Iseult Murphy's Blog

Hello Blogging World!Jonny

Hey, I’m Jonny. Dead brides sound sooo creepy!

Iseult

Hi, I’m Iseult. I agree with Jonny. I don’t want to be in charge of keeping the dead brides in check!

This buddy read and rant is for Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh.

Blurb:

A powerful Nigeria-set tale of possession, malevolent ghosts, family tensions, secrets and murder from the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement and ‘Queen of African Horror’.

Bata, an eleven-year-old girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin’s door. Her skin, hair, and eyes have turned a dazzling white colour, which even the medicine-man can’t heal. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

Through the night, Bata battles the vengeful ghost and finally vanquishes it before collapsing. On awakening, she has no recollection of the events. And when the medicine-man tries to exorcise the entities clinging to her body as a result of her supernatural possession, Bata dies on the exorcism mat. There begins her journey. She is taken into Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides, by Mmuọ-Ka-Mmuọ, the ghost-collector of the spirit realm. There she meets the ghosts of brides from every culture who died tragically before their weddings; both the kind and the malevolent. Bata is given secret powers to fight the evil ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

GoodReadsAmazonBookshop.orgIseult

I’ve read a few books by Nuzo Onoh and I’ve loved them all. I was expecting a lot from “Where the Dead Brides Gather” because of this. Was this your first Nuzo Onoh book?

Jonny

I’ve actually never read a book by Nuzo Onoh before, so this was my first time. I’m kind of on the fence with this one. It was entertaining but it didn’t quite hit the way I was hoping it would. What about you?

Iseult

This book was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I loved the beginning. I really felt for little eleven-year-old Bata, with her nightmares, and then the possession. After the first segment, I really didn’t know where the story was going to go next.

And then Bata went to Ibaja-La, the afterlife for brides who died before they got married, and I didn’t know if I could finish the book. That whole section almost killed the entire book for me.

What did you think of Ibaja-La?

Jonny

I agree! The beginning was interesting since it’s set in a different era and it was interesting to see Bata’s life and the culture in their small village. I think the world has come a long way, because some of the treatment of women in the book by other males was a little shocking to me.

I really loved the concept of Ibaja-La even though it was pretty heart-wrenching to hear how so many brides met their end. All the descriptions of the magical place kept me really intrigued. I’m not sure if it was made up or not, but kudos to the author for really detailing this place.

Iseult

I loved all the details about a little Nigerian village in the 1970s. Bata’s family life and the culture of their village was really interesting.

I don’t know if dead brides and Ibaja-La are traditional parts of Nigerian folklore or not, but the author certainly made it sound like that.

I’m glad it intrigued you. I really struggled to get through that part. I was almost going to message you and say let’s try another book!

I suppose it makes sense that Bata would love such a place. She had quite a difficult life, so a place where everyone was nice to her and she could do magical things was bound to entice her.

The book changes once again once Bata returns home. What did you think of this part of the book?

Jonny

Yes, totally! I really wanted some culture and I think the book really delivered on that.

I even tried Googling Ibaja-La because I was curious if it was a thing or not, but nothing outside of this book really came up. I think she got creative, and that part really shined for me. It kind of reminded me of “Lovely Bones” but in a prettier place where they could just exist in peace. I’m glad we were able to get through it for sure!

Right, I think it made sense that such a harmonious place would entice Bata. Heck I wouldn’t want to leave either. Reality is boring lol!

After Bata returns from Ibaja-La I really struggled. I wasn’t quite sure where things were headed, and being back in the normal setting just made me want to go back to the fantasy part of things. I was entertained by what happened after, but it couldn’t stack up to Ibaja-La in my opinion.

Iseult

That’s so interesting! I love how differently the book hit with both of us.

While I enjoyed the cultural aspects of the rest of the book, especially the differences in the role of women and men, I was disappointed that it wasn’t the horror book I was expecting.

Bata’s silvery eyes and multiple voices certainly had a tinge of horror to it, and horrible things happened, but it wasn’t like Onoh’s other books and it didn’t come together for me in a satisfying way.

The end was unexpectedly sweet.

Would you classify this book as horror?

Jonny

Yeah! I knew we were bound to have some differing opinions on certain parts and that’s what makes these buddy reads so much fun.

I agree with you. Given all that we read in the book, nothing truly stood out to me as horror. Fantasy? Definitely, but while there were some creepy vibes here and there, it didn’t dominate enough to call this horror.

I really did love the multiple voices and silvery eyes, but it wasn’t enough horror elements and the ending was pretty sweet.

I also felt a bit disappointed in Bata’s character. I wish she would have progressed and grown a bit more. After all that she learned in Ibaja-La, I was hoping she would learn to stand up for herself, maybe even defy orders from men, but that didn’t happen. It made her seem a bit younger than she actually was.

Iseult

Yes, that’s true!

I agree, I think fantasy would be a better category for this book. Even though there are horror elements, they aren’t emphasized in a way to scare.

I liked Bata. I felt for her with her fears of being sent away and her difficulties with her family. I agree that she didn’t grow or change throughout the book. Her experiences in Ibaja-La and the changes to her life afterward didn’t bring about much difference in her character. She was very accepting of what happened to her, which is believable for a child. Children have very little control over their lives. It doesn’t make for the most compelling character however.

This book was full of dualities – life and death, Catholic religion and the traditional pagan beliefs, men and women, city life and country life, brides and non-brides. However, I’m not sure if I could identify any predominant theme.

What is your overall impression of this book?

Jonny

Yeah, maybe I didn’t truly grasp the difference in social norms for the time it was set in (I believe it was 70s). And even in her time in Ibaja-La she did kind of enjoy being the token little girl in the mix of dead brides, so that could justify her not changing too terribly much. It just didn’t resonate with me as strongly.

I did like the dualities present, but yeah, when I tried to think of one central theme I couldn’t really identify one.

I found this book entertaining, but nothing truly stuck with me, which left me on the fence. Overall, it was just kind of okay for me.

Iseult

I ended up enjoying the book, mainly because of the chance to experience another time and another life. It didn’t have the gripping horror and social commentary that I’ve enjoyed in the author’s other books, although there were echoes of both in this book.

Would you read another book by this author?

Jonny

Yeah, I love exploring different times and lives that aren’t familiar to me.

I’d definitely give this author another try sometime, though I might give the blurb and other reviews a look first to be sure it aligns with what I’m expecting. Not every book by an author is going to be a home run.

Iseult

That’s a good idea! Always do your research.

Thanks so much for reading this book with me. I love our buddy reads. It’s great to discuss books with you.

Jonny

Yeah, it never hurts to do some research, just make sure you don’t read any spoilers!

