Book Review | A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs

A Lush and Seething Hell combines two tales of cosmic horror by John Hornor Jacobs.

The award-winning and critically-acclaimed master of horror returns with a pair of chilling tales—both never-before-published in print—that examine the violence and depravity of the human condition.

Bringing together his acclaimed novella The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky and an all-new short novel My Heart Struck Sorrow, John Hornor Jacobs turns his fertile imagination to the evil that breeds within the human soul.

A brilliant mix of the psychological and supernatural, blending the acute insight of Roberto Bolaño and the eerie imagination of H. P. Lovecraft, The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky examines life in a South American dictatorship. Centered on the journal of a poet-in-exile and his failed attempts at translating a maddening text, it is told by a young woman trying to come to grips with a country that nearly devoured itself.

In My Heart Struck Sorrow, a librarian discovers a recording from the Deep South—which may be the musical stylings of the Devil himself.

Breathtaking and haunting, A Lush and Seething Hell is a terrifying and exhilarating journey into the darkness, an odyssey into the deepest reaches of ourselves that compels us to confront secrets best left hidden.

I just love John Hornor Jacobs' cosmic horror. The two novellas in A Lush and Seething Hell are set in the same world as Southern Gods {my review}, and I really can't get enough of it. You definitely don't need to read Southern Gods before reading A Lush and Seething Hell, but I do recommend you read Southern Gods at some point just because I loved it so.

I read the two novellas in A Lush and Seething Hell separately (a month apart), and even though I really enjoyed The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky, I think I missed something. I was probably my own worst enemy with all of my preconceived Lovecraftian notions and expectations. I want to read this one again.

The second novella - My Heart Struck Sorrow - was my favorite of the two stories. Not only was I in Jacobs' world of cosmic horror, but it turned out to be music horror which is something I always love. My Heart Struck Sorrow was dark and unsettling, and I love when reading a book becomes an experience. I will probably want to reread this novella, too, just because I liked it so much.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*according to the book description, My Heart Struck Sorrow is actually a short novel and not a novella.

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Book Review | Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs

Southern Gods is the debut novel of John Hornor Jacobs.

Book Description

Recent World War II veteran Bull Ingram is working as muscle when a Memphis DJ hires him to find Ramblin' John Hastur. The mysterious blues man's dark, driving music - broadcast at ever-shifting frequencies by a phantom radio station - is said to make living men insane and dead men rise. Disturbed and enraged by the bootleg recording the DJ plays for him, Ingram follows Hastur's trail into the strange, uncivilized backwoods of Arkansas, where he hears rumors the musician has sold his soul to the Devil. But as Ingram closes in on Hastur and those who have crossed his path, he'll learn there are forces much more malevolent than the Devil and reckonings more painful than Hell... In a masterful debut of Lovecraftian horror and Southern gothic menace, John Hornor Jacobs reveals the fragility of free will, the dangerous power of sacrifice, and the insidious strength of blood.

I wasn't sure at first how much I was going to like Southern Gods. It started out with a great, atmospheric prologue which should have been a good thing, but prologues always send off warning signals to me that the book is going to need a lot of help hooking me. Then, as I expected, it had a slow start. I didn't have a lot of confidence that the book was going to be extraordinary, but I was wrong. Really wrong.

I loved Southern Gods.

In the end, the build up became one of my favorite things about Southern Gods. It was like a huge crescendo. It started out small and just got bigger and better until it was downright awesome. I even grew to love the prologue which is rare for me.

There are two separate story lines going on in the first half of Southern Gods. In one, Bull Ingram is hired to find a missing person, and he gets tangled up in an investigation of a really creepy blues man and a radio station that changes frequencies and plays the devil's music. In the other, Sarah and her daughter have returned to her family's home where Sarah discovers there are evils she never knew existed. Once these two story lines converge, Southern Gods moves from creepy to scary to terrifying. I'm glad I wasn't reading it in public because you could visibly see the horror on my face.

If you love a well developed horror story, you will love Southern Gods. It was so unique and so surprising. I am now a big fan of John Hornor Jacobs. I cannot wait to get my hands on his next book.

9/10: Highly Recommended

There are a lot of Lovecraft references in Southern Gods. I think it might finally be time for me to start reading Lovecraft. Over the years, I've learned to spot most anything Lovecraftian, but I have yet to experience where it all originated. Are you a fan of Lovecraft? Let me hear from you!

Book Review | The Twelve-Fingered Boy by John Hornor Jacobs

The Twelve-Fingered Boy is a YA fantasy novel by John Hornor Jacobs.

