sharpteethreviews

[sharpteethreviews]

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 (4.5/5)

“When newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge, what greets her is far from the life of wealth and privilege she was expecting . . .

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure —a silent companion —-that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of The Bridge are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition--that is, until she notices the figure's eyes following her.

A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, this is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect--much like the silent companions themselves.”

When I first checked out The Silent Companions from the library, it only had 3-stars on Goodreads. Looking at it now, I’m pleased to see that it’s gone up to nearly 4-stars- of course, because I’m biased but that’s kind of the point of this whole review blog. I will never claim non-bias, I think book reviews mean slightly more when there’s a bias in there. But that’s my opinion, this whole thing is my opinion. 

I’m a self-proclaimed lover of the psychological aspect of horror- what can I say? There’s something about watching someone being faced with horrors and seeing exactly how it is they cope, or fail to. Purcell has a particularly fascinating exploration into this with The Silent Companions. Gaslighting in horror is one of my particular favourite tropes within that psychological umbrella- to be experiencing fear and to be doubted. And then to combine it further with the isolation of grief! 

To quote the book itself, “She had an urge to confess everything. . . But to speak of such things made them a farce. You could not explain fear; you could only feel it, roaring through the silence and striking your heart still.”

Purcell’s voice in her writing captures perfectly the rolling tumble from a woman with her head held high to desperate defeat. And that’s something I can’t understate, Purcell really does excel in this book with her tones- from the blue tones of grief to the grey of misery. There is something so enrapturing about how she writes horror, that you act as voyeur in Elsie’s story. Her recounting of her doom. The atmosphere is created with a natural ease, there’s no theatrical backdrop here- any context needed for period terminology is given through natural story flow instead of a whole aside being needed, or an immersion breaking explanation. It’s difficult to successfully explain whole cultural items through context clues, but I do think that Purcell should be given the credit of having done it very well.

Additionally, something I think I have to mention; the sort of ‘creatures’ in this book, the things actually committing the horror bit, are fascinating. They’re not something that you’d normally think to be afraid of, creeped out by maybe, but overall harmless. Nobody is really eyeing their life-sized cardboard cutout of a random celebrity like it’s going to murder them. But Purcell makes them absolutely creepy with just the idea of it. They don’t even do much- it’s implied- and somehow it’s all the worse for it. There’s one passage in the book that I can’t quote here in full without spoilers, but I can quote even just this tiny fragment for a fraction of the effect. “Splinters. . . Something trying to get in.”

Haunted dolls step aside, the cardboard cutout of Danny Devito in the back of your bedroom closet is making his move.

Now, something I’m not usually a personal fan of in really any book is multiple timelines being told within, separated by chapters. There’s something about it that breaks immersion for me, something about being distracted by the cliffhanger of one storyline during the next installment of the other story- only for that one to pause just as you were getting back into it. Rinse and repeat. The Silent Companions unfortunately isn’t an exception to this. I feel the pacing between the three timelines taking place can be an awkward shift instead of the natural flow the story itself has. Maybe that natural flow is what makes it so awkward- it doesn’t feel like what’s happening should pause, so the disruption is harder to recover from. The stories being told are still great, and well written- I’m just not a huge fan of the breaks in flow. 

The end of the book is also a bit of a disappointment in that regard. I won’t spoil it here, I don’t want this to be a spoiler blog for some reason. But the end of the story here feels more stuttered and haphazard, some ideas feel unfinished or unfleshed out. Like it was something Purcell might’ve explored more but didn’t, for either a lack of time or space, or that she couldn’t make a longer delve into it work. I would’ve really liked for the ending to feel more like a solid landing for all the greatness that preceded it- but instead it sort of feels like an ‘Oh? Okay I guess.’

Overall, Purcell did an amazing job with The Silent Companions. It’s a book I would heavily recommend for anyone looking for a nice shorter length-without-being-too-short story. It’s involving, the pacing of the ‘main’ storyline is incredibly well done, the horror is a beautifully crafted sense of dread and confusion. Its ambiance is lovingly crafted with a healthy amount of period knowledge without becoming an essay. I don’t know, I just really enjoyed what Purcell did here and the next book on my to-read list is The House of Whispers by her, so I have decently high hopes. 

I can add a warning that there are some elements of this book that might affect certain audiences- if you’re squeamish about things happening to babies or pregnancy, or if you’re sensitive to topics of mental illness in a ‘Victorian-Asylum’ kind of way, then at the very least be advised and don’t say I didn’t warn you. Or do, really, I’m just a guy writing a review on the internet.

