mother, Caroline. Lila learns that her mother has a connection to The Cur in her past, something that has left her shaken. But Caroline doesn't want to share her secrets, and Lila is left on her own to figure out what the strange visions she's seeing, and the sounds of howling she keeps hearing means. As Lila begins to change and act more aggressive, Caroline fears that she may soon lose her daughter.

Such a Pretty Smile is a book that is filled with atmosphere. It likes to take its time and build tension over the course of the book, only occasionally giving the audience a break be either showing us a moment of happiness, or by going full horror. Kristi DeMeester has crafted a story that just keeps on building and building, creating this huge sense of dread in the reader as we learn more.

Whilst the story is a horror thriller it's also a mystery. When the book begins The Cur has already claimed a number of victims, and tensions are high amongst the affected community. But we don't know who he is, or why he's doing these terrible things. As the book goes on we start to get hints that there's more to this than a simple string of killings; though this book being sold as a horror story does kind of give that away before you even begin. But, we realise that strange things are afoot when Lila starts to see a mysterious figure watching her from the darkness, cold, yellow eyes staring at her, and the sound of wolves howling in the night.

As things progress Lila starts to act strange, and whilst those around her blame it on mental health issues, it's clear that there's something exerting some kind of influence over her; getting in her head and trying to make her act differently. She becomes vicious, downright nasty towards the people in her life. Whatever is out there watching her has plans for her.

But the mystery deepens when we flash back to events fifteen years prior, when her mother was living in New Orleans. Dealing with the impending death of her father, and having to put her art career on hold in order to try and find work that will give her enough money to pay for her fathers hospice care, she almost doesn't pay attention to the killings that are happening in the city. A killer called The Cur. When her father lets slip in his pain and drug induced state that something happened to Caroline as a girl she begins to look into her past, and learns that she went missing during a spate of killings when she was a girl; and that she was the only girl to return alive.

Caroline begins to experience the same kinds of visions and hallucinations that her daughter will in the future, and starts trying to dig into why. These two stories, unfolding at the same time for the reader build upon each other, giving hints to us, who can experience both, yet keeping things from both Lila and Caroline who never really learn enough to figure everything out.

And this is how much of the book manages to keep you hooked, by giving you a mystery that has no rational solution, no grounding in reality. We know that there has to be other forces at work here, and that something truly dark and evil is behind things. And then the book builds to a conclusion that is horrific in a lot of ways. And because DeMeester spends so long building up both characters, allowing the reader to get into their heads and see what makes them tick, when it comes to a scenario where there's no guarantee either of them will live through it, it makes for a tense conclusion.

My one criticism of the book, however, would be the very end. I won't spoil what happens, but over the course of the book we've been given hints as to what's happening and why. There are theories and possible reasons presented that lead you to a point where you can come to a pretty solid conclusion. But then a new character turns up for the last dozen pages to outline exactly what it all is, why it happened, why these girls were targeted, what it all means. It's almost like the author decided that either the audience wasn't going to be able to figure it all out themselves, or they didn't want people to come to any conclusion other than the one they had in mind. I felt like this choice kind of let the book down somewhat. It was a great book, and it got its message across well and was clever enough to not need to hold your hand along the way, then it went and gave you all the explanations. 

The very end aside, Such a Pretty Smile was an enjoyable and at times disturbing book. It messes with your head and plays with expectations. The characters feel pretty decently crafted and aren't just two-dimensional monster fodder. It has some dark and twisted imagery, and I loved how its themes were tied to feminism, to the violence that people experience at the hands of the patriarchy, and how certain expectations and demands are made of women and femme people. If you're looking for something a bit different than the normal horror book Such a Pretty Smile is worth considering.

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