Deadlands: Boneyard
Deadlands Series Book 3
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
By Seanan McGuire
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 17, 2017

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Now, this technically has not a thing to do with Deadlands: Boneyard, but as it was released right before my favorite day, it seems fitting that I share that with you. The creepy and scary books all tend to drop around this time, but few have an element of fantasy mixed into the suspense and horror. With this particular novel, you get it all. Read on and I will try to satisfy your curiosity, one and all! Welcome, gentle folk, to the story of the Blackstone Family Circus and Traveling Wonder Show!

Urban Enemies
Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook
Written by Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Kelley Armstrong, Seanan McGuire, Jonathan Maberry, Steven Savile, Carrie Vaughn, Caitlin Kittredge
Edited by Joseph Nassise
Published by Gallery Books
Release Date: August 1, 2017

Here I am again, late to the party. I could give you a myriad of excuses but at the end of the day, I am still delivering this to you a little later than I should. However — and it is a huge however, mind you — I cannot just let this one pass me by. Urban Enemies was wicked fun. Yeah, I did say wicked fun.

I have always been told there are two sides to every story, as I am sure you have. But in this case, these sides, these stories are just plain dark. Because, my dear reader, some characters are meant to be bad, with no hope of redemption. And for the ones that embrace their darker side, it apparently can be quite exhilarating. Or that is what the writers of these short stories have led me to believe. So, while late I might be, this was definitely worth the wait!

Shadowed Souls
Paperback | Kindle Edition
Edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes
Roc Books, an imprint of Penguin Group
Release Date: November 1, 2016

Now this is my wheelhouse, folks. Dark and twisted, verging on the edge of being considered horror fantasy; full of magic, monsters, and mayhem. Yep, Shadowed Souls has it all. It’s made up of not just one tale, but eleven, all of which are loosely connected through the title of the book. If spooky and abnormal is up your alley, then your alley must look a lot like mine. Edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes, this anthology covers a wide range of fantasy sub-genres, including some I didn’t even realize existed!

I won’t go through every one of the shorts, but there are a few that stand out to me, such as the first story from Butcher himself, Cold Case. While it is part of the Dresden Files, it focuses on Molly Carpenter and her new position as one of the Queens of Winter. Only a week into her gig as the new Winter Lady, she finds herself in scenario that isn’t as cut and dry as what she might like. There are lessons here, but none she will enjoy. She seemed to forget that she was on a mission for Winter; one that was meant to harden her, I presume.