Cheers, friends!

[sharpteethreviews]

"The Death of Lawrence" by Caitlin Starling

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 (5/5) (Spice Level: Mentioned/Minor Explicit)

“Practical, unassuming Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work. Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town. Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed. Gone is the bold, courageous surgeon, and in his place is a terrified, paranoid man—one who cannot tell reality from nightmare, and fears Jane is an apparition, come to haunt him.

By morning, Augustine is himself again, but Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to. Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, Starling crafts a new kind of gothic horror from the bones of the beloved canon. This Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and Rebecca, and will leave readers shaken, desperate to begin again as soon as they are finished.”

This book is where my bias is going to come out in full force- but that’s alright, because this is my blog and I write these for me. Nothing I say is law, and my opinions aren’t your opinions. But I have a deep and feral rage that this book has less than 4 stars on goodreads. I digress. 

Now, in full transparency I am normally fairly sketchy when it comes to romance in horror. Few books in my opinion manage to balance the two. When I read horror I'm looking for something that elicits sensations of dread and that’s difficult to do when characters are trying to make out at the same time… or worse, it turns out like “Baby Teeth” by Zoje Stage and you characters having sex in front of a literal child.

That being said, I feel like “The Death of Jane Lawrence” handles the balance beautifully. The characters work with and against each other, dancing with the horror that refuses to be relegated to the background. Romance is built carefully on the steps of the haunting psychological horror that Starling builds within Lindridge Hall. Jane, ever pragmatic, approaches her feelings with practiced practicality; Augustine meanwhile, is a tightlipped whirlwind who oscillates between practicality and his emotional turmoil. The two push and pull in tune with the ghosts that haunt each of them, and they build a romance in spite of, and because of, the things that happen to and around them. They’re dynamic is genuinely delightful to see play out in every scene, with Jane’s blunt practicality putting a direct pressure on Augustine’s skittish nature, and Augustin being so afraid and yet so enamored.

And Jane! This is pure speculation, and perhaps even projection, but Jane reads as a mature, autistic woman. She struggles with the social dance and manners expected of her, preferring the rigidity of scrip and numbers. Her marriage proposal to Augustine is made after compiling a list of eligible bachelors in the town with careful consideration of age, financial standing, and most importantly-  who would be the most likely to accept a marriage of convenience. Where there is no expectation of sex, love, or children. Something she has no desire to pursue. Her proposal is accompanied with an offer even, that in exchange for the marriage she’ll act as accountant.

Because Jane copes with the world through numbers. Numbers are practical, the math is repetitive and familiar when the rest of her world view is being challenged. Numbers are soothing for her. She originally self-soothes by doing the accounting for her adoptive family, and then in doing the accounting for Augustine’s medical practice upon their agreement. When things at Lindridge Hall begin to spiral, Jane soothes herself with numbers on paper. When numbers aren’t as accessible, Jane soothes with stimming, repetitive motions that help her to regain some focus and control.

Her logic and rigid thinking are challenged continuously by the horror of this book. Ghosts, logistically, don’t make sense to her. Neither does religion, truthfully- when you die, you are dead. So the ghosts and magic haunting Lindridge Hall and her lover challenge this rigidity- and she resists, logicking the events even if it means accepting a lapse in her own sanity. She’d prefer to be labeled clinically insane instead of rewriting her worldview, even as she’s confronted with the evidence over, and over. 

The writing in “The Death of Jane Lawrence” flows beautifully. Starling is able to elegantly craft sensations of dread and give voice to characters’ fears and anxieties. The pacing is set through Jane’s eyes, through Augustin’s dread and reluctance as their world shifts and warps around them. The story rides waves of false crescendos- leading the reader to believe that this is the big moment, and then letting the tension dissipate to apprehension. Some may not like this, but I think it lends itself beautifully to the actual sforzando of a climax. The true final conflict is sudden, gripping. And then it slinks away into the dark to leave you to grasp at what happens. The happy ending is jarring.

My love of this book makes it difficult to criticize, but I will admit that there are some scenes- sex scenes in particular, that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Not for how they’re written, but their actual story impact. But I tend to be more averse to that, so take salt with this opinion with all the others.

Anyway, I loved this book and I can only hope that Caitlin Starling’s other books are even half as captivating. 

Cheers, friends!