Book Description

Fifteen-year-old fast-talking Shreve doesn’t mind juvie. He’s good at dealing contraband candy, and three meals a day is more than his drunk mother provided. In juvie, the rules never change and everyone is the same. In juvie, Shreve has life figured out.

So when he’s assigned a strangely silent and vulnerable new cellmate, Jack, Shreve takes the younger boy under his wing. But all Shreve’s plans and schemes unravel when he discovers Jack is different. For one thing, Jack has six fingers per hand. For another thing, he just might have superpowers.

Soon Jack has drawn the attention of the cellblock bullies as well as the mysterious and chilling Mr. Quincrux—who claims to be from the Department of Health and Human Services. But when Shreve feels Quincrux invade his mind and shuffle through his darkest memories, he knows Quincrux’s interest in Jack is far more sinister. Mr. Quincrux means to take Jack away. For what purposes, no one knows.

But Shreve has another plan: escape.

Why did I read The Twelve-Fingered Boy?

I'm a fan of John Hornor Jacobs. His debut novel Southern Gods blew me away. (You can check out my review of Southern Gods here.) The Twelve-Fingered Boy is Jacobs's first YA novel, and it sounded like an awesome read.

The Strengths

I have a strong affection for coming of age stories, and I don't find myself reading male POV YA books very often. The Twelve-Fingered Boy was able to fill that spot in my heart and make me a very happy reader.

I love the friendship between Shreve and Jack. This is something I look forward to reading more of in the rest of the series.

Superpowers! Can a YA fantasy get better than the main characters having special abilities? I'm not sure that it can for me. If you love books like the Lorien Legacies (I Am Number Four, etc.) then you should check out The Twelve-Fingered Boy as well.

I'm very happy to report The Twelve-Fingered Boy is a full story. I bitch A LOT around here about series books not giving a full story in each volume. I firmly believe that any and every book should be able to stand on its own. Even though there is a larger story arch and questions left unanswered, The Twelve-Fingered Boy is completely capable of standing on its own.

The design of the physical book is fantastic. I'm very blessed to have a hard copy. It's a great read so I certainly recommend downloading the ebook if that is your thing, but bibliophiles, keep in mind this is a stunning book.

The front and back matter are printed on dark paper.

The Weakness

When the big baddie Mr. Quincrux forcibly enters Shreve's mind (not a spoiler/in the book blurb), Shreve has a very strong reaction to how he's been violated. I was uncomfortable with the extent to which Shreve was equating this violation especially given the fact that (this part is a spoiler) Shreve goes on to do the exact same thing to others.

Would I recommend The Twelve-Fingered Boy to others?

Yes! It was a really great read. The Shibboleth comes out in March so I will definitely be reading that one soon as well.

8/10: Great Read

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Review copy provided by author via publisher

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | July 12

I hope everyone is having an amazing weekend. Things have been really busy over at the Ladies of Horror Fiction and unfortunately that balances out to things being really quiet over here! Things will hopefully be semi back to normal next month, but in the mean time, please be sure to check out all these lists of nominees!!

LOHF Award Nominees for Best Collection
LOHF Award Nominees for Best Debut
LOHF Award Nominees for Best Poetry Collection
LOHF Award Nominees for Best Novel
LOHF Award Nominees for Best Novella

Stay tuned because we have more categories to announce this week.

Posted Since Last Update

Book Review | Seeing Things by Sonora Taylor

On My Wishlist {33}

Finished Reading

I finished reading Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. Hopefully I can put the finishing touches on my review today to post this week! ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

I also read Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby which I really enjoyed. I'm aiming to get a review out for release day on Tuesday. ⭐⭐⭐💫★

Currently Reading

I'm planning to start The Bright Lands by John Fram later today!

Recent Acquisitions

Many, many thanks to Grinning Skull Press for sending me out a copy of The Midnight Lullaby by Cheryl Low. (And thank you to Tammy for putting this author/book on my radar!)

I had a few highly anticipated orders arrive last week!! These are all must read authors for me!

Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Powers - After loving Wilder Girls {my review}, I had to read her new release!

Devil's Creek by Todd Keisling - I absolutely loved The Final Reconciliation {my review} so I'm looking forward to reading Devil's Creek. The reviews have been spectacular for this one so I'm even more excited.

Murder Ballads by John Hornor Jacobs - I'm also a big John Hornor Jacobs fan having loved Southern Gods {my review}, A Lush and Seething Hell {my review}, and his Incarcerado series {my review} which I need to return to some day!

