Review: The Tinder Box by MR Carey
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Demons and Witches, Oh My
The original Tinder Box is a story that I have only a very vague recollection of. I seem to have a dim recall of a retired and exhausted soldier, doing a witch’s bidding, with very firm instructions of what not to do! Strangely I recall the dogs – each one more menacing than the last with eyes as large as saucers – or some such dramatic description. But, other than that my memory is sketchy, maybe it was one of those stories that never quite gained the momentum of some of the others. Anyway, I do like this author and at the moment he seems to be writing in a style that feels very unique. His last book, Once Was Willem (I could be wrong, it might not be the last book) I very much enjoyed, it felt so original and I feel like The Tinder Box also fits that description perfectly.
This story once again is mediaeval in nature. We have a soldier who has been removed from duty due to injury. Far from returning home a hero it seems that the country is bitter about the war, which is still ongoing, and our soldier, Mag, struggles from place to place, barely earning enough food to eat until he finds work at the home of a widow known as Jannae Mirchella. From here things take a very strange turn indeed. Basically, and just bear with me now, but in a nutshell, a dead demon falls from the sky, our soldier retrieves a tinder box from his body following which he finds himself on the run, with the widow Jannae hot on his tail. Jannae is in fact a witch and recognises that the tinder box contains a source of great power. Now, on top of this, there is another who is aware of the tinder box and is also searching for it. Eventually the three shall meet with quite unexpected and dramatic results.
So, I don’t want to go much further into the story. This is a loose retelling but its easy to recognise the bones of the original but instead of dogs we have demons.
What appealed to me about this story.
First and foremost the writing. This may be a bone of contention for some readers but for me this worked well. I wouldn’t say that the writer has gone so far as to write this in true ‘olde worlde’ fashion, but he certainly doesn’t have any modernisms lurking – or at least none that pulled me out of the story. And, frantkly, I appreciate that. I don’t want to read a mediaeval story where people are saying ‘whatever’ and rolling their eyes. This was a different era and everything about it comes across in the writing. It let me lean into the story really well. I will also say that this story takes its time setting up, again, this isn’t something I have a problem with at all. I want the backstory and I’m a patient reader. I don’t want a bunch of bunkum that brings nothing to the story and that isn’t what you will find here. You need the context. You need to understand the characters and their motivations and more than that you really can’t appreciate their growth without it. So, the writing. Frankly, if I appreciate the writing that goes a long way for me to really liking the book, even if the pacing is slow or the story isn’t quite as gripping as I’d like.
Secondly, the two main characters share povs buy they’re so completely different, their voices unique and their stories quite fascinating. The pair of them undergo this terrific character arc in terms of, well Mag is almost a bit washed out but he reforms into a character that wants to do the right thing. Jannae is incredibly angry. She has lived her life planning revenge and has been so consumed by this that she hasn’t really lived her life at all. She is intent on this tinder box. All her focus is upon it. And yet, things change. But, of course I’m not going to say why.
On top of this the three demons were very entertaining. Of course there’s a play here on good vs evil. These are demons so presumably they’re going to be absolutely terrible. And yet, maybe not. I like the contradictions and suggestions that leave you to make your own decision. Strangely enough it’s man’s own greed and ambition that plays a part in sending all these men to war and keeping them there with all the resultant deaths.
The story itself. Well, it meanders a little. The start takes its time – but when did we all become so impatient that we just wanted to read a book in five minutes – Tolkien would never have succeeded with this mindset! Lets just take our time to appreciate the actual story. It doesn’t have to be all guns blazing, racing out of the stalls with its tail on fire – although the last quarter of the book does resemble that a little to be fair. Yes, there is set up. Yes, there is backstory. It’s all relevant and I enjoyed it. The story was quite bewitching. I also enjoyed the play on how both our protagonists, although they could make whatever demands they pleased, eventually found themselves instead making polite requests.
In conclusion, this might not quite pack the punch of some of Carey’s earlier stories but it is a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, I loved the writing and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next – because frankly, he’s nothing if not unpredictable.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Review: Nine Goblins by T Kingfisher
14 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Fantasy, Nine Goblins, reading, Review, T Kingfisher
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Easy to Read Cosy Fantasy
At 160 pages Nine Goblins was a book that I picked up and completed in virtually one sitting. It was fun, entertaining, had moments of darkness and death, an impressive body count and plenty of Kingfisher’s trademark humour. I wouldn’t say this is my favourite book by Kingfisher but being one of her earliest books (if not the first?) you can already see her style shining through, the humour mixed with dark moments, the characters that are easy to like (and the ones that are not) and always bundled into a fairytale-esque story.
