Sunday, July 5, 2026

I Repeat Myself by Natalia Shafa

When the human race inexplicably begins to asexually reproduce, giving birth to their own clones, Ambrose Flint will have to learn what it means to raise himself. But Ambrose has a secret. A dark, wriggling secret that has infested his family tree, rotting the wood from the inside out.

The generations of Ambrose's asexually reproduced progeny that follow will need to determine where Ambrose ends, and they begin. They will need to learn how to grow, raise themselves, and forgive. But most of all, they will need to discover the wriggling rot at its core, diving deep into the VR world that holds the answers to their past, locked away in the graveyard of Ambrose’s subconscious.

It will take four generations before the men who are not Ambrose—no matter what their mirrors tell them—learn to heal their intergenerational trauma and end the cycle of abuse.

This is a story of redemption and will lead its readers from the darkest places into an unexpected light.

I Repeat Myself is a deeply psychological look at the metamorphosis of lineage, of nurture over nature, and of one man who must face his inner demon's life after life before rising like a phoenix from his own hell-flame.
 


"In seven years, I’ll still be exactly the same. In seven years, I’ll still be a monster."

 Ambrose, an ambitious politician, an all-around not so nice person, has been one of the chosen to become pregnant by apomixis, an asexually produced child. Which also means cloned. Same looks, same genetics, and often the same inner turmoil passed down from generation to generation. Beginning with Junior, to Ari, and to Jade. Four generations to figure out who Ambrose really was, and who they are as their own person. Trying to separate themselves from the often-terrifying characteristics of Ambrose.

 They are under the protection of the government association called HARP. But they also really do not understand the intergenerational trauma that each of them is suffering from or how to help them break the unrelenting cycle of abuse that resides in each of them. That is what they must figure out from deep within themselves. To become their own person and have their own distinct personalities and build from those strengths.

 Ambrose is addicted to the world of VR. Delving deep within the world and staying there, separating himself from the outside world. This is where he has hidden his subconscious, his deepest, darkest secrets, and where each of the clones, as men, must break the cycle of trauma and abuse.

 The whole concept of this book was very unique, and quite interesting. A thought provoking read, but also entertaining. The darkest parts were written and handled with a carefulness that I appreciated because trauma and abuse is never an easy subject. I felt for each of the clones as they struggled to develop their own personalities and break away from the cycles of the original Ambrose. 

 The last part of the book takes a deep delve into the VR world which, to be honest, I didn't really understand how someone could bury their memories within, but that is most likely just me. I also found it very strange as to the way that those memories had to be released. So, even though I enjoyed reading the majority of this book, the last part I didn't enjoy as much. I just found it all a bit strange. But I will say it had a satisfying ending.

Format: Kindle Unlimited

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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

The Day My Soul Died by Rishi Vohra

 

She survived the crime. What followed was worse.
Sunaina’s life in Mumbai is full of promise—until a brutal sexual assault shatters it. When her attacker walks free and those closest to her fall away, she is left to confront the silence and stigma alone. A quiet friendship with her neighbour Rafiq becomes her only anchor, but her need for justice refuses to fade. Urged to start over in the U.S., Sunaina must choose between moving on and fighting back—a decision that will change her life forever.





"I’ll never be able to forget the day my soul died."

 Sunaina is excited for her future. A young woman on the cusp of a possible upcoming betrothal to a young man she is in love with. She must convince her family that it is the right choice and also convince her boyfriend to move forward with a family meeting to have the betrothal approved. 

 Sunaina decides that she needs to get in better shape and convinced by the owner of an exorcise facility, she agrees to meet and start her training. While she is there, her world is shattered. She is brutally sexually assaulted. She is hurt, confused, and filled with shame.

  Realizing that law is failing her, her family encourages her to go to the United States to attend college. Put the past behind her and pursue her career.

 Her boyfriend has left her, her family has sent her away, and she has never felt more alone. 

 She decides that revenge is her only choice.

 This is a tough subject to read, but the importance of speaking out and fighting back to stop these heinous acts lies within the heart of Sunaina's story. She felt betrayed, shamed, alone, and the law failed her. Was she right to exact revenge? For her, it was, to find closure, to make the offender pay for his crime. She deserved to be listened to, to be heard, to be supported by the people she loved, and the law needed to step up and make sure she was protected. 