Of course, bestie! I always have fun doing these with you, and with a break in author events coming for me I should have time to do another one soon if you’d like.

Iseult

Yes please! I’d love that.

Jonny

Ooo, maybe we’ll find some holiday horror! Can’t wait!

Iseult

Neither can I!

That’s A Wrap!

Thanks for joining us on our buddy read and rant of “Where the Dead Brides Gather“! We had a lot of fun, and hope you did too! We will definitely be doing some more buddy reads in the future, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, why not check out Iseult and Jonny’s other fun buddy reads?

Buddy Read & Rant #18: Candy Cain Kills by Brian McAuley

Buddy Read & Rant #17: Melon Head Mayhem by Alex Ebenstein

Buddy Read & Rant #16: I Found Puppets Living in my Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing

Buddy Read & Rant #15: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

Buddy Read & Rant #14: The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren

Buddy Read & Rant #13: Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

Buddy Read & Rant #12: Parachute by Holly Rae Garcia

Buddy Read & Rant #11: A Door into Evermoor by Kent Wayne

Buddy Read & Rant #10: The Haunting of Trinity House by Travis Liebert

Buddy Read & Rant #9: Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #8: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

Buddy Read & Rant #7: Until Summer Comes Around by Glenn Rolfe

Buddy Read & Rant #6: Camp Carnage by Joshua Winning and Elliot Cross

Buddy Read & Rant #5: Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #4: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #3: Trigger and Shutter by Courtney Alamada

Buddy Read & Rant #2: Thornhill by Pam Smy

Buddy Read & Rant #1: The Survivor Chronicles by Erica Stevens

One response to “Buddy Read & Rant #19 with Jonathan Pongratz: Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh”Valinora TroyNovember 20, 2025

Thanks for another great buddy read! It’s really interesting reading your different takes, although disappointing in the end for both of you. I am interested in reading this author (after reading your review) but perhaps nt this book!

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I’ve read several books by Nuzo Onoh, Queen of African Horror, and I’ve enjoyed them all. “Where the Dead Brides Gather” has been on my TBR list for over a year. When Jonny suggested it as a buddy read, I jumped at the chance.

11-year-old Bata lives in her family compound in a village in Nigeria in the 1970s. She lives with her mother, older sister Ada, her father’s second wife Ola, and Ola’s three sons (called collectively Ejima), as well as her distant father.

When Bata is possessed by a bride sentinel to save her cousin from an evil dead bride on the eve of her wedding, Bata’s life changes forever. While her abilities earn her new friends in death, it ostracises her from her family in life.

“Where the Dead Brides Gather” is a coming-of-age tale that deals with the dualities of life. Child and adult, truth and lies, educated and uneducated, town and country, men and women, Catholicism and paganism, dead brides and the living.

Bata is a believable innocent child. I loved how she idolised Ola, with her pancake face and shelves of Mills and Boon books. She is a prisoner of the whims of the adults in her life, as well as the pagan deities that use her to protect the dead brides. I found her relatable. Her relationship with her family, especially her father, was very well described. I felt for Bata, with her nightmares and terrifying experiences, never knowing if her father would send her away to be a servant in the city or be the apprentice of the village medicine-man.

Ola is perhaps the most complex character in the book. Educated in Lagos, and mother to triplet boys, her biggest contribution to the family is to look pretty. She has a great love-hate relationship with Ada. Ola’s influence over Bata – she calls Bata her ‘mini-me’ – and how their story intertwines is probably the heart of the book.

The writing style is simple, in keeping with the thoughts of Bata. There is some repetition, as Bata is frequently scared and upset – either by the preternatural things happening to her, or her fear of what her father will do to her because of the paranormal activity surrounding her. This made sense to me, given the character, but I know other readers found it annoying.

The story touches on many themes. I may be stretching here, but I think the main theme concerns Bata and Ola. Bata doesn’t want to be tied to protecting the traditions of her people, which is something Ola can’t escape, despite her education and longing to live in Lagos City.

The setting of 1970s Nigeria is well described. I felt I was sitting down at the food mat to eat with the family and sheltering from the sun with Bata in her bedroom. I loved the little aspects of family life that were so well described.

Part of the book takes place in the after life of Ibaja-La. Unfortunately, I didn’t relish that setting as much as Bata’s village. In fact, I almost stopped reading the book. However, I can see why Bata might be enamoured with Ibaja-La, even if I was not.

The book falls into three distinct parts. The beginning, which concerns Bata’s possession by the bride sentinel. The middle, where Bata travels to Ibaja-La. And the last part, where Bata returns to her family.

The pacing is very different in each part, almost as if they were three separate stories. The opening is exciting, scary, and action packed. It lives up to the author’s other horror books. Ibaja-La is a more fantastical setting, and the pace is much slower. Bata’s experiences there feel like it is an interlude from a book for much younger readers. The final part of the book continues the more languid pace. It is more a coming-of-age family drama, with some fantasy elements.

I felt for Bata and her misfortunes, but I found the book changed directions too many times for me to form an emotional connection with her or any of the characters.

I loved the beginning of the book, the 1970s Nigerian setting, and the elements of folklore.

Unfortunately, the journey to Ibaja-La almost made me DNF, and the rest of the book was so far from my expectations of a Nuzo Onoh horror book that I found it unsatisfying.

If you are looking for a Nigerian set horror novel, I would recommend “The Sleepless” or “Futility” by the same author.

One response to “Book Review: Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh”Valinora TroyNovember 19, 2025

Great review! What a shame it was so disjointed! The themes sound great. Definitely interested in a Nigerian horror that you recommend, so I will check them out. Thanks for sharing!

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About The Book:

A daring mission, a sister turned pirate and a sea full of secrets…

In a world of water where land is a legend, 11-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven dreams of adventure aboard the Amazon Princess. When a vital mission takes the ship into dangerous waters, Kittiwake discovers shocking news – her long-lost sister, Petrel, is now a feared pirate queen.

Kittiwake must outsmart pirates, outmanoeuvre storms and face ghostly captains to save her ship, her mischievous monkey Caboodle and her friends. But in a high-stakes showdown, family loyalty collides with survival, and Kittiwake learns the ocean hides more secrets than she ever imagined.

Kittiwake Stormhaven is a fast-paced, sea-swept adventure filled with daring rescues, thrilling discoveries and the magic of friendship.

Buy the BookGoodreadsMy Review:

A new book by Victoria Williamson is always a treat. A swashbuckling adventure on the high seas sounded just the kind of thing I needed to blow the cobwebs from my mind on a cold and wet day.