If you imagine a strange mash up of Tolkien’s LotRs and Pratchett’s Wee Free Men, then added in a touch of James Herriot’s beleaguered vet – you wouldn’t be far off the mark for Nine Goblins and to me that kind of description would always work very well and have me hooked.
So, goblin sergeant Nessilka finds herself in a spot of bother when, having rushed at a wizard during the throes of battle, followed by 8 of her party, the nine of them fall through a magical escape route (conjured by said wizard while he’s trying to escape said goblins) that transports them deep into enemy territory. It’s now up to Nessilka to get everyone out of there in one piece. A challenge that is made much worse when the nearest village they discover is completely empty of any life at all – everyone knows how despicable goblins are after all so if any of the enemy come across them at this point – well, the inevitable conclusions would be drawn quicker than you can blink an eye. Even if they are wrong and the goblins are totally innocent.
Now, enter the scene an elf called Sings to Trees – he’s basically a vet. He lives a reclusive lifestyle deep within the forest treating all kinds of critters in need, even some very strange and unlikely specimens. This character put me in mind a little of Tom Bomadil in that he’s so caring of every living thing. He and Nessilka are about to cross paths – fortunately – because he could very well help to save their lives.
This is going to be a short and sweet review. This is a quick read, as I mentioned already I completed it in one cosy sitting. The writing is what I would expect from this author. The story is infused with fantasy elements and characters. There are all sorts of the weird and wonderful, not least, skeleton like deers, telepathic teddy bears and trolls that are a lot more friendly than they are given credit for.
I’m definitely on a Kingfisher trip at the moment, I’ve already read and reviewed four of her books this year (including this one) and still have two more forthcoming on my shelf. Happy days indeed.
In conclusion. A lovely cosy fantasy with cute characters and a little bit of danger thrown in for good measure.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars (rounded to 4)
Review: The Winter Folk by Jen Julian
13 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Fae, Fantasy, Gothic horror, Jen Julian, Review, The Others, The Winter Folk
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I Really Enjoyed This Story
The Winter Folk is a book that I liked even more than I anticipated. Don’t get me wrong, when I requested this I was immediately drawn in by the description ‘haunting Appalachian gothic horror ‘ – that was the absolute hook for me, I didn’t really know what to expect from the story though and I picked it up with very little knowledge other than it is a story involving the Winter Folk and a lodge known as Deerhaven.
This is basically the story of ‘Moth’. We have two timelines, in one we meet Vera, who will later be named Moth for her time working at Deerhaven and then a jump forward when Vera is now married with a daughter of her own and her husband knows her as ‘Stoker’.
Now, firstly, I will say that I’m an absolute pushover for anything gothic, add in the Appalacian setting and the fae and top it off with some wonderfully easy to read prose and you can pretty much call me a pig in mud. This book is, to all intents and purposes, hypnotic. I was totally in its thrall and enjoyed every minute I spent walking in Moth’s footsteps.
Let me elaborate on everything that worked so well for me.
The writing really is lovely. I could wallow around and soak in this writing all day long. It’s not overly verbose but sets the scene with almost casual indifference. Everything springs to life off the page and the creativity on display is simply spot on. Jen Julian manages to pull you into a world where everything is different, and strange, and a bit intimidating. She creates a fantastically tense atmosphere and, probably because you’re jumping back and forth, there is obviously some forewarning of things to come and the fact that Moth is going to get into trouble of one sort or another leaves you with this uneasy taste in your mouth as you wait for everything to go wrong. It’s compellingly unsettling.
Now, in her backstory, Moth soon makes it fairly clear that she didn’t have the best childhood or the most doting of parents. Quite the opposite in fact. Her mother’s only nod to care or affection for her daughter is the stories she tells about the forest. Kind of like tales of warning. Other than that she’s practically indifferent to her daughter and her father is absent – having taken himself off to live alone in the forest. So, Moth grows up in a home environment that is far from loving and nurturing. And this all feels linked to her coming to the notice of ‘the winter folk’. Like they zone in on unhappiness and neglect. The people they choose to work at the lodge all have stories that paint quite unhappy pictures of their home lives. Alongside this is, for me, what felt like a focus on mental health issues. The fae deliberately choose people who are at a low point, then these chosen people become almost enamoured by having been chosen, and it’s all incredibly addictive. They say they won’t return to the lodge because its dangerous, life threatening to be honest, and yet they always find excuses to return.