 This story touches on some of the feelings that a sexually assaulted victim may be feeling. Lost, confused, shamed, alone, angry, frustrated, filled with sorrow, fear, anxiety, and so much more. The breaking of the sense of security. 

 I felt the author wrote this to the best of his understanding and wrote it with a careful hand. It gives a look into the differences of life for a young girl living in Mumbai and the impact of sexual assault.

Format: Purchased eBook

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Tuesday, June 30, 2026

The Haunting of Willows Cottage (The Strathbairn Trilogy Book 3) by Isobel Blackthorn

 

Ingrid and her daughter Susan return to the Western Highlands of Scotland, staying at Strathbairn with Gertrude McCleod while their new home, a cottage by the loch, is redecorated. The very same day, the ghosts of Ingrid's past return when Gertrude's brother Miles arrives with his new bride and his friend Timothy.

When her former beau turned betrayer Hamish starts work on a barn conversion, Ingrid is desperate to leave Strathbairn. She rushes to move into the cottage only to find she is sharing her new home with a violent ghost.

Realising the haunting is somehow connected to Strathbairn and sensing that something at Willows Cottage must be returned, she makes every effort to discover what that it is.

While Hamish and Gertrude conspire to force Ingrid into marriage, Timothy becomes a regular caller with a romantic motive. With two suitors and two marriage proposals, who will she choose - and can she solve the haunting of Willows Cottage?

A gripping conclusion to a classic gothic mystery trilogy laced with dark family secrets.


 Ingrid and her daughter Susan have once again returned to the devious home of Gertrude McCleod in the lovely land of Scotland. The house at Strathbairn has never been a pleasant place for her to be. She has gone from being a mistreated housekeeper to a mistreated guest. Always being manipulated in some way by the family and the staff. They even use Ingrid's daughter to try to gain control over her decisions. But Ingrid is determined to fix up the cottage she has inherited and make it a lovely home for herself and her daughter. As the repairs are coming to completion and she moves into the cottage, she is once again haunted by a harmful ghost, and she must solve the mystery of why. 

 I have felt transported to the Scotland Highlands and the time of the late 19th century, experiencing the history, and the beauty of the highlands.  The way they live and the expectations of propriety. But what lies deep within, are dark family secrets, drama, harmful ghosts, and mystery.

 Isobel Blackthorn transports us into a dark, gothic atmosphere with descriptive characters. It takes us on a journey of mystery, intrigue, and a woman's will to overcome her trials and tribulations throughout this trilogy. 

 I am sad that this has come to an end. I have a love, hate relationship with these characters. It is truly Ingrid's story that I have invested in. She has been through so much turmoil and to see her finally find happiness is just so satisfying.

Format: Complimentary eBook from the author through BookSirens

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Sunday, June 21, 2026

In Their Eyes by Simon F. Godin

 

A gripping slow-burn psychological horror filled with paranoia, suspense, and emotional tension from debut Canadian novelist Simon F. Godin.
Gracie Boone’s small-town life has always felt safe and comfortable. She has a doting father, a steady relationship, and a promising future at university. But the illusion of security begins to crumble the moment she moves into her new dorm room.

Before long, a motionless figure looms in the darkness outside Gracie’s window, silent and watching her in the night. But no one else sees it, and no one else believes her. Gracie’s world further unravels when she faces evidence suggesting she may have been abducted as a child by her hometown’s police chief, the man she calls Dad.

Driven by her rising paranoia, Gracie must unearth the truth about herself and determine who keeps watching her in the dark. But she has to tread lightly, as alerting her father could ruin their relationship forever, or even put her in danger.

Most of all, Gracie fears uncovering her darkest reality, that she’s been manipulated for years, and that her life is nothing more than a carefully constructed façade.

 Gracie is so excited to finally leave her small-town life and start college. Make new friends and learn to be independent. But choices made and unexplained happenings turns Gracie's life into confusion and uncertainty. As the only life she has ever known starts to unravel around her, she doesn't know who she can trust anymore. Will her choices reveal exactly what is happening and what will she do when all the secrets are uncovered?

 Gracie is the kind of character that I wanted to protect. She is young, a bit naive in her choices, and just starting to experience life outside of the safety of her home. All the strange occurrences that are happening to her are concerning and also frightening. There is a dark sense of foreboding and danger, and it only gets more intense as the story unfolds.

