Kampung Kreepy

It's always lovely to find a new reader review. It's even more wonderful when the reviewer loved all five books in your series! Thank you so much, kind reader! I'm glad you enjoyed the monster-slaying adventures of Joe and Junie, my underdog feng shui consultants. If you haven't read The Geomancer's Apprentice series, check it out here .  Why you should leave a review if you love an author’s work It’s one way to make an author’s day, maybe even her week! It encourages your favorite authors to keep writing. You’re giving your favorite authors more visibility. You’re sharing good books with other readers. You’re helping your favorite authors to reach new readers. The more, and better, reviews a book has, the higher Amazon’s algorithms will rank it in search results. Even a rating helps! Make an author happy. 😄

I love folklore, and I’ve always been fascinated by folk horror. It’s a subgenre of horror that uses folklore, folk beliefs, urban legends and/or paganism to evoke fear and dread. The stories are usually set in rural or isolated areas, and themes include the clash between the old and the modern, and man versus nature.  In terms of fiction, Thomas Tryon’s 1973 novel Harvest Home is a classic. Other examples include Stephen King’s short story “Children of the Corn,” and his novel Pet Sematary . More recent gems are Adam Nevill’s The Ritual , and Andrew Michael Hurley’s Starve Acre .    As to movies, The Wicker Man springs immediately to mind. In the 1973 film (there is a 2006 remake but I prefer the creepier original), a police officer travels to the remote Scottish island of Summerisle to find a missing girl. He discovers, to his mounting horror, that the island residents practice a particular form of Celtic paganism.  More recent folk horror movies include Midsomm...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed reading this, which I picked up because I’m curious about folk horror. The anthology is a nice mix of the old and new. The stories include those written by the old horror masters such as M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft and Algernon Blackwood. It also features more modern writers such as Ramsey Campbell and Dennis Etchison.   It’s a good introduction to folk horror. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something in this horror subgenre. My favorite stories in the anthology are “The Gypsies in the Wood,” “Porson’s Piece,” and “Ancient Lights.”

Patrick Greenwood, a fellow author and host of the Writers on Writers Over a Triple Espresso podcast, recently reviewed my Geomancer's Apprentice urban fantasy books to discuss how to write a series.  Please check it out below or on YouTube .  [Patrick's review starts at 0:50 minutes]

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is a real page-turner. It pulls you in right from the beginning, releasing its hold only after you reach the last page. The plot is simple enough. It’s 1994. A psychologist inadvertently buys a demon-infested house in West Virginia. Its former owner was an exorcist who burned to death in the house. The simplicity of the storyline works because the real star here is the action. Once or twice I questioned why the characters did what they did, but ultimately I didn’t care because I had to find out what happens next. Author Nick Roberts fills his characters with more depth than is usual in a horror story. You care. You want them to survive. There is gore. A pervasive atmosphere of dread. I had to stop reading at some parts of the book because it got a little too intense. Horror fans will enjoy this.