Eleven-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven lives on the Amazon Princess, a floating city ship that is one of the four heavily armed ships tasked with protecting the other ships from marauding pirates. A meteor storm brought Marinium, a new super fuel, which unfortunately melted the ice caps and drowned the world, apart from a few surviving rocky peaks that manage to poke above the oceans. The survivors built huge ships powered by Marinium, which has enough energy in a tiny speck to fuel a ship for a decade.

Kittiwake spends most of her time playing with her mischievous monkey, Caboodle (Kit and Caboodle – get it), and hanging out with her best friend, and stowaway, Scally.

A mission to find a new Marinium meteor before the pirates get it results in Caboodle being kidnapped, Scally being imprisoned, and Kittiwake reeling from family secrets revealed. Perhaps she will be able to save her friends with the help of her birthday gift from Scally. The pirate’s portolano, a book filled with secret pirate knowledge.

My favourite character was Scally. Branded for being a pirate with a large P on his forehead, he has to keep hidden onboard the Amazon Princess to avoid being arrested by the authorities. His unfortunate start in life makes him an immediately sympathetic character. His loyalty to Kittiwake, his talent at making things, and his constant malapropisms ensure he is the heart of the book.

Kittiwake is likable enough, although devoid of the usual depth and nuance that are the trademark of Williamson’s characters.

The book is full of suitably nasty pirates and a troupe of ridiculously silly adults on the Amazon Princess, which is sure to please the book’s young, intended audience.

Williamson is an excellent writer and her prose zips along at a rate of knots. While I found some of the action scenes a little difficult to imagine, there is plenty of silly creatures, play on words, and pirate skulduggery that is bound to delight younger readers.

The theme that stood out for me in this book was not to judge people by appearances. Kittiwake knows pirates are evil, but her best friend is a pirate! There are a few times within the book when Kittiwake is about to affirm her prejudices about pirates, and then she thinks of Scally or sees his reaction to her words. While there are definitely evil pirates in this book, it is good that Kittiwake can see that not everyone branded as a pirate is necessarily cutthroat.

The setting is extremely interesting. I would loved to have learned more about how humanity survived on the ships, the different kind of ships there were, and even what life was like on Kittiwake’s city ship. Were there schools and shops and different places to eat? Unfortunately, we see very little of what life is like on the Amazon Princess, save for Captain Mollymawk Stormhaven (Kittiwake’s mother), her first mate Archer Finnigan, the chief engineer Amethyst Kyle, the corpulent cook Madame Wurzelwick, the germophobic Doctor Elango Gobin, and the absentminded Professor Isinglass.

However, younger readers will be too engrossed in the fun to worry about such things as whether there are agriculture ships to grow the wheat and collect the honey that the characters are often eating in their cakes.

The structure of the book reminded me of Williamson’s previous book from Tiny Tree, “Skyfleet -March of the Mutabugs”, in that the narrative is frequently broken up by excerpts from the Pirate’s Portolano. These excerpts concern the different ships and ports important to the story, accompanied by beautiful illustrations by James Brown. I found the printing of the illustrations in the paperback to be so dark that they ruined a lot of the detail of the illustrations. The quality of the pictures in the ebook are much superior.

The pace is fast, with several jumps between chapters that were so sudden I kept skipping back through the pages to see if I’d missed something. There is also some repetition with Kittiwake being surprised to discover the same family secret several times throughout the book, but perhaps children need important information repeated to make up for short attention spans.

With such a fun book, where the humour is often silly bordering on the absurd, it is not surprising that it doesn’t pack a lot of emotional heft. That is not the purpose of the book. However, there is some intrigue over Kittiwake’s missing sister and father. I would have liked some sort of resolution to this issue at the end of the book, or at least a greater emotional payoff than was provided, but perhaps this mystery is being held back for a sequel.

If I were still teaching speech and drama to children, I would love to give this book to my students. With lots of movement and action in each scene, and numerous characters with intriguing accents, it would make an excellent script for performing or reading aloud.

For adult readers, despite its interesting premise, it is a little too light on world building and characters to be a truly satisfying read. However, it will be a delight for reading to the kiddoes at bedtime.

Once again Williamson shows her versatility by writing a book quite unlike any of her others. Fans of Dahl and Walliams are sure to lap this up.

There is a lot of imagination in this book. Scally is an endearing character. I loved Inkpot the Night Glider albatross. As an adult, I wished that it had been aimed at a slightly older audience so that I could sink my teeth into the world and the characters. However, for the appropriate age group it is a treat, and I can see lots of children dressing as Kittiwake Stormhaven for World Book Day in the future.

About The Author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Glasgow, Scotland, who loved reading books and writing adventure stories from an early age. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK.

Her previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, War of the Wind, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, Norah’s Ark, The Whistlers in the Dark, Feast of Ashes, and Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs. Her books have won the RED Book Award 2024, YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023 and the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, and have been short-listed and long-listed for numerous other awards. War of the Wind and Norah’s Ark were also both nominated for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medals.

Victoria writes and edits Key Stage 2 books for the education company Twinkl. She spends the rest of her time writing novels and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. Her latest novel, Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano, channels her love of pirates and swashbuckling adventure to create a steampunk world set on the seven seas, and is illustrated by the very talented James Brown.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

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Happy release day to “Overlord”, by my good friend Jonathan Pongratz.

About the book

Forever May He Reign.

The world has been decimated by the cataclysm known as The Reckoning. Once fertile fields lay barren, technology has regressed by centuries, and sprawling cities have fallen, replaced by fledgling colonies that struggle to survive the shattered remnants of the world.

In the colony of Vilefort, the Overlord rules over all with an iron fist, cruel edicts, and some say, otherworldly power. It’s also where Theo Wallace lives a hollow existence, struggling and disregarded until the day he violates the Overlord’s harsh commands.

Taken to face the Overlord’s wrath, Theo quakes with terror. Everyone knows those who enter the Overlord’s dark manor are never seen again. With all the odds stacked against him Theo steps over the imposing threshold, hoping he’ll be the first to escape the Overlord’s lair. Any other outcome will mean certain death.

Cover design by Chris Era

Buy Direct from AuthorGet EbookGoodreadsBookbubMy Review

Really fun short story set in a dark fantasy dystopian world.

I loved Theo. I would have liked to find out more about his life outside the city and his family. He was a strong, hard working, honest man. I liked how he faced the challenges set before him.

The castle has a fun D&D feel to it. I liked the challenges set before Theo. There are some great visual descriptions in the castle.

Overall an exciting, quick read with a likable main character, an interesting idea, and thrilling action.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

About the author

Jonathan Pongratz is a writer and author of action-packed horror, scifi, and other speculative fiction stories. His bold characters are resilient against the sinister and mysterious forces confronting them, but in real life Jonathan is afraid of bees, attics, and large bodies of water. Let’s face it. Jonathan wouldn’t last five minutes in one of his dark tales.