[sharpteethreviews]

hi! friend turnip sent me in your direction - I was wondering if you have any reccs for shorter horror? I'm thinking the kind of not-very-subtle even goofy cliche Fear Street type things, but honestly any horror novellas / short stories sounds fun!

I have a lot to recommend! I'm not familiar with Fear Street but like, I will do what I do and just say names.

Goofy and not subtle I recommend either Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (a collection of short stories that have... some interesting themes!)

Or Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw is actually a fun shorter story if you're looking for something straight forward and simple! It has some very self aware humour.

If you're interested in something short and very to the point with some lgbt themes, The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy is pretty baller. Nothing particularly funny but it's nothing like, gut wrenching either.

And I can't help but throw in The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht and The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell!

[sharpteethreviews]

"A Rival Most Vial" by R.K. Ashwick

🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 (3.5/5) (🌶️ Spice level: 0)

“Two potion shops, one heated rivalry…until hate bubbles over into something else.

Any adventurer worth their sword knows about Ambrose Beake. The proud, quiet half-elf sells the best, and only, potions in the city—until a handsome new shopkeeper named Eli opens another potion shop across the street, throwing Ambrose’s peace and ledgers far off balance.

Within weeks, they’re locked in a war of price tags and products—Ambrose’s expertise against Eli’s effortless charm. Toil leads to trouble, the safety gloves come off, and right as their rivalry reaches a boiling point…

The mayor commissions them to brew a potion together.

The task is as complex as it is lucrative, pushing both men to the limits of their abilities and patience. Yet as the fires burn and cauldrons bubble…they find a different sort of chemistry brewing.”

When you grow up with your only real chance for any sort of lgbt representation being fanfiction, you develop a fondness for its tropes and cliches. And “A Rival Most Vial” is like a full length novel of that nostalgia. I don’t know very much about R.K. Ashwick, but I don’t think it would surprise me too much if the trenches of fanfiction.net or AO3 were where she made her writing debut. The book is a love letter to everything safe and familiar, and even beloved about fanfiction. It’s a cute and very simple romantic fantasy read, and the world Ashwick sets it in feels very reminiscent of DND adventures- while I was reading it I actually couldn’t help but mentally compare the characters and world to “The Adventure Zone” (a dnd podcast hosted by the McElroy brothers). It’s cozy, the characters are easy to follow and the world is teeming with all sorts of people and creatures.

 I would honestly recommend it as a young adult or even teen fiction read. There’s things that adults can enjoy within the story, but overall it feels like a book meant to be enjoyed by younger audiences.

The biggest criticism I actually have for the book relates back to the comparison to fanfiction. Fanfiction is often shorter, a few thousand words with pre-established characters and often a simple plot or premise. “A Rival Most Vial” is about 340 pages depending on how/where you read it, but if you cleaned it up it could likely be about 200 pages of things that actually contribute something to the plot/characters, if not less. The writing feels unpolished and the plot feels jumbled and scattered, which short prose fiction often disguises better. When expanded into long form writing, those weaknesses are exposed

The book itself is rife with minor conflicts, snippets, and interactions that take up a lot of space, but add nothing to the plot. Actually, they tend to distract from it pretty heavily, constantly pulling attention from the problem at hand to explore a different conflict, usually between Ambrose, one of the co-protagonists, and one of the supporting cast. Unfortunately, few of these ‘side quests’ are actually finished in a satisfying way- most feel like empty filler that exist just to tick a trope off the list. At best, they feel confusing and distracting, and at worst they are actively disappointing side plots. Most could be completely erased and absolutely nothing about the story would change- and if 5/10/20 pages at a time can be deleted from your book with no consequence, then they either need to be rewritten or scrapped. It feels cluttered- and the primary plot is supposed to be a time sensitive quest that the characters are supposed to be anxious and flustered about, but somehow there’s always time for brunch. It diminishes any sense of urgency the reader is supposed to feel when even the characters feel distracted. In the end, it makes half the story forgettable.

The story also had a weird lack of focus on its own primary plot point, not just in how many sidequests happened, but in that very little of the actual problem was explained or solved. It felt a little like an afterthought, like they realized last minute that that was supposed to be the actual plot and they’d need to finish that to finish out the book. And even then, it was finished with something like, a quarter of the book to go.