In terms of characters. I liked Moth, although she can be quite difficult to like at times. I liked that she comes across as quite pragmatic when dealing with the Others. She is rather besotted by the antlered man who runs the lodge and in fact this becomes a source of jealousy and a real bone of contention with two of the other workers at the lodge that have become good friends. What starts as a real feeling of camaraderie eventually turns sour as the three begin to backstab and bicker only to find out at the last minute how very sorry they are for letting their friendship take such a wrong turn.
The fae here are scary. They are meddlesome and tricksy. They’re not the disney version of fae but more your basic horror story. They wear facades to cover their true identities and drop hints of things to come, enticing the staff and making them believe in possibilities that are little more than smoke and mirrors.
I can say that I preferred the backstory elements to the more contemporary timeline although I do think it was well written and intriguing by way of the difficult relationship that Moth (Stoker) now experiences with her own daughter. In this timeline she feels like a shadow of herself almost. Like she isn’t really present. This element was kind of bittersweet because although her life has moved on she still hankers after this time from her past, she thinks of herself as Moth and she even contrives a holiday to return to the woods to try and secretly find a way back into the lodge even though she was explicitly banned. It made me feel sad for her because she never really moved on and the relationship she has with her husband feels empty somehow. That being said, she is fiercely protective of her daughter as becomes apparent when things take a drastic turn.
I did have one stumbling block with this and that’s the ending. It feels rushed, comparatively speaking. I found myself having to go back over it and even now I feel like I’m missing something fundamental. Which isn’t to say that its a bad ending, I don’t really know how to vocalise what I’m feeling to be honest and I have felt myself going over the events in my head since I finished. I would like more from this world and so on one hand the ending makes me hope that a return to the Winter Folk could very well be a possibility. But, on the other hand, the ending also makes me think that the author is pushing you to form your own conclusions, she’s given you a few breadcrumbs and now you can take yourself off and contemplate.
In conclusion, I shall be watching this author with keen interest. I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Review: The Summer Fun Massacre (Slasher Season #1) by Craig DiLouie
6 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Craig DiLouie, Horror, reading, Review, reviews, slasher, Slasher Season #1, The Summer Fun Massacre
My Five Word TL:DR Review: A Case of Managed Expectations
Okay, what do I mean by managed expectations? Basically when I requested The Summer Fun Massacre I jumped to the immediate conclusion that this was going to be your basic gorefest. Call me old fashioned but the words ‘Massacre’ and ‘Slasher Season’ I think very much helped me to go down that particular path. But, I did read an early review for this that suggested this had a police procedural feel and wasn’t just a (bare with me) ‘brainless’ slasher book and this helped me to be a bit more open to something different if you will. This is a really gripping story, there is blood and guts, tension and mystery but at the centre is a cop who wants to uncover the truth and I loved following in his footsteps as he tried to uncover the truth.
Now, before you throw your hands in the air, all exasperated because you’re now thinking that this isn’t a slasher story – well, it still is to be honest. There isn’t a shortage of victims but what really adds to this is the sense of mystery. I mean, what the fudge is actually going on in this tiny town? It’s really quite fascinating. A killer that seems to be something of an urban myth. So many secrets. Dodgy police and that one ‘final girl. I literally enjoyed this more than I ever expected. I came for the bloodfest and stayed for the gory mystery.
So, what did I particularly enjoy.
Well, the start is just really tense. We open up with Deputy Tom Bailey, our MC. He’s on his way (back) to the local Camp which has recently reopened. The people there are spooked and he’s already paid them a visit to check out all is okay and calm down a few frayed nerves, check under beds and in cupboards. But, something doesn’t sit right with Tom and on a hunch he decides to go back. This is all taking place in the summer of 1992, what happened more or less ten years earlier, was a massacre at that very same Summer camp – which has been closed ever since. Tom thinks its a terrible idea to reopen but who is he to reason why. He backtracks to reassure himself and before he knows it everything has gone to hell in a handcart. I loved this opener. If you want ‘massacre’ this opening gives it to you in spades. And, what I particularly loved is the way that as a reader you’re thrown straight in. Tom is a great character and you immediately like him, you want him to live, but for a moment there things really do hang in the balance. It’s all pretty darned scary to be honest.