Visit him at www.jonathanpongratz.com.

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The crumpled golden leaves were disturbed by the silent steps of a shadowy figure. It moved through the streets, dragging dozens of chained authors behind it. The authors cried and moaned. In their arms they carried bundles of their books.

“Buy our books,” the author’s howled.

Their mournful shouts echoed around the houses.

“Buy our discounted books. It is the only way we can be saved.”

The shadowy figure leading the procession smiled grimly and cracked a lightning bolt, urging the authors to move faster.

The Deliciously Twisted Halloween Book Sale

The good people at Twisted Tales have gathered together over twenty horror authors and persuaded them to offer their scarily good books at frighteningly low prices for the 31 days of October.

The sale includes my Halloween set novella, “Gone But Not Forgotten“, about the return of Bill’s wife on the first anniversary of her death. The ebook is available wide, including on my Ko-Fi, and is only 99c for the entire month.

Dan Soule’s excellent horror fantasy from Silver Thistle Press, “Across the Dunes” is available at the low low price of only $1.99. I loved this book. It might end up being my favourite book of the year. You can read my review on FanFiAddict here.

I haven’t read “The Tricker-Treater and Other Stories” by Brianna Morgan, but judging by that cover it is going to be good. Haha! I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover. I’ve read other books by the author, and I’m eager to check out her short stories.

“Prince of the Wasteland” is the first book in Joseph Sale’s spectacular Thrice Dead series. You can read my review here.

There are plenty other excellent books at great discounts. Books from Raw Dog Screaming Press, from authors such as Candace Nola, Kev Harrison, Iain Rob Wright, Lucy A Synder, Daniel Willcocks, and many more.

So prepare to overload your already groaning To Be Read pile and venture forth to The Deliciously Twisted Halloween Sale to get some great horror books at great prices.

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About The Book:

After a comet strikes the continent of Yohme, it’s left in shambles. Nations lay in rubble, magic has been corrupted, and a plague has turned most of the inhabitants into flesh-eating, undead, ghouls.

Traveling this apocalyptic landscape is Evan, a bounty hunter taking missions to survive. However, his latest quest to capture a thief leads to more than he bargained for. After uncovering an ancient map, he forms a party to hunt the sacred treasure inside the most formidable dungeon.

Once inside, they’ll have to overcome the trials of a god to reach it, and they’re not the only ones searching.

Buy the BookGoodreadsStorygraphMy Review:

A comet brings zombies to a fantasy land. If that isn’t a fantastic hook, I don’t know what is.

Evan is a bounty hunter trying to survive in a world ravaged by the undead. After a chance encounter with a Gremling – a small, but fierce, green skinned creature – they team up to form a raiding party to secure a magical fruit.

Evan is a good character. He is knowledgeable about his world. He’s a good fighter that I’d want by my side in a dungeon crawl.

My favourite characters were Grymjer the Gremling and Elleya the Rehnarian cleric. I loved Elleya’s magic.

This book perfectly captures the adventure of a good Dungeons and Dragons campaign or an epic fantasy RPG session. The writing is smooth. The descriptions strong. The pace fast. It is easy to get lost in the adventure and be swept along by the action.

A large part of the book concerns Evan and his crew solving the different puzzles and tests they encounter on their quest. The tests were so fun to read about. They were well described, so I can see them clearly in my mind’s eye. I enjoyed reading how the characters solved the dangerous and thrilling puzzles set before them.

The story is fast paced. The characters have enough backstory to make you care about them.

Reading this book brought me back to the weekends I used to spend playing fantasy RPGs with my sister. This nostalgia gave me a warm feeling. I had a great time reading this book.

This is a well written fantasy adventure for fans of D&D and fantasy RPGs. It has a lot of the comfortable, familiar elements of a dungeon crawl while being set within a new fantasy world. I particularly liked the fox liked Rehnarians. I loved that the author put so much work into the different kinds of creatures that lived in Yohme. It was interesting to see the different beliefs held by the creatures, as well as the conflicts between the different species.

This is an imaginative, well thought out and nicely written fantasy book. It stays very firmly within the tracks of a dungeon crawl, which will be a strength to some readers and a weakness to others.

I love books that successfully capture the excitement and comradery of D&D. Especially when they are well written and draw you into the world rather than reading like a blow-by-blow account of a game. If you like this too, I recommend “The Silken Key” by Oliver Lea, or for a slightly darker more video game centred adventure, “Save Game” by Joseph Sale.

This book has a beautiful cover and interior illustrations by Batsky Starman. There are also very nice chapter heading illustrations by Arief Rachmad. I love when books have illustrations. It was great to see pictures of the different characters.

An absorbing and entertaining book that I recommend to fantasy fans, especially to those who love fantasy role playing games.

About The Author:

Bryan Asher is a native Washingtonian and lifelong fan of fiction in all its forms. He started out like many kids from the ’90s, being enthralled by all the superhero comics and cartoons crossing his vision. His love of literary fiction came when he was handed a copy of John Bellairs, “The Chessmen of Doom” by his local librarian. Bryan still credits John Bellairs as his greatest literary influence, with his books featuring multiple illustrations and stand-alone adventures, just like Bellairs.

​After years of dedication and planning, he debuted his first novel in 2020, “The Assassin of Malcoze.” The following year he released his second novel, “The Treasure of Lor-Rev,” which went on to win multiple awards.

​Bryan still lives in Renton Washington with his loving wife and two awesome children. He also still has the first comic book he ever purchased (which cost a quarter in 1990).

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Bad Grains was the 4th place finalist in BBNYA 2024!

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

About The Book

In the quaint German town of Fels, Halloween takes a dark turn for eleven-year-old Jo when her annoying older brother, Hektor, goes missing. Jo suspects he’s playing a prank, but then both her father and grandma forget Hektor’s name, and his stuff mysteriously disappears from his room.

With the adults of no help whatsoever, Jo starts her own investigation and uncovers a gruesome legend: A monster lives in the rye fields and it has been preying on the children of Fels for centuries, ensnaring them into its world under the roots. Now Jo will have two days until the gates between worlds closes on Halloween night.

Armed with a trusty turnip lantern, and her brother’s obnoxious best friend as her only ally, can Jo outsmart the ancient monster, or will the rye fields claim even more innocent victims?

Join Jo an experience a spine-chilling adventure that combines the darkness of German folklore with the magic of spooky season.

Buy the BookGoodreadsThe Story GraphMy Review

I love spooky middle grade fiction, so when I heard good things about this book, I knew I had to read it.