The lack of polish extends beyond an inconsistent plot line, the character interactions are actually the weakest point of this book despite the vast potential it gives itself. Interactions between the characters tend to read as overly scripted- it’s as if they’re reciting something instead of talking, which leads to conversations feeling stilted. This is especially difficult during emotionally charged conversations, of which there are supposed to be dozens, being flat and ineffective. You don’t get any true sensation for how the characters feel about each other, and any idea of their relationship is told instead of shown… and even that isn’t spelled out until the end of the book. It’s supposed to be a world shattering realization at the end, but instead it’s just… words on a page. Which is a shame, the relationships that Ashwick was trying to write had amazing potential for an heart-wrenching story about found family and love, but it only reached about half of that potential.

Conflicts in this story were also very weak because of both the inconsistent plot and stilted character interactions. Nothing felt like it had high stakes as everything was solved by brushing it off and moving on.

A minor spoiler warning

The best example of this actually the most memorable moment from the book. The conflict arises with two characters getting into a heated argument, that winds up with one quite literally abandoning the other (who has a major fear of abandonment) in a particularly deadly situation- and the situation is solved with the abandoned character seeking forgiveness (for some reason), giving the abandoner a gift, and then they hug. 

The conflict had so much potential for character exploration and growth, for some truly gritty writing and a redemption arc. But in the end it’s brushed off like it was nothing, and neither character grew or actually learned anything. They just… go back to being friends.

Even the enemies to lovers aspect is handled like this. They simply hate each other until they don’t, and then despite a literal fist-fight they are in a codependent relationship with no build up. There’s not really any reason they should like each other. 

But, with all that said, the story was an enjoyable read and very cute! Ambrose and Eli have very sweet interactions with each other once they set their differences aside. Seeing Ambrose open up is rewarding, especially when the story is addressing its underlying message of found family. The older side characters were actually some of my favourites, as they try to help two young idiots figure out their shenanigans. I wanted to learn more about the characters as I read- because where Ashwick fell short in writing their interactions, she did an amazing job at writing the characters themselves. 

A particular favourite for me was Eli, who put into words that looming feeling of existential dread that comes with aging into an adult and realizing that you have to pick something to do for the rest of your life. He reads very ADHD-coded to Ambrose’s autism-coded. He’s tried half a dozen ventures and been moderately successful at all of them, but it’s his restlessness that ends up spoiling it for him and he has to move on. That’s a very recognizable feeling, I’ve left jobs because while I started off enjoying the novelty, the moment the newness wore off it became a chore that I’d be dragging myself through. To see Eli facing down that conflict, I think would make a lot of people feel seen. Especially since it isn’t given in a negative light, it isn’t his laziness or lack of motivation- it’s just how he is. A lovely contrast to Ambrose, who is content in his routine and has a deep distaste for change.

So, overall this book was still good! I did really enjoy reading it in all its cheesy glory. I definitely think it has a place with younger audiences, especially with its bounty of representation that many teens lack in their own stories. I’m excited to see more come out of Sidequest Row, and I hope to see the writing improve in subsequent books!

Cheers, friends!

[sharpteethreviews]

"Nothing But Blackened Teeth" by Cassandra Khaw

🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 (3.5/5)

"A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.

It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.

But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.

And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.

Effortlessly turning the classic haunted house story on its head, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a sharp and devastating exploration of grief, the parasitic nature of relationships, and the consequences of our actions." - Back of the Book Summary

“Nothing But Blackened Teeth” is actually the book that sparked this whole idea in my head. It’s an interesting little novella that has pretty poor reviews across Goodreads. But I didn’t like any of the reviews it had, so I wanted to write my own in a separate format because I like to inflate my own self importance. But I disagree with a lot of the reviews there with not only how harshly critiqued it was, but what was critiqued.

I actually really do want to review it higher, but there are a few areas that really fall short.

The novella is pretty short, it only took me about an hour or so to read while I was sitting at a cafe.

Based on its summary hook, the story wants to be a supernatural horror, but I would argue this is far more of what I describe as an ‘people horror’, where the 'scary' thing isn’t necessarily the environment, but the people stuck there. And this book does that with a pretty interesting and fairly unique cast of characters. 

And the character writing here is really the strong point. Khaw crafts characters that are absolutely believable- people that you knew in college. All of them are pretty unlikeable- but I would argue that that was the point. Khaw isn't writing a romance, or a story with a hero- this is a story about people as they are.

It’s a unique cast of characters for a haunted house- because you don’t like any of them. Imagine all of your worst friends from high-school and college, and then you’re stuck in a haunted house with them.

As the reader, you are a voyeur to a train wreck.