Current Distractions

Are you guys watching Hamilton? I've seen it 5 times in the last week and a half. That's normal right? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I finally watched Silver Linings Playbook. ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

The Exterminating Angel is a Spanish movie from 1962. It's very Twilight Zone-ish, and I loved it. A group of people are having a dinner party and they just stay. No one can leave the room they are in. The audio is in Spanish, but I believe the subtitles were in English. ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

I also watched Eurovision. I really enjoyed it - it was a great quarantine escape - but I didn't love it as much as everyone else seems to have loved it. ⭐⭐⭐★★

Are we friends on Letterboxd? I've come to rely on Letterboxd so much for selecting and tracking movies. When I'm in the mood for a certain genre of movie, I'll search by genre and filter for movies I haven't seen. Every single time I would search a genre that wasn't horror, all of the top choices were Marvel movies. I'm giving up and giving in and I'm watching them all in order. I'm attempting to rank them (it's not easy, there's so many) as I go.

These are my ratings so far if anyone is curious!

Iron Man (rewatch) ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
The Incredible Hulk ⭐⭐⭐★★
Iron Man 2 (rewatch) ⭐⭐⭐★★
Thor (rewatch) ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I enjoyed it more this time.
Captain America: The First Avenger ⭐⭐💫★★
The Avengers ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
Iron Man 3 ⭐⭐⭐★★ - The first half was 5 stars, the second half was 1 star.
Thor: The Dark World ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ⭐⭐⭐💫★
Guardians of the Galaxy (rewatch) ⭐⭐⭐⭐★
Avengers: Age of Ultron ⭐⭐💫★★

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading (or watching) this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

On My Wishlist {17}

I've been adding so many amazing books to my wishlist lately I decided it was time to do another edition of On My Wishlist! Here are a few books that have caught my eye lately:

Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh
Expected publication: August 13th 2019 by Saga Press

When an Earth-like planet is discovered, a team of six teens, along with three veteran astronauts, embark on a twenty-year trip to set up a planet for human colonization—but find that space is more deadly than they ever could have imagined.

Have you ever hoped you could leave everything behind?
Have you ever dreamt of a better world?
Can a dream sustain a lifetime?

A century ago, an astronomer discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. She predicted that one day humans would travel there to build a utopia. Today, ten astronauts are leaving everything behind to find it. Four are veterans of the twentieth century’s space-race.

And six are teenagers who’ve trained for this mission most of their lives.

It will take the team twenty-three years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years locked in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong.

And something always goes wrong.

I first saw this on Tammy's blog, and it sounds like such a great read! I need to have it in my life.

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A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror by John Hornor Jacobs
Expected publication: October 29th 2019 by Harper Voyager

The award-winning and critically-acclaimed master of horror returns with a pair of chilling tales—both never-before-published in print—that examine the violence and depravity of the human condition.

Bringing together his acclaimed novella The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky and an all-new short novel My Heart Struck Sorrow, John Hornor Jacobs turns his fertile imagination to the evil that breeds within the human soul.

A brilliant mix of the psychological and supernatural, blending the acute insight of Roberto Bolaño and the eerie imagination of H. P. Lovecraft, The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky examines life in a South American dictatorship. Centered on the journal of a poet-in-exile and his failed attempts at translating a maddening text, it is told by a young woman trying to come to grips with a country that nearly devoured itself.

In My Heart Struck Sorrow, a librarian discovers a recording from the Deep South—which may be the musical stylings of the Devil himself.

Breathtaking and haunting, A Lush and Seething Hell is a terrifying and exhilarating journey into the darkness, an odyssey into the deepest reaches of ourselves that compels us to confront secrets best left hidden.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of John Hornor Jacobs. I have this one on pre-order, and I can't wait!

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Selected Poems of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton, edited by Irene Goldman-Price
Expected publication: July 9th 2019 by Scribner

Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with her novel The Age of Innocence, was also a brilliant poet. This revealing collection of 134 poems brings together a fascinating array of her verse—including fifty poems that have never before been published.

The celebrated American novelist and short story writer Edith Wharton, author of The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Age of Innocence, was also a dedicated, passionate poet. A lover of words, she read, studied, and composed poetry all of her life, publishing her first collection of poems at the age of sixteen. In her memoir, A Backward Glance, Wharton declared herself dazzled by poetry; she called it her “chiefest passion and greatest joy.”

The 134 selected poems in this volume include fifty published for the first time. Wharton’s poetry is arranged thematically, offering context as the poems explore new facets of her literary ability and character. These works illuminate a richer, sometimes darker side of Wharton. Her subjects range from the public and political—her first published poem was about a boy who hanged himself in jail—to intimate lyric poems expressing heartbreak, loss, and mortality. She wrote frequently about works of art and historical figures and places, and some of her most striking work explores the origins of creativity itself.

