Damned by the Ancients is the third book in the
Nemesis of the Gods series by Catherine Cavendish, but you don't need to read the others in the series to understand the plot of this one. I really enjoyed the second book in the series,
Waking the Ancients, and I enjoyed this book just as much.
Ryan, his wife, Yvonne, and their nine-year-old daughter, Heidi move into Villa Dürnstein in Vienna, the former home of Dr. Emeryk Quintillus, an archeologist obsessed with Cleopatra. After they move in, strange things start happening, like Heidi suddenly being able to speak another language, and Heidi seeing a man in the basement that no one else can see. Dr. Quintillus won't stop until his beloved Cleopatra is brought back to life...even if he has to use a child as the vessel.
I was looking forward to
Damned by the Ancients since I read the last one in the series, so I had high expectations and it did not disappoint. Cavendish is excellent at creating relatable characters and I truly cared about the family in this book.
I thought this book would be very similar to the last book in the series, but in addition to Dr. Quintillus's odd obsession with Cleopatra, and the haunted Villa Dürnstein, there were a lot of other spooky elements added. I loved the scenes with the creepy doll, the cat that protects Heidi and secretly talks to her, and how Dr. Quintillus forces Gustav Klimt to use ashes from Cleopatra's mummy.
The ending left an opening for a sequel and I really hope Cavendish writes another book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
After Stella's cancer goes into remission, she decides to move to a peaceful small town with her husband to recuperate. But Priory St. Michael is anything but peaceful. There are rumours that something horrible that happened in the apartment before they moved in. Stella seeks the help of a Wiccan woman and learns that a succubus and incubus might be lurking in her new home.
I love Catherine Cavendish's writing, so of course I enjoyed
The Demons of Cambian Street. It has everything I've come to expect from a Cavendish book: atmospheric, creepy, with relatable characters that you care about.
This spooky novella features a Halloween seance, so it would make a great Halloween read, and at just 97 pages it's a quick read and could easily be read in one sitting.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Becky is a maid at Stonefleet Hall and she hates cleaning Miss Abigail's room. There's something sinister about the bedroom, not to mention the blood stain on the floor that always reappears, no matter how hard Becky scrubs it. When she finds a doll made of feathers and wax, and people in the house start dying, she knows something is terribly wrong at Stonefleet Hall.
Miss Abigail's Room is like a creepy version of
Downton Abbey, and I'm a huge fan of that show, so I enjoyed this novella very much. If you're a fan of
Downton Abbey and creepy stories, check this one out, you won't be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Elinor has been in a deep depression since her husband and daughter died. She hasn't been able to keep a job, and is deeply in debt, plus she has horrible nightmares on top of all her other problems.
Suddenly, her nightmares stop, she lands a job interview, and her life seems to finally be back on track. At the same time, several people are found dead with their eyes scratched out, seemingly murdered but ultimately deemed as gruesome suicides. Elinor's best friend Marnie thinks Elinor's newfound happiness is connected with the suicides and and enlists the help of Hazel, a woman who has had a similar experience with a demon. Together can they stop the devil inside her?
The Devil Inside Her was a heartbreaking story. I felt so sorry for Elinor. Just when she thinks things are turning around her life gets even worse.
I've read almost all of Cavendish's books and while they're always very atmospheric and eerie, this one is also fairly gory, which I really enjoyed because I'm a gorehound. So, if you're looking for a read that is atmospheric but also doesn't skip on the gore,
The Devil Inside Her, is the novella for you.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Nadine, Maggie, Gary, and Nick, have each done horrible things in the past that they've kept secret. When they're all invited for dinner by Erin Dartford, a famous fashion writer, they all wonder why they've been chosen. Someone knows their deep, dark secrets and waited a long time for their chance at revenge.
Cold Revenge is a unique novella in that it had me cheering for the evil to win because once I read their horrible secrets, I felt that they deserved something bad happening to them. I did feel sympathetic toward one character who truly did regret his actions, but the rest seemed very cold and awful. But having unlikable characters isn't necessarily a bad things because it's very satisfying when they get their comeuppance. So, if you also find it satisfying when terrible things happen to terrible fictional characters, read this novella.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