Eleven-year-old Jo loves Halloween, even if it isn’t celebrated in her small German hometown of Fels. When her older brother goes missing after taking a shortcut through a rye field, Jo realises something very strange is going on. Why is she the only one who can remember him? Who has taken him, and how can she get him back? Armed with a turnip ghost, and aided by her brother’s best friend, she sets out to rescue him before it’s too late.

Jo is a great main character. She is a believable eleven-year-old. She has all the confidence of that age, without any of the angst of the teenage years. I share her love for spooky books and movies. Her relationship with her family is shown well. I especially love her friendship with Daniel, her brother’s best friend. They are not fond of each other at the start of the book but learn to appreciate each other as the story progresses.

Jo cares deeply for her family. She has strong bonds with her grandmother, father and brother. When things go wrong, she takes action. However, like all of us, she has her fears and insecurities.

I liked how she used her intelligence to tackle the numerous mysterious and scary things thrown at her throughout the story. She is logical and honest about her abilities, and I loved that. I related to how she tackled the problem. Her love for her brother gave her strength to be brave in a terrifying situation.

The book is well written and easy to read. The author’s style is descriptive and atmospheric, without being prosaic. It was easy to immerse yourself in the world of the story.

I love stories about mysterious disappearances. Being forgotten and fading from existence is a major theme in this book. It is always such a scary thought. What if your family and those closest to you forgot you existed? The transitory nature of existence and the desire to be remembered are discussed with emphasis on the importance of family and friends fighting to keep your memory alive.

The setting of Fels is well built. There is a great map, drawn by the author, at the front of the book. The town felt like a real place. The normal elements of Jo getting her books from the library van, going to the community centre, and visiting her grandmother provided the necessary grounding to make the scary elements of the plot stand out in more vivid relief.

I loved reading about the German customs around Halloween, the different German foods that Jo ate, and the German mythology woven into the story.

The book takes place leading up to, during, and shortly after Halloween. The pace is nicely balanced between the atmospheric, quieter moments and the full-on frightening action scenes. I would have preferred more time spent in the rye field, and a little less time devoted to the days after Halloween, but this is just personal preference. Younger readers will enjoy finding out how Jo fits back into her routine after Halloween.

I really felt for Jo. Her brother going missing was bad enough, without her being the only one who could remember him. The pressure of being the only one who could rescue him was immense. I was filled with a creeping dread for most of the book. The story is delightfully creepy.

Jo’s character is a standout in this book. I also loved the German setting and folklore. It was nice to learn about another culture, their customs, and beliefs.

I would have liked more time spent in the Rye field. There were so many interesting things, and I would have liked to see more of them.

This book gave me similar vibes to “Small Spaces” by Katherine Arden. It’s sure to appeal to horror loving middle graders, and horror readers of all ages.

I love that Jo carves a turnip ghost rather than a pumpkin. These used to be carved in Ireland too. I also love that the author drew the cover, map and illustrations herself. They are really good and added to the story.

A highly entertaining read that is perfect for any time of the year, but especially around Halloween. I look forward to continuing Jo’s adventures with the next book in the series, “White Out”.

About the Author

Susanne Schmidt loves to explore new worlds. An avid traveler, she grew up in Germany, but has also lived in New Zealand, Spain, and the US, where she earned a B.A. in Journalism from Saint Louis University. As a storyteller, she likes to experiment, often melding together darker horror themes and modern elements with traditional fantasy settings.

When she isn’t typing up a storm (or a world-eating monster), she can usually be found gardening or hanging out with her guinea pigs.

To find out more, visit her website https://susanneschmidt.me or follow her on Instagram @wordslikepromises.

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About The Book

Buddy is no ordinary teddy bear.

He’s a Knight, crafted by The Nameless Wizard himself, and sworn to protect his Person, 10-year old Mieya, from all the Things-That-Go-Bump-In-The-Night.

When Mieya is cursed into a magical sleep, it’s up to Buddy and his friends Esteban the Bard, Sasha the Warrior-Princess, and Copper the Butterfly to journey across The Realm-Under-The-Bed and find the one responsible.

But this is no ordinary Quest. The Realm is a dangerous place, filled with jungles, deserts, lightning storms, and Monsters. But worst of all is The Queen of Sorrow who waits for them in her dark castle in the crags. To break her curse, Buddy will need more than his skill with a blade, Esteban’s witty songs, or Sasha’s ferocious might.

He’ll need Heart.

Buy the BookMy Review

A teddy bear knight and his best friend, a tamarin bard, travel to The Realm-Under-The-Bed to save their person from a curse.

You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the wonderful cover image by Candice Broersma made me want to read this book the moment I saw it. The noble bear in the centre image, with the interesting animals in the circles above him, really piqued my interest. I love animals, and I love stuffed animals, so a story about a teddy bear knight is right up my street. What is even better about this cover image is that it has lots of little details you only notice when you read the book.

Buddy is a teddy bear knight made by the Nameless Wizard. Buddy, and his magic sword Aura, have sworn to protect a little girl called Meiya. His best friend is the bard Estaban, who is a tamarin monkey. Buddy and Aura guard Meiya at night from the monsters that creep into her bedroom from The Realm-Under-The-Bed and attack her while she sleeps. When a monster successfully places a powerful curse upon Meiya, Buddy and Estaban must journey into The Realm-Under-The-Bed to find the Queen of Sorrow. They only have until morning to lift the curse. The Realm-Under-The-Bed is made up of many dangerous and interesting lands. Buddy and Estaban meet new friends to aid them in their quest as they search for the fearsome Queen of Sorrow. Can the toys’ friendship and heart prove victorious in their quest?

Buddy is the hero of this tale. He is brave, loving, and good. All the qualities that a knight should have. I love the different challenges he faces as a stuffed animal. For example, he carries a little kit of spare stuffing, a needle, and thread in case of injury during battle.

Buddy is a great character. He’s very loving and never hesitates to do the right thing and protect others. He will do anything to save Meiya from the curse. It’s not specified what the curse will do to Meiya, but it is obviously something very bad. Buddy doesn’t hesitate to save her, no matter the cost to himself.

Estaban, the tamarin bard, is his best friend and sidekick. He makes up funny songs that he plays on his mandolin and is always there by Buddy’s side. He isn’t a fighter, but he is great moral support to Buddy. He is also smart. His cheerful disposition keeps them going when things look dark.

Sasha is a tiger that Buddy and Estaban meet on their journey through The Realm-Under-The-Bed. She has a beef with the Queen of Sorrow and accompanies them on their quest. She is a great contrast to Buddy and Estaban, as she is fierce and wild in comparison to the toys who have a person to protect.