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The bloodthirsty vengeance demon here is a pontianak. Being originally from Southeast Asia, a region where many still believe in such folklore spirits, I was very interested to see how author Lauretta Hignett would handle this in her series. I was pleasantly surprised, and pleased. Hignett’s take on the pontianak is funny and original, yet respectful of one of Southeast Asia’s most well-known supernatural entities. I must say I now view pontianaks in a new light. Sandy, a hairdresser who is the main character of the books, is possessed by a pontianak. When she finally realizes her husband uses her as his personal slave, she leaves him and goes to stay with her aunt in Washington, D.C. The possession allows her to see D.C.’s supernatural residents, who co-inhabit the nation’s capital with the human residents. Sandy is drawn to the Enforcer—a human police officer who is tasked with policing the supernaturals. As she helps him with his cases, they discover there is a...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ve been a fan of Adam Nevill since The Ritual .  This book didn’t disappoint as well. Nevill’s storytelling is unmatched, and he has a genuine talent for visceral and unsettling imagery. The protagonist here is one Kyle Freeman, who has been hired to make a documentary about a cult known as the Temple of the Last Days. The cult gained notoriety in 1975 after its leader and others were murdered. The project takes Freeman to London, France, and then Arizona.  As Freeman films the locations and interviews former cult members, he and his colleague begin to experience strange phenomena. Even more disturbing, the interviewees keep dying. It isn’t long before Freeman learns the cult’s true nature.  This book is downright frightening. It is exactly the kind of cerebral horror that I enjoy. Nevill doesn’t rush you through the story. He takes the time to build up the cult’s details. The characters are believable and well-rounded. The author’s descriptive writing...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This novel is well-written, with just the right amount of creepiness and coziness. The intriguing mystery and the high stakes keep you glued to the page. The protagonist, one Daphne Heartstone, is a sorceress who works as a journalist. On the quest for that next headline, she stumbles upon a murder at an old, empty building that once served as a hospital. Before long, she finds the murder may be but one in a long string of killings. Daphne is well-rounded, and I also liked the side characters. I especially liked the contrast between the hospital’s dark atmosphere and the warmth and comfort of Daphne’s family and home. Each enhances the other, making the book all the more enjoyable. One point to consider: This is the first book in author Krista Walsh’s Dark Descendants series, but there were numerous references to Daphne’s backstory, which must be in the prequel that I didn’t read. I think the book can stand alone, but it may be helpful to pick up the prequel first...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was drawn to the book because of its setting. My parents were born in Malaysia, and many of my relatives still live there. Zen Cho definitely is an authentic voice for that part of the world. Her dialogue is spot on, and her characters feel so real they could be my relatives. Not only that, her description of how people in Malaysia and Singapore view the supernatural is funny, and devastatingly accurate. Cho’s protagonist Jess is a sympathetic figure. Brought up in the U.S. by conservative Malaysian-Chinese parents, she has a foot in both the West and the East, and a hard time belonging to either. Her problems are compounded when she moves with her parents back to Malaysia. She is haunted by her deceased grandmother and dragged against her will into a world of gods, gangsters and Chinese mediums. The book is an engaging read with many layers. It’s about the clash between cultures, generations, religions, and the modern versus the old. It is about the clash within...

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m totally enchanted by protagonist Howard Marsh. I mean, this man is seriously flawed. He’s a down-and-out addict who lives in a storage container and is well-known to the police. He calls himself a methgician and ekes out a petty life doing small jobs with the magic that runs in his family. Marsh manages to redeem himself, however, through surprising acts of kindness and sacrifice. In Marsh, author Bob McGough has crafted a complex and interesting character. You want to hate him, but you also love him. This character will stay with me. I also love the rural lore, and the beauty that McGough brings out in the dirt roads and ramshackle buildings of Jubal County. This first book of the series has the protagonist engaged in two separate jobs. Both adventures are well-written and engaging. I especially liked the second story because it shows more facets of Marsh’s character. I highly recommend this book.

5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love this series, featuring Jessica Sharp (Jinx), a truth finder and empath who discovers magic and a fantastical world while trying to find out who killed her parents. The adventure starts when Jinx is hired to find a missing college student. The story zips along, with hardly a slow moment. I especially liked how well-planned and intricately plotted the books are. The world-building is simply amazing. Author Heather G. Harris has created an entire realm of magic and magical beings with not only history, but also political strife and prejudices. The characters stay with you and make you care. I have to admit I shed a few tears while reading the series. And laughed quite a lot as well. It was hard to turn the last page, because I wanted so much to stay in the story. Well done. I highly recommend this series.

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book hooked me in right from the beginning, when protagonist Claire Emerson celebrates her 60 th birthday. Weird things occur, starting with the massing of crows on the maple tree in her yard. And how refreshing it is to encounter a mature protagonist. Claire is recently divorced, and also concerned she has reached that point in her life where she’s past her prime. Instead, she discovers magic is real, and finds new purpose and new friends. As a woman, I found Claire real and relatable. I loved seeing through her eyes as she is drawn kicking and screaming into unimaginable new adventures and dangers. I also loved the world author Lydia M. Hawke has skillfully created, her original take on the Arthurian legends, and the book’s great cast of characters. One warning: this book is fast-paced. Claire barely had time to take a breath, and neither did I. Well done! I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Why you should leave reviews: You’re sharing a good book with other readers. You’re giving your favorite authors more visibility. The more, and better, reviews a book has, the higher Amazon’s algorithms will rank it in search results.  Even a rating will help. Make an author’s day  😄

The Geomancer’s Apprentice , the first book in my urban fantasy adventure series, got a nice review and write-up in The Redhead Notes blog and website. An excerpt: “While I enjoy fantasy with metaphysical and paranormal aspects, I was worried that the book might fall more into the horror category due to the inclusion of spirits, monsters, and supernatural violence. I almost set the book aside at the first mention of a Chupacabra. What can I say? I’m easily scared! I was pleasantly surprised to find that Leong is skilled at breaking up the scary bits to make them more manageable for people like me. By interspersing the lighter parts of the story, such as a blossoming romance for Junie, it offers respite from the darker side.” My thanks to the blog, as well as to readers and reviewers everywhere. I truly appreciate your support. And you heard it here, folks. My series is perfect for your Halloween read! Check out the full review and blog piece: https://theredheadnotes.com/review/the...

