Short Fiction Friday: A Feast of Putrid Delights by Valentina Rojas

I was in search of last minute greeting cards and gifts when I wandered into my local B&N. Lo and behold, local author Valentia Rojas was there signing copies of A Feast of Putrid Delights. 

Now I had attended Ghoulish Book Fest last year and there were a handful of early copies of this one but I held off. So of course I had to buy it and get Valentina to sign it!

Chef Antonia survived the attack on a local nightclub but she didn't come out unscathed. She hasn't been able to sleep ever since. Her insomnia has left her off kilter, at the very least, and dangerously overtired, at its worst. 

When she's given a new street drug called Cloud, she experiences her first night of uninterrupted sleep. In fact, it's more than one night. She sleeps through multiple days. 

But the drug isn't really a cure for the insomnia. And the problems it creates aren't the solution Antonia needs. Not that she'd ever be convinced otherwise. In fact, when she's able to get her hands on it and sleep, she feels it unlock something inside her creatively. 

So anyone who knows me knows I'm a foodie who also suffers chronic insomnia. When I say I felt this book, I mean that I felt it! 

Sometimes it's hard for me to put myself in someone else's shoes and truly understand the lengths they're willing to go to. But not here. I've experienced multiple nights of sleeplessness. Nights when you end up calculating how much sleep you can get if you can just fall asleep now...or now...or now. (Fortunately ambien and edibles help me!)

A Feast of Putrid Delights is a tight, short novella clocking in at just over 100 pages making it perfect for a one sitting read. Just, maybe, skip the snacks with this one!

A note if you're local to the Denver area. I didn't ask and so I don't have confirmation but the nightclub attack, while sadly too similar to other attacks of its kind, may potentially have roots or inspiration in one that happened in Denver not so long ago. 

Consider buying a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop.org.

Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan

My son has started taking a "ninja warrior" type class. As much as I try to read manuscripts for edits while I'm waiting, I find it's very hard to turn my editing brain on. And so I often turn to audiobooks!

Roisin O'Halloran went missing decades ago. Her best friend left town shortly thereafter and Roisin's sister has always wondered if she told the truth about what happened that day. The body was never found. 

All grown up, Roisin's sister, Deedee is a cop with a growing drinking problem. She should be happy. She has the man she's always dreamed of, she has a good job...but the mystery surrounding her sister's fate still haunts her. 

Caitlin, on the other hand, has become a criminal. Petty crimes, mostly. Opportunities to pretend to be someone else seem to be the bigger appeal. But when her mother dies, she's forced to return to the home she left so long ago.

As the two women are thrown together once again, they clash on every level. They each harbor animosity for various reasons. They're each suspicious of one another. And rightly so, because they're each hiding their own secrets. 

And yet, if either of them are to move forward, they'll have to work together to reveal the truth behind the events of so many years ago. 

If you enjoy reads with complex, bordering on unlikable characters, Darkrooms is great! 

This is another that I alternated between audio and physical. Clare Harte does a wonderful job as the narrator, so I highly recommend the audio if that's your preferred format!

This is a book about a cold case, a current case, and highly damaged people looking for connection and closure. 

I'm a sucker for a good cold case. I'm also a sucker for a book that leans into local legend and folklore. This is a little lighter in that regard, very much along the lines of the Australian Netflix show Playing Gracie Darling. 

I also have no issue with unlikable characters. In fact, when an author is able to create those characters, as Hannigan does here, while also building enough of their story to make the reader understand WHY they are the way they are, I appreciate it even more. 

Consider buying a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop.org!

(I received this book as an ARC with no promise or guarantee of a review, good or bad. This review is solely my opinion.)

Innamorata by Eva Reid

Hiya! Long time, no blog! I have been reading LOTS of client projects, all of which I want to share as they're getting closer to release.

Last week we traveled for spring break and my sister's wedding and I decided to bring this big honking chonker with me. 

In a land once beset by ghoulish creatures, a soldier from another land arrived and vanquished the enemy. He then crowned himself king and ensured that no knowledge of resurrecting these entities would ever remain. Further to that, the bodies of the dead are ritualistically disposed of in a manner to support this. 

Through all of this Agnes and her cousin, Marozia, have been trained as heirs to the house of teeth. Agnes has been taught the secret ways and prepared to do everything possible to bring back the old ways. Aiding in this effort is the beautiful Marozia, who is to be married off to the king's only heir thereby distracting him and giving Agnes access to the stronghold where they suspect secret knowledge might be held. 

But nothing goes according to plan. 

This is the first in a grim dark duology with wonderful world building and lush writing. It's not for everyone--in fact, it's definitely a better fit for fans of darker fiction. 

I would be remiss by not mentioning that it was the discourse that surrounded this book that forced my hand. I had seen an ARC and assumed it would be too romance-y for my own taste. Which is a shame because there are likely other books being marketed at the romantasy fan base that would likely appeal to me as well. 

But that's beside the point. In this particular case, clearly the book's marketing just didn't quite hit the right readers. 

This isn't a romance! Yes, there is a romance subplot. I have thoughts about it! I'll have to see how it all plays out in book two, though. 

For now, I want to point out that:

1. Yes, this is a dark read. There's abuse, there's cannibalism, there's worse. I don't think that any of it is particularly unnecessary to the overall plot but if you're a cozy romantasy fan, this isn't the book for you.

2. It's the first in a duology and the end is very cliffhanger-y! You will not get a resolution from just the one. 

3. BUT the story that Innamorata sets up for the second book is a DOOZY! Whoooo buddy!

Honestly, if you're a fan of Game of Thrones, this is probably a better fit for you than some of the recent lighter fantasy. 

The world building is great. The writing is affecting! There were times when I did feel that the story could have been tightened up or simplified to get to the point. But again, I'll grant leeway in assuming it's setting up threads that will play out in book two. 

If you're wondering—I left my copy behind for my sister, this weekend's bride, to read. So yeah, I'd recommend it and I absolutely will be waiting with bated breath for the second installment. In the meantime, I have some Ava Reid backlist to tide me over!

Side note: I did listen to quite a bit of this one on audio. It's narrated by Moniqua Plante, who does a truly fantastic job!

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop.org!

(I received this book as an ARC with no promise or guarantee of a review, good or bad. This review is solely my opinion.)