What the Forest Devours

 Title: What the Forest Devours

Author: Elaine Vilar Madruga

Rating: 4.5/5

Info: 304 pages, first published by HarperVia on 10/20/2026 

Genre: Horror, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Wow, this book. What the Forest Devours is a story about an isolated hacienda and its inhabitants. We have Benedicta, Lazaro, Ifigenia, Ananda, Romina, Grandma/The Old Woman, and The Children. They are trapped in a horrifying tragedy. To survive, they must feed the forest children. In return they get to live in the hacienda, hidden away from the evils of the village nearby. The entire story feels like one big, horrifying allegory for motherhood and how society treats and views women. There is a whole lot of violence in this book. Violence to children, women, men, animals, anyone and everyone, so be aware of that. If you think, “How bad can it be?” don’t say you weren’t warned. 

I enjoy the horror genre, so I’m used to violent content. The violence itself wasn’t what bothered me. It was what it represented that made my skin crawl. So, job well done, Madruga. I can’t say I like any of the characters. Do I pity some of them? Yes absolutely, but like… eh that’s a stretch. That’s alright though because this isn’t that kind of story. I don’t want to write too much about the plot because half of the experience of reading this book is getting gut-punched by plot points. 

If you want a trippy horror story focused on women that goes much deeper than your average slasher, this is your book. Just be warned: it is a very, very, very bleak book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for giving me nightmares and the ARC of this book.

Swallow Us, Black Sun

Title: Swallow Us, Black Sun

Author: V.M. Harrigan

Rating: 3.75/5

Info: 120 pages, first published by Manifold House 08/25/2026

Genre: Horror, Sci Fi

Swallow Us, Black Sun is the story of Charles. He finds himself in the Land of the Black Sun, a purgatory-like dimension. He and everyone else there don’t know how they got there. Unlike everyone else, Charles still retains some of his memories from before he got there. What’s a purgatory stuck lad with memories supposed to do? Try to escape, of course.

The road trip story was a good idea for the topic. However, the book was too short. The concept worked, but there wasn’t enough room for the journey, not to mention the supporting characters, to be fleshed out. Charles does go on a journey, but his journey felt much too short and rushed. The world was interesting, and I wanted to see more of it. I also would have loved to learn more about the other inhabitants of the land. There were demon-like inhabitants that worked there, and Charles wonders if they were once like him. We get teased with two of them, but they are just used as gross-out obstacles that Charles must get past.  The story ended up feeling more like an appetizer when I wanted a main course.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a short purgatory-type horror story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hollow Folk

Title: Hollow Folk

Author: Andrew K. Clark

Rating: 3.5/5

Info: 260 pages, first published by Quill & Crow Publishing House 09/29/2026

Genre: Sci Fi, Romance, Horror

Trying to come up with a summary of what this book is like is difficult. Ethan Ray, Kal, and Teresa all work the night shift at the Holloway hotel. During one of their shifts, the clock strikes 3 a.m. and then stops. With me so far? Good, because that’s about as far as I can go with a summary. What follows feels like a fever dream, and I’m still not entirely sure what I read. From there, the characters dive headfirst into the weird. They meet… people? They have visions. They experience emotions that may or may not be their own. There is body horror, and parts are genuinely gross, so keep that in mind before picking this one up. It didn’t bother me, but it was weird. Trypophobia sufferers should probably stay away. Overall, this was a trippy horror story that reveled in the weird. If that sounds like your kind of horror, I think you’ll enjoy the ride.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow for providing me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A History of Malpractice

Title: A History of Malpractice

Author: Clarice Montgomery

Rating: 4/5

Info: 280 pages, first published by Köehler Books 09/15/2026

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Mystery

Thank you to NetGalley and Köehler Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  

A History of Malpractice follows Abigail, who is less than thrilled when she and her boyfriend, Garrett, are forced to move from Chicago to hole-in-the-wall Harperfield, Illinois. From a comfy condo to an old abandoned office building, Abigail couldn’t think of a worse situation. She is so convinced they won't be there long that she doesn't even bother unpacking. A few days, maybe a few weeks. Two months, tops. Then, on their first night, Abigail learns the building has a ghost.

I can honestly say this might be the best-written new book I’ve read so far this year. Montgomery crafted a fun mystery that follows Abigail trying to figure out who the ghost is and why it’s there rather than settling into her new life. She ends up fitting in thanks to small-town hospitality, which apparently comes with a complimentary couch. The story is split between chapters following Abigail, Abigail’s childhood in the foster care system, and Dr. Carlson, the man who left Abigail the old downtown office building despite never having met her.

As Abigail digs into the mystery, we learn that her relationship with Garrett is pretty one-sided. He seems much more invested in her than she is in him. As more of Abigail’s past comes to light, her reactions to Garrett make more sense. I really enjoyed the brother and sister who became Abigail’s new friends. They, especially Kennedy, brought the funny, which added some levity to a story with so many heavy elements.

There isn’t much negative for me to say. I had a genuinely enjoyable reading experience. What really stood out to me was how well everything was constructed. Abigail’s choices make sense once we learn about her past. The mystery of Dr. Carlson makes sense. The haunting makes sense. Why he left Abigail the building ends up making sense. I do question why horror was one of the genres chosen for this book. General fiction and mystery, yes. Horror, no. The publisher might want to rethink that.