These selected poems showcase Wharton’s vivid imagination and her personal experience. Relatively overlooked until now, her poetry and its importance in her life provide an enlightening lens through which to view one of the finest writers of the twentieth century.

Edith Wharton was an amazing woman and one of the lesser known pioneers of horror fiction. Having enjoyed both her novels and her short stories, I'm excited to read her poetry. [You can learn more about Edith Wharton and listen to Toni read one of her short stories (The Lady Maid's Bell) on the Ladies of Horror Fiction podcast.]

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Are you planning to read any of these upcoming releases? What books have recently made it onto your wishlist?

On My Wishlist {16}

I'm way over due for posting a wishlist post! I've read so many amazing reviews and have been recommended a lot of books lately. This post could really get out of hand. I've decided to try my best at narrowing down my list to just three books I'm currently wishing or waiting for.

The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste

Something’s happening to the girls on Denton Street.

It’s the summer of 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio, and Phoebe Shaw and her best friend Jacqueline have just graduated high school, only to confront an ugly, uncertain future. Across the city, abandoned factories populate the skyline; meanwhile at the shore, one strong spark, and the Cuyahoga River might catch fire. But none of that compares to what’s happening in their own west side neighborhood. The girls Phoebe and Jacqueline have grown up with are changing. It starts with footprints of dark water on the sidewalk. Then, one by one, the girls’ bodies wither away, their fingernails turning to broken glass, and their bones exposed like corroded metal beneath their flesh.

As rumors spread about the grotesque transformations, soon everyone from nosy tourists to clinic doctors and government men start arriving on Denton Street, eager to catch sight of “the Rust Maidens” in metamorphosis. But even with all the onlookers, nobody can explain what’s happening or why—except perhaps the Rust Maidens themselves. Whispering in secret, they know more than they’re telling, and Phoebe realizes her former friends are quietly preparing for something that will tear their neighborhood apart.

Alternating between past and present, Phoebe struggles to unravel the mystery of the Rust Maidens—and her own unwitting role in the transformations—before she loses everything she’s held dear: her home, her best friend, and even perhaps her own body.

The first book comes out later this week, and that is The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste. Several members of the Ladies of Horror Fiction team have already read it, and they are raving about it. It sounds like a must buy horror book for this year.

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Love For Slaughter by Sara Tantlinger

This debut collection of poetry from Sara Tantlinger takes a dark look at all the horrors of love, the pleasures of flesh, and the lust for blood. For discerning fans of romance and the macabre, look no further than Love For Slaughter.

Love for Slaughter is another wishlist book I'm blaming on the Ladies of Horror Fiction team. Both Emily and Toni have been reading a lot of poetry with me this year, and they are raving on Love for Slaughter. It's quickly heading to the top of my must buy list.

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The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky by John Hornor Jacobs

Having lost both her home and family to a brutal dictatorship, Isabel has fled to Spain, where she watches young, bronzed beauties and tries to forget the horrors that lie in her homeland.

Shadowing her always, attired in rumpled linen suits and an eyepatch, is “The Eye,” a fellow ex-pat and poet with a notorious reputation. An unlikely friendship blossoms, a kinship of shared grief. Then The Eye receives a mysterious note and suddenly returns home, his fate uncertain.

Left with the keys to The Eye’s apartment, Isabel finds two of his secret manuscripts: a halting translation of an ancient, profane work, and an evocative testament of his capture during the revolution. Both texts bear disturbing images of blood and torture, and the more Isabel reads the more she feels the inexplicable compulsion to go home.

It means a journey deep into a country torn by war, still ruled by a violent regime, but the idea of finding The Eye becomes ineluctable. Isabel feels the manuscripts pushing her to go. Her country is lost, and now her only friend is lost, too. What must she give to get them back? In the end, she has only herself left to sacrifice.

THE SEA DREAMS IT IS THE SKY asks:

How does someone simply give up their home...especially when their home won’t let them?

The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky is a Lovecraftian tale from John Hornor Jacobs. If I'm not mistaken, it's set in the same world as Southern Gods. I was hoping to get a paperback, but I've only seen an ebook release so far.

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Have you read or are you planning to read any of these? What books have recently made it onto your wishlist?

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | November 24

I am officially on Thanksgiving vacation this week! I plan to put up the Christmas tree, read, read, read, host Thanksgiving, work on the blog, and shop (online, totally online)!