The group has a complicated history, and none of them even particularly like each other, but they’ve known each other too long that it’s almost a sunk-cost fallacy, or even that they simply don’t have anyone else. They’re the friends that you can’t convince yourself to let go of. 

Cat is an unreliable narrator, so lost in her own self-pity she views everything happening through a cynical misery of a combined inflated sense of self importance and self deprecation. Khaw writes "Nothing But Blackened Teeth" in Cat's voice- with jarring, unnaturally placed complex words in Cat's desperate attempt to be seen as the intellectual she craves to be, but she's also sullen, and disconnected from everything around her, and she can't keep up the pretense for very long before devolving back into a healthy serving of 'fuck's. 

Seeing the world through her, you also get to experience everyone else at their worst and with the heavy weight of their history with Cat. Many of the dynamics in the group are uncomfortably familiar- the friend you slept with but continued to hang out with afterwards and their partner who absolutely loathes you. The one who flakes on you constantly. The one who’s entire personality is rich, beautiful, and good at everything.

What this story does fumble though, is the supernatural horror that it's trying to be.

Aspects of the haunted mansion itself are classic and described well, with shifting corridors and things lurking just out of sight. There's a beautiful apprehension built while establishing its history that leads you to excitedly dread what might come down the line… but what does come down the line isn’t any sort of payoff for what it spends a lot of time building up. The primary ghost makes a few showings, but really our beautiful bride doesn’t do much more than spark the unrest that leads to the group's downfall. To the point you can't even label her as the primary antagonist of the book, for all that she's hyped up. There are many spirits/yokai that make mostly a name-drop appearance- but the purpose they primarily serve is making everything... cluttered. 

However, the clutter isn’t necessarily bad or ineffective- the way the yokai are described, clamoring and scrabbling, do a lot to create an atmosphere of being overwhelmed and disoriented. They create a background noise to what is happening between the characters, and act as an interruption to our narrator's thoughts that helps to put the reader in that same disoriented headspace.

But I do wish that more of the threads of supernatural horror that were laid in the beginning were followed up on throughout. The story really does seem to want to portray itself as a supernatural horror, but it sort of seems to set that aside to focus on the people inside of it, and then remembers it’s supposed to be supernatural so it will throw something in that tries to remind you it's a haunted house but with no real weight behind it. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is, it couldn’t focus on what it wanted to be so it fell short in both areas.

The ending of the book leaves the reader feeling unfulfilled, with a sort of 'that's it?' exasperation. The crescendo the book built to petering out before it had a chance to crest. This, combined with the tone of the rest of the book, feels almost intentional if unsatisfying.

In the spirit of being honest, It could have been handled better. Been given something that gave some sort of weight to what actually happened within the story. The situation inside the house could have been- should have been- taken care of in a meaningful way to let the aftermath bear more of a depressing weight. Instead, in the end, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

But really- would it have fit with the rest of the book if anything had been meaningful?

Nobody was even looking at the pretty boy when he died. So maybe the book was meant to share the same fate.

Overall, despite its downfalls I would recommend "Nothing But Blackened Teeth" if you happen across it. It's an interesting voice in the horror genre, and the character writing has such a unique voice that really helps put you in the same dizzy headspace as the characters. The suffocation of the house and the people within it.

I'm curious to see how the rest of Cassandra Khaw's writing compares. Maybe everything I felt about the voice and intention is wrong and that's just how she writes. We'll just have to see!

Cheers, friends!

[sharpteethreviews]

The Point and Purpose

This blog primarily came about to act as the full length section of my Instagram. But really, I wanted to start a little corner of reviews for myself, and whoever stumbles across it.

My inspiration is spite. I got sick of good books having piss poor reviews on Goodreads because people thought that disliking something made them seem smart- that not liking a book that didn't focus on deep themes with elegant prose made them better than the layman.

But I love the layman. And I love people and I love books. And I also have an ego the size of the moon and a tendency to talk at length.

So this collection of reviews I write is out of love for books and the people who write them, and for the people who love books for the sake of them.

Honest reviews that don't try to say whether a book is necessarily good or bad, but analyze the content and form my own thoughts on what was said, or trying to be said.

I primarily read horror, sci-fi/fantasy, and anything lgbt+... but I'll read just about anything you hand me.

I'm always open to suggestions, submissions, and requests.

I also offer (currently) free editor/advance reader services for books/stories of most any genre that focus on readability and enjoyability, and well as grammar and plot structure. Please feel free to reach me through my DMs here or on Instagram. Or through the email in my linktree!

Cheers, friends!