#horror reader

Maeve Fly Book Review

Title: Maeve Fly

Author: CJ Leede

Genre: Slasher/Horror

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Start Date: July 29 2024

End Date: July 31 2024

Favourite Quote: “I have never understood, and still do not understand the notion that a woman must first endure a victim hood of some sort…to be monstrous. Men have always been permitted in fiction and in life to simply be what they are, no matter how dark or terrifying that might be. But with a woman, we expect an answer, a reason.” Page 130

What Iiked & general thoughts:

Before I say anything else I have to say the cover art is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time, it is gorgeous and I just love looking at it.

I really liked this book and will read CJ Leede’s next work immediately when its published. The atmosphere, the imagery and the scene building was so good, I gained an appreciation of LA through Maeve and it perfectly mixed the disgusting imagery with the beautiful. The characters were also fully fleshed and felt so real. I knew Maeve, understood her, and it was so easy to get into her head space. She is a well-written, complex, interesting character who I couldn’t help but root for and forgive her horrific actions. It’s a love letter to 80’s/90’s horror and LA, with some interesting kills. It’s one of my top reads this year. It’s not perfect but its a book I will definitely recommend.

Criticisms:

I’ve seen a lot of comments about how she gives not like other girls and I agree, however I don’t have a problem with it in this case: she isn’t like other girls…shes a serial killer, we’re not supposed to relate, we’re not supposed to love her. All that to say, I understand why this turns people off, but its not something that turned me off of the book. The book takes a long time to really kick off 2/3 of the book is lead up, then the last 1/3 is pure gore. Personally, I don’t hate slow starts and really need to understand the characters to care about the story, but if you want a fast paced splatter punk then this is not the book. I would’ve liked it to go a little faster and there was a little too much description of surroundings that I ended up skimming.

SPOILERS BELOW

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

This is one of my favorites books. I had no idea what it was about when I picked it up. The way this story is written and how it develops is so good. I reread it at least once a year. It's at times heartbreaking and at times darkly hilarious. This is hands down my favorite werewolf story.

Warning: fem!reader, this fic has implications on dark gore and blood baths because the reader is based on the figure “Mary the 1st” and “Elizabeth Bathory”, so if you don’t like the reader torturing and killing people then I suggest you go on

Dubbed an imposter, they ran for their life in such a delicate state and were excommunicated by civilization just for looking like their “dead” god.

“So what do you think I might do” she taunted at what was once an angry mob ready to shatter your head at any given moment.

A pool of blood scattered across the floor littered the guts and organs of those who dared to triumph over her remaining patients.

The fear and overwhelming stress she has gained throughout what felt like years of running away turned into unrivaled and bottomless anger and vengeance.

A smile hiding the corrupted ideals of their forsaken God lingers through their eyes, that is until their god had carried an order that was beyond what is called sane.

Small villages that participated in the hunt for the “imposter” were suddenly burned down by flaming arrows but their god who does not know how to wield a bow properly wouldn’t do that.

“You’re right, I didn’t know, so the little birdies helped me”

Birdies? Did their god call upon a Phoenix just for something so small? Or could it be that they… used birds as a messenger of flaming rain.

With the faces of the “loyal acolytes” drained of any hope that their god would forgive them, as deranged and insane they were they still thought the god they so hoped to be a blessing, but after their foolishness, it would be the beginning of the end.

And it didn’t get any better for them. In fact, it only got worse.

They started to torture those who dared to whisper rumors criticizing the creator’s motives and those who were caught, well even uttering their name might get them detained.

The General of the shogun’s army was hiding from Her Grace’s eyes and found herself in the powder room under a vanity, and there she saw things that made her want to gouge her own eyes out, a tub filled with blood with its stench filling up the room and after some time of sinking in what she saw a leg emerged from the wine-colored ichor, and then another, and then fingers, arms, and finally the head. The head of the creator whose hair faded into the red ichor.

Her eyes opened to look at the ceiling while making herself comfortable in her pool. The general watched in horror knowing those who were taken away were used as this but all she could do was be a witness to this.

“Hiding there won’t save you” her voice singing in the general’s head, she looked at the figure in the tub once more but she disappeared appearing beside her. She stumbled to her side away from the deity in fear knowing her life could end here, no, it will end here, with that god’s anger she is sure to die.