The writing style has an almost mythic quality, like an Arthurian legend. The epic nature of the prose provides a great contrast to the sweet toy characters. I love that the author doesn’t belittle the importance of the quest because the characters are toys. There is nothing twee or quaint about this story, and the high fantasy noble, heroic tone of the prose is a brilliant choice by the author.

This book is filled with great themes and messages. Being brave and noble are of course a big part of the book. As the toys travel through the various parts of The Realm-Under-The-Bed, they see the value in deciding who you want to be, and the importance of love and friendship. There is a lot of talk about the powers of the mind and the powers of the heart and how they complement each other. These themes are included in the story and are woven through it without being preachy.

The story starts in Meiya’s bedroom and then changes to The Realm-Under-The-Bed. I love how the author transforms the night-time bedroom of a child into an epic landscape. Discarded clothes, a doll house and damaged toys all take on different significance in the magical world of Buddy the Knight.

The Realm-Under-The-Bed is made up of different sections. There is a lovely map at the front of the book. All fantasy books should have a map at the front of the book, right! There is something familiar about each area. A jungle teeming with insects. A desert of dunes. A strange marketplace. A journey down a river. Just as with Meiya’s room, the author has put an imaginative spin on things to make them new. Toys are everywhere in The Realm-Under-The-Bed, but there are other things as well, like talking ships that fly through the sky and collect lightening, and magical puppets that play with time.

The different sections of The Realm-Under-The-Bed are important to the story. Each area provides a challenge to Buddy in completing his quest. The Realm-Under-The-Bed is dangerous and full of tricks. Buddy has to successfully navigate each section in order to find the origin of Meiya’s curse. While some of the areas prove helpful, like the jungle where he meets Sasha, most of them are dangerous and slow Buddy and the toys down in their journey.

The book alternates between several different timelines. Most chapters follow the main timeline of Buddy’s journey through the realms to save Meiya. Several chapters travel back in time to the workshop of the Nameless Wizard. These chapters fill in backstory on the characters, as well as reinforcing the themes of having a warm heart and a strong head and being a good friend who is brave, noble and true.

It can be jarring when a book jumps back and forth with different timelines like this, especially when certain chapters are heavy in character exposition, but this book manages it well. The chapters in the workshop of the Nameless Wizard are interesting and add a deeper dimension to Buddy and his world.

The timed element of Meiya’s curse provides a lot of tension. A poem given to Buddy by one of the toys before he embarks on his journey lays out the dangers he must face, so there is a guide the story must follow. Each conflict and nugget of information that drives the story forward is revealed in a timely manner. The pacing is neither too leisurely nor too hectic but just right.

Some of the bigger plot points could had been woven into Buddy’s journey. It would have been nice to see him learn more about the Queen of Sorrow as he travelled through the different realms. However, it is understandable why the author chose the method he did, and it doesn’t detract from the overall tale.

From the first chapter, when Buddy and Aura fight valiantly to protect Meiya, I was emotionally invested in the brave bear and his magic sword. There are elements to the story that are so much fun that I read them with joy and hope. There is also lots of peril for the characters. I was genuinely worried for Buddy and his friends as they went on their quest.

There are many stories written about toys and their world, but this book is particularly imaginative when detailing the land that they live in as well as their rich inner lives. I love that the characters are not put down or reduced because they are toys. There is no “Wizard of Oz” or “Lego Movie” reveal that it is just a game. Buddy and his friends may be full of stuffing, but their hopes and fears are as real and important as any flesh and blood character. I love how seriously the author takes the importance of toys and their part in protecting children. The imaginative depiction of The Realm-Under-The-Bed is also great.

I would have loved this book as a child. It would be a great book to read to younger children and is certainly a book middle grade children will devour. With its themes of nobility and bravery, friendship and love, it is sure to appeal to fantasy loving teens and adults.

I love stuffed animals. My childhood toys had strong personalities and went on many exciting adventures. Some of them are still my good friends today. This book captures the imagination, love and importance of stuffed animals. It treats them seriously and with respect. For that reason, the book resonated with me.

This is a wonderful imaginative and exciting book for children and adults who still cherish their toys and love fantasy. This book treats toys with the gravitas they deserve. There is nothing sentimental about this book, which makes it all the better. With a new, imaginative take on toys and a blend of epic fantasy that provides strong world building, this is a wonderful adventure story that is suitable for the whole family.

This book ends on a satisfactory note, but there is certainly room for further adventures with Buddy and his friends. I will be sure to read any more books about Buddy.

About the Author

A native son of Massachusetts, Peter has been living in the Deep South for over 25 years. By day, he’s an insurance professional, saving the world one policy at a time. But at night, well, no one really wants to see him fighting crime in his Spider-Man onesie. Instead, Peter develops new worlds of adventure influenced by his love of science fiction, mysteries, music and fantasy. Whether it’s running role-playing games for his long-time friends, watching his beloved New England sporting teams vie for another championship, or just chilling with a movie, his wife, two boys, one puppy and three cats, Peter’s imagination is always on the move. It’s the reason why his stories are an eclectic blend of intrigue, excitement, humor and magic, drawn from four decade’s worth of television, film, novels and comic books.

One response to “Book Tour: Buddy The Knight and the Queen of Sorrow by Peter David”Valinora TroyApril 5, 2025

What a great review! I too love my stuffies! This sounds like my kind of book, and I am really sorry I missed the tour too. I’ll add it to my TBR! Thanks for the recommendation!

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Hello Blogging World!Iseult

Hi, I’m Iseult, and I’m trapped in a snow globe. Ahhhh!

Jonny

I’m Jonny, and all I want for Christmas is some holiday horror!

This buddy read and rant is for Candy Cain Kills (Killer VHS #2) by Brian McAuley.

Blurb:

Oh what fun it is to DIE!

When Austin’s parents drag him and his little sister Fiona to a remote cottage for Christmas, he’s less than thrilled about the forced bonding exercise. But after learning that their holiday getaway was the site of a horrific crime, this family on the rocks will have to fight for their lives against a legendary killer… because Candy Cain is slashing through the snow with a very long naughty list.

GoodReads

Amazon

Buddy Read Book Rant:Jonny

Hey Iseult. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous trying “Candy Cain Kills” out. We had some mixed feelings about the last book in this series, and I’ve talked with the author of this one through social media. For me, there’s something anxiety inducing about knowing an author and then reading their works, but luckily this was a home run for me. I loved it to pieces! What’d you think overall?

Iseult

Yes, there is an added pressure when you’ve interacted with the author. I found the present tense took me a little while to get used to, but once I did I couldn’t put the book down. This was a masterclass of a horror novella. So much happened! The characterization was rich and meaningful. The kills were gory and upsetting. The plot was delightfully twisty. There were also lots of nods to horror movie cliches and staples to fit the book nicely into the Killer VHS series. What did you think of it?