Now, enter the scene the ‘final girl’ – Mary. As it happens, Tom and Mary were a couple, way back when, before everything went pear shaped. Mary was the last survivor of the 1983 Camp Massacre. Safe to say the pair drifted apart after that but Tom and Mary begin to reconnect, she has information and he is desperate to uncover the truth. Again, this ia a particular route that doesn’t go in the way you expect. In fact I love the twists with this story. I was hooked. I was just having a good time.
Tom is idealistic, perhaps almost a bit innocent. He simply wants to make a difference but at the same time as being naive he is also someone that others trust, he is solid and likable. Well, not everyone likes him. The Sheriff, and his son in particular, don’t like his interference. They’re all for an easy ride and with an election round the corner they don’t appreciate Tom’s delving, they want quick solutions. But something doesn’t sit right for Tom, too many unanswered questions.
For me this is a perfect combination of good writing, a winning MC, a police investigation combined with your basic camp massacre(s) and plenty of twists. I mean, really, I didn’t see things coming at all. I love a good mystery with a slasher in a bunny mask – doesn’t everyone? Lots of tension and another book yet to come. Colour me happy.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Review: Two Little Liars by Michelle Harrison
2 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Michelle Harrison, Review, Two Little Liars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Very Easy to Fall Into
I really enjoyed Two Little Liars. It has plenty of tension, an almost closed room feel (being set on an island with the only means of exit being a causeway that lies beneath the waves at high tide) and a dual timeline which is something I particularly enjoy. I love to switch my reading between fantasy, magical realism, history, murder mystery and horror and Two Little Liars was the perfect fit between some of my other reads.
Effectively there are three time periods involved but strictly speaking the story flits mostly between two. During the summer of 1990 Erin and Bee (reluctant friends at best) tell a series of lies that have terrible consequences. The two become despised by the general public and henceforth are known as the ‘two little liars’. In 1996 the two end up on the same college retreat (Erin has been living under a different identity for the past few years and Bee has also changed her name). Unfortunately, what should be a fun college trip also ends in disaster with Bee becoming a murder victim. Jump forward to 2016, Erin is a successful illustrator but she lives in constant fear, always looking over her shoulder. At this point she receives an invite to return to the Island where Bee died and although its the last thing she wants to do she eventually takes the step.
So, what did I enjoy about this.
Firstly, it’s very well written. It’s a contemporary story so requires very little set up apart from Erin and Bee’s back story. Harrison manages to create a real sense of tension and fear. At the same time she taps into the different time periods with ease and manages to convey the difference in each era so well. She really portrays the college girls very well for the 1996 storyline. There’s this decadent heady feel. They’re there to have a good time with smuggled in alcohol and other ‘substances’. They have their crushes and they feel almost invincible. I really liked the way the author leads you down the wrong path. I won’t give away examples but I was totally convinced throughout that Bee was up to no good and I couldn’t help blaming her – and to be honest she made mistakes but also, she was a young girl with her very own set of problems.
Secondly, I liked Erin. Yes, she also made mistakes and briefly stepping into ‘mean girl’ territory was definitely not one of her finer moments. But, again, she was a very young girl when everything first went dreadfully wrong. The impact it had on her and her family, not to mention others, was absolutely devastating and it’s not something that even in the later storyline that she can get over. She still suffers from guilt and anxiety but also this is coupled with feelings of dread and fear. It’s like Erin isn’t really living, she feels she’s simply going through the motions, always aware that somebody might recognise her or a newspaper might rerun the story and drag up all the old hatred. She’s like a ghost of herself, a ghost waiting for her past to catch up and her life to end.
Thirdly, the storyline is really intriguing. We have the early 1990 hazy summer that all goes to hell in a handcart. Then the giddy college visit that also goes disastrously wrong and also has a big impact on all those present. Finally in the current day we have some of the key players all meeting on the infamous island to thrash out what really happened that night. I loved this element of the story. The truth starts to come together as the characters finally decide to share with each other secrets that they all kept hidden at the time for fear of falling under the spotlight.
Overall this was a really enjoyable read. I think my only slight criticism was I guessed who the killer was – which isn’t to say I had all the details nailed down but more that I realised which character on the island was the ‘one’. Tense and intriguing. I will definitely look out for more by this author.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