New blog alert! My twitter friend Amanda Rock is now blogging at Amanda Reads Horror so be sure to check that out.

Posted Last Week

I posted my ⭐⭐⭐★★ review of Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn.

Do you have any favorite Mary Downing Hahn books? I'm looking to read more books by her.

I shared a few books that recently made it onto my wishlist.

I shared my ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ thoughts on Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Finished Reading

Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved this! Thank you Tammy for putting this on my radar!!

Currently Reading

I read the first novella (The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky) in A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs. I'm hoping to read the second novella before my vacation week is up!

I started reading Skyward by Brandon Sanderson this morning and OH MY GOD. By the end of the prologue I was declaring this one a favorite (and I don't even like prologues!). I don't want to do a THING today but read this book.

I'm still reading The Eye of the World with a small group on Instagram. I'm just about to the halfway point, and I'm starting to enjoy it a lot more. (I've been enjoying it but it has been soooo derivative of LOTR so far so it's been hard to connect with it.)

Recent Acquisitions

I have the best of friends!! Toni sent me a package with the following four books. I can't wait to read them all!! The finished copy of Monster, She Wrote has a really lovely reference to Ladies of Horror Fiction. ❤️

The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters
Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering
Tinfoil Butterfly by Rachel Eve Moulton
Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

September 1 | Currently Reading

Happy Labor Day to those of you in the States! I plan to spend my day watching tennis, reading, and probably working on the blog. My account was hacked yet again, so I have no choice but to get a new account. Advice welcome!

Last week I posted my review of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

I also finished reading The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs, Shakespeare's MacBeth, and Run by Blake Crouch.

This week I am reading Wool by Hugh Howey. It is a fantastic dystopian novel that I do not want to put down.

What are you reading this week? Be sure to let me know in the comments or leave me a link!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Journey's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | March 18

Happy weekend everyone. This past week was Spring Break for my kids. I love when my kids are off from school. There’s no homework to be had, and I can force my kids to spend time with me.

Posted Last Week

I have had zero reviewing mojo this year. I think it has more to do with the way I’ve been reading lately. Life has been tough and it has been busy, and I’ve been reading for the escape and the pure enjoyment of the story. I’m OK with that, but I’m also ready to get back to writing some reviews.

I did post some quick thoughts on the books I’ve been reading lately:

• Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
• The Listener by Robert McCammon
• Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
• Bird Box by Josh Malerman
• Summer of Night by Dan Simmons

Read Last Week

Summer of Night by Dan Simmons

Recent Acquisitions

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - A few weeks ago I said I haven't read a tremendous amount of fantasy. That was kind of misleading since fantasy is one of my go-to genres. What I meant was I don't feel well read in fantasy. Let's take Brandon Sanderson for example. I've read The Rithmatist and Steelheart, but I haven't read Mistborn or The Way of Kings. Despite reading a lot of fantasy, there's a lot I haven't read that I should be reading! I was planning to read Mistborn during Fantasy Month in May, but it might not last until May. I will probably cheat and read it sooner.

The Sound of Broken Ribs by Edward Lorn - Folks were raving over this one last year, and I snagged it on sale this past week.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier - I've decided I need more middle grade horror in my life so I'm going on a big MG reading spree.

The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen - This is another book I grabbed on sale after seeing some trusted reviews. The Nightmare Room is still on sale for $0.99 at the time of this writing.

The Shibboleth by John Hornor Jacobs - I really enjoyed the first book in the series. I'm looking forward to reading what happens next.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - I lucked out in finding this at the thrift shop. It's been on my wishlist for a while, and I was considering ordering a copy after seeing it over at Bark's Book Nonsense.

Current Distractions

Annihilation - I enjoyed the movie more than the book, but they were quite different from each other. My favorite stuff in the book wasn’t in the movie, and the movie had a lot of new things cooked up by the movie folks. There was one scene that was so awesome it was worth the ticket price.

A Wrinkle in Time - I took my kids to see A Wrinkle in Time. (I never could convince them to read the book!) They loved it. Personally, I wanted more about the time wrinkles and the tesseract, but I enjoyed it, too. I fell in love with A Wrinkle in Time when I was in the 3rd grade so it was pretty awesome to be watching it with my own 3rd grade son. :)

Jumanji - We rented Jumanji this week as well. I'm not sure how much I would recommend it to others, but it was cute. It was a great family movie night pick.

Seriously. How amazing was the lineup of new shows last week? We got new seasons of Hap and Leonard, Jessica Jones, and Sneaky Pete! I can't ask for more than that, but The Santa Clarita Diet comes back this week, too.

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.