5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a treat it is to pick up an urban fantasy series featuring Alaskan folklore. The protagonist Piper Tikaani is not only Inupiaq—one of Alaska’s indigenous peoples—but also a kick-ass bush pilot and a shape-shifter. The book goes straight into the action with Piper flying a client to a remote cabin. Author Jilleen Dolbeare writes about bush flying with obvious authority. And the action never lets up while Piper discovers the mystery behind her existence. This is a fun adventure, and Dolbeare’s writing brought Alaska and its glorious wilderness alive for me. The best part, of course, was learning about Inupiaq folklore. I recommend this book!

Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is such a well-crafted book. The story unfolds in fits and starts, sometimes doubling back on itself, the better to reflect the main character Pride’s confusion about who she is. Pride is searching for her real parents. She happens upon a group of kids who live in a ramshackle place named the Cliffhangers. They use their magical abilities to find things. She teams up with them, hoping they can help her find her parents. She lends her own magical skill to theirs. Through Pride’s eyes, the author masterfully builds a dystopian world ruled by an amorphous authoritarian government that imprisons its critics. The book is well-written and edited. I love the writing, the characters, and the author’s whimsy. I found many of the sentences a sheer delight, such as, “Plenty of them are children, with their little teeth, and gaps between them.” I’ll definitely read more from this author.

5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was especially interested to read this book because Panong—a make-believe island where the series is set—appears to be somewhere in Southeast Asia. I’m originally from Singapore, and some of the mythical creatures in the book, including the pontianak, garuda and polong, are familiar to me. I thought author Celine Jeanjean did a good job building the fantastical setting. Panong has a mishmash of cultures, which is very true of many parts of Southeast Asia. Even her magical folk are diverse (I mean, there is a kitsune and a baku, a witch’s cat from London who’s a cockney, and the Nagaraja), which brings to mind the wonderful mix of cultures and influences in that part of the world. It’s the urban fantasy version of Asian fusion cooking—traditional ingredients used in an innovative way. Well done. The book’s premise is fun and interesting. Protagonist Apiya Chapman is a barber to the magical folk of Panong. She gets dragged into a situation that may have serious conseq...

5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great characters and intriguing plot, with exactly the sort of creepy atmosphere and settings that I like in a ghost story. There’s rain, abandoned buildings, the dark woods … The book is well-written, and I was quickly drawn into the mystery behind Erik and Eliza’s failed relationship. I have to admit there were times I wanted to give Eliza a good shake, but that goes to show how well she’s drawn by the author. People, especially loved ones, can be frustrating. The story took an unexpected turn three-quarters in. I may have preferred a standard ghost story, but this was interesting nonetheless. It kept me turning the pages. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a fun, interesting read! Author Scott Walker has built a fascinating world populated by Japanese mythological creatures who now roam the earth alongside humans due to a cataclysmic rift. The premise is interesting, the writing tight and the action fast-paced. I didn’t feel that any word in this book was wasted. The protagonist is one Keiko Miller, an agent at the Los Angeles Bureau of Souls with kitsune (fox spirit) powers. She and the other characters are believable, and all too human despite their superhuman abilities. Props for setting the book in LA. It gives this police procedural grit and color. The author included a glossary of Japanese words and spirits/gods which I found very helpful. The breadth of “yokai”—Japanese folklore entities—referred to in the book is bewildering. Fortunately, the glossary helped me to keep track.

M.H. Boroson has done it again in this sequel to The Girl with Ghost Eyes , which I very much enjoyed . His protagonist Xian Li-lin, a young widow and Daoist (or Taoist) priestess in late 19 th century San Francisco, is back with her cadre of strange friends. They include a philosophical eyeball with the heart of a warrior, and a Buddhist monk that really is a tiger who wants to change his nature. Li-lin now is estranged from her father and works for a rival tong. In her new adventures, she is asked to solve the mystery of a nine-year-old girl who suffocates to death when flowers grow out of her nose and mouth. The villain here is interesting and original. Trust me, this one is a doozy. Li-lin herself is a memorable character. She is tough, occasionally obnoxious. She does her best to survive, a woman in a man’s world, armed with her quick wits, fighting skills, and Daoist magic. But it is her indomitable spirit that makes her an apt champion for women and girls who otherwise have ...