 The wonderful thing is that as she learns more and more about herself, she begins to become stronger, and she starts to trust herself and her own instincts. It was great to see her grow in her strengths. 

 Her father was such a frustrating character, very overprotective and something about him just didn't seem right. I guess he comes across as very loving at first, but something was always just off, and holy smokes, when all is revealed, it's crazy. What a plot twist!

 There were many moments that created that sense of not knowing exactly what was going on and there were also moments of what the hell just happened. Keeps one wanting to continue reading because you just have to know. Especially as the chapters become more intense, things are revealed, and plot twists are thrown in. 

 The ending was left a bit open to interpretation; I can only hope that Gracie finds what she is looking for.

 This is a very well written debut, and it shows the authors talent as a writer. One to watch for in the future!

Format: eBook ARC received from the author

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Sunday, June 7, 2026

Night of the Witch (Crooked Tales Book 2) by Chris Harrison

In the aftermath of their harrowing escape from Crooked House, Kane and JJ return home to a hostile reception: accused of perpetrating a town-wide hoax, their dreams of online stardom are shattered. Now, alongside Zach, Meridia, and Izzy, they endure the ridicule of St Swithun’s school, trying to rebuild shattered lives.

But looming over them is a greater threat—an ancient prophecy portending apocalypse. With paranormal expert Peter Higginsworth now teaching at their school, the group stumbles upon dark secrets in Cold Christmas, awakening an ancient evil within Crooked House.

Meridia, plagued by terrifying visions, grapples with a newfound, chilling power. As nightmares bleed into reality, they're drawn into a deadly game with the malevolent Cold Christmas witch. With an enigmatic priest hunting a missing boy, they confront the sinister forces of Crooked House once more.

In the second book of the Crooked Tales series, the five friends face a supernatural entity hunting them from beyond the grave. As darkness descends, who will survive the night of the witch?

Some spirits never rest...

"But as the great Sherlock Holmes often says: when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

The Crooked house is ever daunting. The souls within stirring and haunting. It continues to unleash its wickedness that lies within. This time a malevolent soul, an ancient witch even more sinister of all that came before. Hunting for the soul of the one that is desired. A force so evil it takes the strong might of all to overcome its wrath. The mystery of "The Crooked House" and its haunted rooms continue to reveal its dark and sinister secrets. The Night of the Witch has begun.

"In the shadows of the past a witch's curse is reborn..."

Meridia's visions are becoming stronger and frightening. She sees that which is occurring and what is to come if she and her friends do not stand strong and fight for their very souls. The events that pull them into the darkness of all that has happened in the past and of that which is yet to come is far more frightening than what they have already battled. Peter, Meridia, Izzy, Kane, JJ, and Zach and their new friend, Father Alexander must solve the mystery of why the witch has appeared and who she is. 

Continuing from the first book The Rising, we learn so much more about the characters. each of them has their own strengths and endearing qualities. Even through the most challenging times, they are a strong unit. They must trust each other to make the right decisions to protect each other. To overcome the evil that has entered their world. What they come upon as they search for answers is pure corruption and black as pitch. So much sadness and truly fear inducing.  

The imagery is so descriptive and unsettling as it gives glimpses into futuristic desolation and into the darkest evil places. Night of the Witch is disturbing and chilling as the horrors are much more sinister, and the witch is malefic and hostile.

Leaving us with an open ending, building up the anticipation of what is yet to come in the next installment of this series, I can only imagine what kind of horrors, thrills, and chills there will be. 

Format: Purchased eBook

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Wednesday, May 27, 2026

The Modern Prometheus: An Existential Body Horror Novel by Jayson Robert Ducharme

A Man Reborn into Hell


Peter Murphy, a college professor and family man, has lost everything. Following a tragic series of events, he awakens to discover that parts of his body have been replaced with parts from corpses, and his creator is not giving him all the answers he needs. With little to lose, Peter begins an odyssey to reclaim his old life and come to terms with his new one. Finding a world that has long since moved on without him, he descends into destructive madness, leaving blood and death wherever he goes.

THE MODERN PROMETHEUS is a 300 page “existential body horror” novel about a man reanimated from death, who discovers horrific truths about the nature of his death that will bring about a crescendo of violence and catastrophe.


This is a re-read for me as it is one of my favorites and I still stand by this review.


"Humans are abstract and find their essence after they are born---their existence precedes their essence, in other words. We are brought into this world, we learn who we are, how we function, what we like, and we try to find purpose for why we were born based on those characteristics."