Jonny

Right? I just don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but at the same time I have to be honest. Such a conundrum!

I totally agree. Present tense is the one I read the least of because it’s harder for me to get into, but from front to back this book was a blast!

The characters were important to the plot and felt real, and that really stuck with me. For Austin, I was especially touched because that was literally me circa the early 2000s. Around the time “Brokeback Mountain” came out I had just come out and wanted the same things that Austin wanted, so I felt seen. I think the LGBTQIA+ community would really enjoy this book because of that.

Who was your favorite character?

Iseult

So true!

Aw, that gave you a really personal connection to this book! I’m glad you found Austin relatable.

I loved how detailed all the characters were. I liked them all and I cared about whether they lived or died, which I find quite rare in horror books and movies. Especially for side characters. The author is very skilled at making them human. Even Austin’s friends, who could easily have been teenage stereotypes, had well rounded personalities.

My favorite character was Fiona. I loved how she battled through her disability, and I could relate to her feeling a burden on her family.

What did you think of Candy Cain?

Jonny

Yes! It made me even more invested in it. Each page I was like “Don’t kill Austin, please don’t kill Austin!”

Exactly. Every character, even if they weren’t super important, had an interesting story that made you feel for them, and that’s really tough to do in such a short time.

OMG Fiona! I absolutely loved how scrappy she was and that despite feeling like a burden she wasn’t going to let anyone treat her differently than the average Joe, even if she fell on her face from time to time. That sass won me over very quickly.

Oh, Candy Cain was such a great villain and I loved their traumatic history. They were a mystery for most of the novel and when I thought I knew everything, BAM! Plot twist! It’s hard to surprise me, but McAuley got the drop on me!

Iseult

Same! I’m pretty good at anticipating plot threads, but I was taken in by this one.

Candy Cain’s backstory hit a lot harder than I expected it to. The kills were gloriously over the top and appropriate to the genre. You can tell the author is a screenwriter. The descriptions are very cinematic. I think it would make a brilliant movie, although some of the characterization might be lost in the transfer. I loved how each chapter was told from the point of view of a different person. It helped get into their head.

What did you think of the pacing in this book?

Jonny

We’ve been bamboozled, but in a good way!

Same! I don’t want to give anything away but I had some similar experiences in the past (not anywhere near that level though) that tugged at my heartstrings. Oh my gosh, can this please be a movie? Give McAuley all creative control though so it doesn’t lose all its greatness.The kills never got stale and each one was uniquely handled. I’m actually a fan of the head hopping, but even if I wasn’t, the story still shines through and gives a lot of different angles I think anyone can appreciate.

The pacing was really great. We had a solid buildup with the family and some behind the scenes thrills that helped prepare the reader for the inevitable confrontation. Right around the halfway point things really get crazy and that’s pretty much the perfect pace for me. Chef’s kiss!

I also just love that there’s a Christmas horror book out there that got five stars from me. I thought it would never happen and here we are!

Okay, here’s my big question. Do we take a break with #3 in the series or do we skip ahead to see what happens next in the gruesome sequel to “Candy Cain Kills“?

Iseult

Aw, Jonny. Huggems. I’m sorry to hear that. Those passages were hard to read.

I agree. There was no repetition with the kills, and they really built up and up to a terrifying climax.

I loved getting into the different characters heads. It helped to see them as fully realized people, especially as some of the characters weren’t around for a long time and the book covered a lot in a short page count.

I agree, the pacing was superb. It hit all the violent milestones you’d expect in a horror story, while giving enough time for the characters to develop and let the reader care about them. It also upped the ante with each action scene in various inventive ways.

I love Christmas horror, and this book is a great example of the sub-genre.

Oh, I don’t know! I’d like to dive straight into the sequel, but I also like to read a series in order. What are your thoughts?

Jonny

No worries. I think that if we can get past the struggles in life that it makes us stronger and can put us on a better path, or in the case of this book, a darker one. I bet a lot of people could see their own struggles in the backstory, and that gives this horror novella some extra heart.

And those kills were pretty creative overall. Snaps for McAuley!

That must’ve been so hard to capture all of that in a short time. And in some parts we see the aftermath of events through a different set of eyes that is just haunting for the reader.

So true. This book ticked all the boxes and then some.

I’m kind of on the fence myself. I tend to be a stickler for reading in order, but I’ll admit my gut was also telling me we might want to read the sequel first. I’d definitely be on board for that.

Iseult

That’s a very good way to look at life. Unfortunately for Candy Cain it was definitely a darker path.

I really loved the humanity in this book. It had a lot of heart, and was much more satisfying as a result.

Mmm, sounds like we are going to jump straight into the sequel! It’s great we can binge the two books and we don’t have to wait for the sequel to be published! I look forward to seeing what McAuley does with the characters.

Jonny

Thanks! Yes, definitely a much darker path for Miss Candy Cain.

Right. I think that sometimes people expect horror to be just blood and gore, but it can be so much more and more impactful too.

Yay, sequel here we come! I actually already bought the sequel and I totally agree on the not waiting part because patience is a struggle for me. From what I’ve seen on the blurb of the next book, this one takes place right after the events of the first one. I bet it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Iseult

Yay! It will be nice to dive in while the details of the first book are so fresh in our minds.

Thank you for reading this with me, Jonny. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Jonny

My thoughts exactly!

I had such a blast and can’t wait for the sequel!

That’s A Wrap!

Thanks for joining us on our buddy read and rant of “Candy Cain Kills“! We had a lot of fun, and hope you did too! We will definitely be doing some more buddy reads in the future, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, why not check out Iseult and Jonny’s other fun buddy reads?

Buddy Read & Rant #17: Melon Head Mayhem by Alex Ebenstein

Buddy Read & Rant #16: I Found Puppets Living in my Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing

Buddy Read & Rant #15: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

Buddy Read & Rant #14: The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren

Buddy Read & Rant #13: Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

Buddy Read & Rant #12: Parachute by Holly Rae Garcia

Buddy Read & Rant #11: A Door into Evermoor by Kent Wayne

Buddy Read & Rant #10: The Haunting of Trinity House by Travis Liebert

Buddy Read & Rant #9: Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #8: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

Buddy Read & Rant #7: Until Summer Comes Around by Glenn Rolfe

Buddy Read & Rant #6: Camp Carnage by Joshua Winning and Elliot Cross

Buddy Read & Rant #5: Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #4: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #3: Trigger and Shutter by Courtney Alamada

Buddy Read & Rant #2: Thornhill by Pam Smy

Buddy Read & Rant #1: The Survivor Chronicles by Erica Stevens

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Hello Blogging World!Jonny

I’m Jonny, and I love, love, love creature features!

