A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts

A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts: Encounters with Cryptid Creatures by Ken Gerhard

 

Pros:

• Good description of creatures
• Doesn’t rely on pictures
• Gives lots of evidence
• Interesting array of creatures

Cons:

• Maybe a bit too much evidence or anecdotes
• I expected more about the supernatural (this is more on me than the book)

 

Thanks to the cover I came into this imaging a factual book on supernatural creatures. I was sort of wrong but that’s okay because this was really good. It does deal with legendary creatures like the Iceman and sea serpents … and werewolves … but from a more factual basis. It actually more or less leaves out the supernatural aspects of the creatures other than in passing … maybe … For example, when talking about werewolves it doesn’t really talk about them turning from humans to wolves or vice versa.

Instead it focuses on the evidence. There are lots of recorded sightings of the beasts – both historical and contemporary – put in here, including some from the author himself. It was good actually seeing the evidence of where Gerhard got his information from instead of just being told it. It even admitted when there were alternative theories for the creatures such as with the werewolves possibly being a hyena, which I really appreciated.

Admittedly, there was maybe a bit too much of the evidence and anecdotes. While I liked seeing the evidence I maybe would have liked more creatures than so many recorded sightings.

That being said there was a good array of creatures. I may not have been interested in all of them – I’ve never been too interested in the Iceman or ape like creatures – but it was interesting reading some of the sightings of them. I’ll admit I was more interested in the creatures from the “whimsical creatures” chapter, but that is because I’m more interested in the supernatural. Hell it had Black-eyed-children. Though in the bird section the most talked about creature was the Thunderbird which I’m especially fascinated about at the moment thanks to Harry Potter.

 

All in all, really good. An interesting read which I would recommend to anyone interested in cryptozoology. Well written with lots evidence and interesting creatures.

 

 

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28700181-a-menagerie-of-mysterious-beasts

American Monsters (Demon Road #3) by Derek Landy

American Monsters (Demon Road #3) by Derek Landy

 

All things come to an end and Amber has to deal with everything that has happened since finding out she is a demon. She’s lost Kelly, she’s lost Glen – sort of – her parents are still after her and she’s working for the demon that started it all. With dreams of her dead siblings and Milo by her side will she find a way to be free?

The Bard and the Bible

The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional by Bob Hostetler

 

Pros:

• Well researched
• Interesting

 

Cons:

• More Christian based than I thought (I know title should have been a hint)
• Not sure quotes always related well

 

What Does the Devil Do?

The Gentleman by Forrest Leo

 

During a masquerade party Lionel Savage meets the Devil and loses his wife. With her gone he realises that there is more to her and the world around him than he thought. 

Or

“Being a Truthful Account Concerning the Hazards of Love, Marriage, Duels, Poetry, Inventors, Family, Anarchists, Airships, Intercourse with the Devil, Ladies’ Undergarments, Painting from Life….”

 

Pros:

 

• Everything

 

Cons:

 

• Maybe characterisation … but not much

 

Alice in Wonderland without Alice or much Wonderland

After Alice by Gregory Maguire

 

Ada, Alice’s friend, escapes her governess and falls through a rabbit hole. At the same time Lydia, Alice’s sister, tries to spend time with Mr. Winter and learns something about herself as her father entertains Charles Darwin. 

Smoke by Dan Vyleta

Smoke by Dan Vyleta

 

 

Sin unfurls from the body like smoke, leaving a stain on anything it touches. It’s been like that like for as long as anyone can remember.

Three teenagers soon learn that everything they thought they knew is a lie as they are caught up in a plot to change the world of Smoke.

 

The Labyrinth Wall by Emilyann Girdner

The Labyrinth Wall by Emilyann Girdner

 

Araina is a Mahk doomed to live in the Labyrinth by the Creators. The only way to survive is through violence or mining for obsidian. Her whole life changes when a man emerges through the labyrinth wall.

Dark Retellings of Myths

Vacui Magia by L.S. Johnson

 

Pros

• Brilliantly written
• Interesting retelling of mythology and folklore
• Made me feel uncomfortable but in a good way

Cons

• Not a fan of one or two stories
• Can’t really work out the time period most of the stories are set in

 

 

Eight brilliantly written pieces of fiction that blend together magic, myth and folklore with a bit of science fiction.

Black Fairy Tale by Otsuichi

Black Fairy Tale by Otsuichi

 

Three stories that blend seamlessly together: A blind girls given eyes by raven you wants to show her the world. Another girl, who has lost both her memories and part of her sight, starts to see things with her new eye. And finally a boy who plays with life and death.

Pro:

• Good characterisation
• Great blending of stories
• Writing

Cons:

• Nothing really … maybe normalising what should of been horrific, but fits the story.

 

Oddly enjoyed this book, I didn’t even write many notes as I was reading like I usually do. I’m not sure what genre this would be … horror? … but it’s not what I usually read but I liked it. Saying that makes me feel bad though, considering what happens to the people in it, but oh well.

The book has three interwoven stories that connect with each other. One of them is a story within the story I think, but it relates well with the other ones. All of them are very cinematic, I could really imagine watching them on TV, can even imagine the different kind of shots or music that would go with them. Though thankfully my imagination isn’t that good because some of the visuals would be a bit disturbing.

Since it’s on the cover I’ll start with the story of the raven and the blind girl. The raven just reminded me of the saying – never look a crow/raven in the eye or they’ll steal your soul. That’s almost what he does. Once he catches the eye he takes part of the soul, or what that eye had seen anyway. He doesn’t do it for an evil reason, he’s just completely devoted to girl who became his friend… if it wasn’t so disturbing what he does it would be sweet.

 

Another one of the stories is about a boy who has the unique ability to keep people and animals alive despite the injury. The story messes with time a bit. Not that there’s time travel, just that it’s not in chronological order, unlike the other tales, which works well for the story really.

Even though what he did with the ability was… no words for it really … I didn’t find him sadistic. He was more just incredibly curious and … pragmatic maybe? The writing was what made it seem like that. It had a way of normalising the horrific things he did, or did for me at least. It only seemed truly evil when we’re in another POV.

 

Nami, from the last story I found the easiest to connect to. When she loses her memory you can really feel her struggle and how disconnected she felt to everything. Her story was the only time I wrote a note and that was because of the strange use of direct and indirect speech. It started with indirect speech for her in italics, which was a tad confusing since I couldn’t work out if it was speech or thoughts, but that’s beside the point. Then at some point – I didn’t notice when exactly – she has direct speech. I thought it really worked in showing when she came into herself. Or I could have read too much into it, who knows…. well, probably the author or the translator and… I’m going to shut up now.

 

Either way I really liked this book, despite some of the imagery in it. It was well written and the characterisation is reflected by the writing style. I would recommend this to anyone who likes horror or at least darker tales.

 

 

 

Goodreads Links:

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18690091-black-fairy-tale