I also appreciated that Abigail is allowed to be imperfect. She isn’t very nice to most people in the story. At one point she’s straight-up a jerk to someone and gets called out on her behavior. She apologizes. The person accepts the apology but acknowledges Abigail was in the wrong. I’ve read too many books that have the main character do something wrong only for everyone to tell them they have nothing to feel bad about. It was refreshing to read a book where the main character can actually be wrong and not have the story bend over backward to justify her. 

I’d recommend this story to anyone looking for a mystery novel with some spooky ghost elements, but also a story about a lost little girl trying to find her place in the world. 

The Infested

Title: The Infested

Author: Renee Lake

Rating: 3.75/5

Info: 265 pages, first published by  Victory Editing 06/23/2026

Genre: Horror, YA

The Infested is a story about Desdemona and her family set in a 1900 alternate-history U.S.A. The first few paragraphs give the specifics of the danger zone that stretches across the middle of the country. This area is already inhospitable because of the land itself, but it is also home to creatures, ghosts, monsters, demons, spirits. Whatever you want to call them, they are not friends to regular human beings.

Desdemona lives with her family on their homestead, Ash Hollow, in Nebraska. Ash Hollow is protected by magic wards and they do their best to provide travelers with a safe place to rest and fix up their wagons. The story begins with Desdemona and her siblings dealing with a death and some new guests while their father is away guiding a caravan through the Infested. 

The story splits between the siblings at home and the first-person POV of their father as he travels with the caravan. I found the father’s chapters more exciting than the siblings’ storyline, although I was interested in both. The world building was probably my favorite part and I would love to spend more time in it. 

The Ash Hollow drama didn’t hold my attention quite as well as it probably should have, but I don’t really fault the author for that. A lot of it revolves around YA relationship drama, and that just isn’t my favorite thing to read. I was much more drawn into the father’s storyline, especially the challenges that he was facing. That’s a personal taste thing more than an actual criticism of the writing.

There are some good twists and turns, along with some truly creepy scenes, and enough action for me to speed through the book. My favorite parts were all the ones that involved people dealing with the Infested land. I especially loved seeing the creatures that live there. Some of them are wonderfully unsettling. 

A much bigger story is taking place that this book is just a part of. It definitely feels like the beginning of a series. If it doesn’t get follow-up books, that would be a shame. Fortunately, the story wraps up nicely while leaving enough for me to want more. 

I’d recommend this to anyone interested in YA horror or spooky books in general, especially if you like the idea of mixing horror with westward expansion.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing this ARC.

Hail Holy Queens

 Title: Hail Holy Queens

Author: Chris McGinley

Rating: 3.5/5

Info:  228 pages, first published by Fringe Press 07/28/2026

Genre: Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery

A big thank you to NetGalley and Fringe Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hail Holy Queens is a journal-style story written by Henrietta, who addresses the reader throughout her tale. Henrietta finds herself at a convent as part of her doctor and husband’s treatment plan for her behavioral problems, with her writing dark tales as the biggest problem. At the beginning of her stay, she keeps to herself, writing away in her cell and participating in convent life as little as possible. On the eve of her release, a snowstorm hits, and with it comes evil creatures and the Long Nun to guide the convent in a holy war.

What follows is a wild tale of battle nuns, wolf monsters, sisterly bonding, and a lot of blood and violence. Did I mention the blood? It's a crazy fun ride with some minor issues. 

This first issue is definitely a me thing. This is a Catholic convent filled with nuns, so there are a lot of references to rituals, rites, and articles of clothing I had to look up just to understand the story. As a newcomer telling her story to readers who may or may not know what these things are, I think Henrietta should have explained these better. 

Henrietta sounded a bit too modern at times when talking to the reader. The Long Nun did as well, but it felt different when she did. I got the feeling that she might have been an angel in disguise or something along those lines, so her speech didn’t bother me. Henrietta, on the other hand, was supposed to be a society woman, and her wording sometimes felt more modern than the late 1800s. 

Lastly, when the nuns went on the hunt for the devil/demon (?) monsters, the story became a bit repetitive. This isn’t a long book so I feel like it shouldn’t have felt like it was dragging. But it did. Maybe the repetition was intentional, mimicking the nuns’ daily rituals? If so, I missed that. 

Still, it was an interesting tale that danced the line of classic pulp horror and modern-day horror. 

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a short, Catholic-themed pulp horror story. 

The Sticklepath Phantom

Title: The Sticklepath Phantom

Author: Ali Simpson

Rating:4/5

Info: 272 pages, first pub by Troubador 06/28/2026

Genre: Mystery, Fiction

Set in England during the autumn of 1931, twins Kitty and Nora Markham have another mystery on their hands. Their new friend, Lady Evelyn Underhaye, is linked to a series of murders that mimic different ghost stories from her ghost tour. The twins rush to figure out who is behind it, and why, before they strike again.

This was a fun, quick read. Kitty, Nora, and the rest of their household are all fun characters. I enjoyed seeing two women who were feminine and capable. They didn’t sit around and wait for the men to figure things out. They were alongside the police, helping solve the case every step of the way. When they had to sit something out, it was because they weren’t police officers, not because they were women. While I’m not sure how historically accurate the portrayal was, it was fun nevertheless.

There were some twists I didn’t see coming, but they never felt like they came out of nowhere, which I always appreciate. I did raise an eyebrow at the motivation of the killer. Other than that, it was a fast, fun mystery that I’d happily recommend to mystery fans.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Troubador for providing me with this ARC.