Iseult

Hi, I’m Iseult, and I’m a video nasty!

This buddy read and rant is for Melon Head Mayhem by Alex Ebenstein.

Check out Jonny’s review HERE.

Read Iseult’s review HERE.

Blurb:

Have you ever wanted to live inside your favorite horror film? Prove you have what it takes to fight Freddy? Destroy Jason? Mangle Michael?

Cousins Carson and Sophia are in town for their grandma’s funeral and are, unknowingly, about to live out the nightmare that is every horror fan’s dream.

After they find an old unfamiliar VHS tape tucked away in grandma’s house, they figure the worst that can happen is a few cringeworthy moments and 90 minutes wasted. Instead, the video summons the movie monsters—local urban legends called melon heads—into their very real lives!

The destruction caused by the blood thirsty melon heads has Carson and Sophia fighting to survive and sets them on a deadly path to the shores of Lake Michigan, home of the devilish beasts. They vow to destroy every last one of the melon heads and make sure these monsters never get a sequel.

Will they survive? Would you fare better?

It’s a creature feature. It’s a throwback. It’s… MELON HEAD MAYHEM!

GoodReads

Amazon

Buddy Read Book Rant:Jonny

Thanks so much for giving this read a go with me. What did you think overall?

Iseult

You’re welcome! I love our buddy reads, and it’s great to discover new writers.

I enjoyed this book, but I’m torn. It captured the feel of a horror B movie really well, but I wanted there to be more to it. What did you think?

Jonny

Yeah, I was a little disappointed with this one. It did have all that nostalgia that comes with a B movie, but it fell a bit short.

I love fast paced books but the monster reveal and action came too soon for me. I wanted more depth and interactions from the characters first.

Iseult

I agree. It jumped into the action pretty much straight away, and I thought “where is it going to go from here?”. I would have loved to have learned more about the melon heads, but the backstory wasn’t as detailed as I would have liked. I also didn’t find the melon heads very threatening.

Jonny

Right! I think if they’d done some scenes of the funeral for Carson’s grandma and stressed his ties to his hometown it may have helped give him more depth.

Yeah, I wasn’t really frightened at all by the monsters. I get what they were going for with the backstory behind them, but I think they could’ve make it more menacing and added more to it.

What did you think of his bestie partner in crime?

Iseult

I agree. I liked the backstory with Carson and his family, but it didn’t seem to tie into the story or his character arc.

I think Carson reconnecting with his cousin was a great idea. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take to Sophia. I didn’t get why she was so glib about hunting the melon heads.

Jonny

I think it was totally possible to incorporate him more into it, but it just didn’t happen.

I have to say, Sophia was my favorite character. I loved her sass and scrappy characters are always my fave. But her reasoning behind wanting to hunt the monsters didn’t make enough sense for it to be believable. If you’re bored with your relationship you go bungey jumping, not monster hunting lol.

Iseult

Haha! I agree! There are better ways to get an adrenaline rush!

I liked that Carson was more timid and Sophia was more action orientated, but at times it seemed like that was all there was to them. This did fit in with a B movie theme, where characters are often not particularly complex.

What did you think of the melon heads themselves?

Jonny

Exactly! One thing I really liked is that they didn’t shy away from the blood and gore. They got that part right, but with the other bits not being so great it didn’t quite even out.

Yeah, we really needed more to these characters. They were just too simple to really connect with.

I did like the melon heads backstory in that they had a medical condition (was it hydrocephalus or something?) that was responsible for the way they looked, but I wasn’t sure where the claws came from.

Iseult

Yes, the blood and gore was good.

I thought the melon heads were cool. I liked that they looked like actors in rubber suits and had a deceptively simple Achilles heel. With their ability to sense where people were, and hunt down their location really fast, I thought they would be a more formidable enemy. At times they seemed more like a creature from a 1950s science fiction movie than a 1980s horror.

Jonny

For sure. It really helped up the ante.

Yeah, it was campy but it totally worked just like all those great horror movies we grew up watching. You know, now that you say it they did seem to have a 50s style to them as well. I hadn’t thought of that.

I also didn’t think the writing itself was bad by any means. It was easy to read which is always a plus in my book.

Iseult

It was well written and great fun to read. I read it very quickly and I looked forward to finding out what happened next. Some of Sophia’s antics had me groaning, but in a good way! It was fun how easily she took to being heroic. I empathized much more with Carson. He found the whole experience much more disturbing than his cousin. I particularly felt for him when his laptop was destroyed. It was his lifeline to work, so that was a truly horrific moment!

I love the idea of the Killer VHS series, and I’ll definitely check out more books in the series, as well as more books by Alex Ebenstein.

Jonny

Oh I would lose my mind if I lost my laptop! There were definitely some good parts to this novel. It just ended up being a mixed bag.

Yeah, for sure! I’ve been eyeing Candy Cain Kills for a while too, so I may check that out soon.

Thanks for trying this one out with me, book bestie!

Iseult

You’re welcome! It’s been great fun, as always. I’m so happy to be doing buddy reads with you again.

I want to give a shout out to Marc Vuletich and Alan Lastufka for the amazing cover of “Melon Head Mayhem”. I love the artwork and the vintage video cassette case design.

Jonny

Me too! Life after grad school is such a relief with plenty of time to do these great buddy reads with my book besties.

Ooo, yes, yes! All the kudos to the cover artists for making a stellar cover that made me wanna try this one out.

Until next time, friend!

That’s A Wrap!

Thanks for joining us on our buddy read and rant of “Melon Head Mayhem”! We had a lot of fun, and hope you did too! We will definitely be doing some more buddy reads in the future, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, why not check out Iseult and Jonny’s other fun buddy reads?

Buddy Read & Rant #16: I Found Puppets Living in my Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing

Buddy Read & Rant #15: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

Buddy Read & Rant #14: The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren

Buddy Read & Rant #13: Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

Buddy Read & Rant #12: Parachute by Holly Rae Garcia

Buddy Read & Rant #11: A Door into Evermoor by Kent Wayne

Buddy Read & Rant #10: The Haunting of Trinity House by Travis Liebert

Buddy Read & Rant #9: Dark Waters by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #8: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow

Buddy Read & Rant #7: Until Summer Comes Around by Glenn Rolfe

Buddy Read & Rant #6: Camp Carnage by Joshua Winning and Elliot Cross

Buddy Read & Rant #5: Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #4: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Buddy Read & Rant #3: Trigger and Shutter by Courtney Alamada

Buddy Read & Rant #2: Thornhill by Pam Smy

Buddy Read & Rant #1: The Survivor Chronicles by Erica Stevens

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