Birth-The Modern Prometheus, Doctor Jacob Abbott, wants to reanimate and preserve life. He is driven by his own experience and his fascination with life and death. He takes all possible measures to achieve his goal no matter how abhorrent or unlawful it is. Living as a reclusive, hiding his secrets, he succeeds at creating new life. This is the beginning of Peters rebirth.

Life-Peter searches for answers as his memories are somewhat intact, something the Doctor did not expect. Peter learns of his past demise and slowly discovers that he will never be accepted as he is. A monstrous creation that should not be in existence. He was created against his will, and as he discovers all the hurt and pain, the monster in him begins to come to the surface. He is angry and craves revenge.

Family-A family torn apart by grief and loss. Peters demise causes his family to descend into their own self destruction. As Peter learns more of what happened, he becomes obsessed with wanting to reunite with his family. His rage turns into vengeance and he will do the unthinkable to have his family back, to be together no matter the cost.

Death-Peter descends deeper and deeper into the darkness as he discovers that this body the Doctor has created is slowly decomposing. He is desperate and as his anger grows, he leaves nothing but death in his path. He will not allow anyone to get in his way of his desire to gather and reclaim his family.

My thoughts: From beginning to end, I was completely enthralled. The descriptive writing is impeccable. Even through the grief and the monstrosities that occur, there is an undeniable connection with the characters. The ending was heartbreaking and although I never expected it to be otherwise, it was so heart-rending and severely tragic.

Beautifully horrific in the best possible way! It has all the elements and depth of a terrific horror novel!

Format: Purchased Paperback



Song Pairing: Believe by David Tolk


Secrets Taken to the Grave (The Strathbairn Trilogy Book 2) by Isobel Blackthorn

 

The Scottish Highlands, 1893. Ingrid Barker arrives back at Strathbairn to attend the funeral of her old employer, Charles McCleod.

Every bone in Ingrid's body screams for her to leave, and as she walks from the graveside, she can’t shake the suspicion that Charles was murdered. As she hurries to uncover the truth and get away from Strathbairn, another murder takes place - one that traps her in the very place she is desperate to escape from.

Running out of time and clues, can Ingrid evade the truth of that terrible night up at the abbey the last time she was here, and can she solve the mystery of Charles’ death before his ghost does away with her?


Isobel and her daughter Sarah have returned to Strathbairn by a request from Miles to attend the funeral of his father Charles. Her apprehension to return to a place she once was treated so poorly as a staff member, has her questioning why she would agree. Once again, she finds herself among the darkness of the land, dissention among the family members, and the secrets of the past.

Once a housekeeper, now a guest, Ingrid still does not seem to fit. She is still treated the same as before. There is much mistrust and resentment lies within her heart as she tries to navigate being back at this place she never thought she would ever return to. 

"The camaraderie, the unity, the affection they all display to one another is extraordinary. I feel like an outsider, a stray, an orphan looking in on a happy family. And none of their behaviour is false. None of it is for show. They are genuinely happy in each other’s company, celebrating the moment, the togetherness. Thinking of the cool ambience in the main house—the dark moods of Gertrude and Miles, the tensions, the squabbles and fights—I can only conclude that the antics and the joy in the kitchen are a kind of foil, a contrast that only serves to draw attention to that very difference. And I wonder who has the better deal in life. When I put the two side by side, in this house at least, it is far, far better to be a servant."

Ingrid wants to get back to her home as soon as possible, but circumstances continue to stop her, and now she is finding herself being haunted by the ghost of Charles McCleod. He is trying to lead her to solve the mystery of his death and as she is trying, so many more dark secrets are revealed.

It was such a joy to return to Strathbairn with Ingrid. Even though the place always has a sense of foreboding with all the lingering memories of the past, Ingrid's story is what keeps me engaged. She is a character that one can't help but root for. She has been through some dark times, and I can't wish for nothing less than for her to experience more light in her life. She does not give up on the challenges she faces, and she remains steadfast to her character. 

Once again, Isobel Blackthorn has created a dark Gothic novel filled with mystery, intrigue, and suspense. Characters to like and some to dislike considerably which adds to the tension. A place that often feels cursed. 

Another captivating gothic story sure to entertain fans of the genre.

Format: Purchased eBook

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Song Pairing: Morning Light by David Tolk

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