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Book Recommendation: Sons to Keep by A.S. Etaski

You think you want the Matriarchy? You can’t handle the Matriarchy. Born a healer into a culture obsessed with power, Irrwaer had few prospects beyond changing bandages and emptying bedpans. Among the matriarchs, sex is power. Sex is magic. Irrwaer knows nothing of either. But she longs to… Etaski delivers a portrait of drow societyContinue reading “Book Recommendation: Sons to Keep by A.S. Etaski”

Tentacles, Yeah, but Beware the Bite

As heroines go, Askari isn’t the most lovable—she’s downright antisocial sometimes. But in a world where megafauna rule the day AND the night, humans have to stick together. Even when they don’t like each other much. Zero sexy times in this YA action romp, despite the opportunities presented by the titular tentacles and/or teeth. FunContinue reading “Tentacles, Yeah, but Beware the Bite”

Something a little different: My favorite reverse harem (so far)

The author, Naiya Bladesinger, has inverted and subverted the reverse harem cosmos and its tropes as we know them in a delightful and satisfying way. (Be warned! It’s not my normal grimdark fare. This book might make you laugh out loud—it will certainly make you smile.) The Kitchen Is Always Open is (ironically) a clean,Continue reading “Something a little different: My favorite reverse harem (so far)”

It’s always Wednesday. In my heart.

My love for Wednesday surprises no one. Yet…it should. For all its neu-retro gothic vibe, the Netflix series—like its source material—isn’t grim or dark. Not really. While its humor might be, but the superb writing, the lovely cinematography, and the primary plot are all… Dun dun dun! A cozy mystery. (Specifically, it’s a para-cozy: paranormalContinue reading “It’s always Wednesday. In my heart.”

Smackdown: Grimdark vs Horror–Is There a Difference?

“Ernest Hemmingway once said: ‘The world is a good place, and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.” William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) in Se7en The last line of this horror movie, in my humble opinion, can sum up the philosophy of grimdark, if there’s any to be had down here at the bottom.Continue reading “Smackdown: Grimdark vs Horror–Is There a Difference?”

Pregnancy in the Grimdark

Like a lot of writers, I have tons of random interests and a head full of useless facts. One of those is Egyptology. It’s given me a lot of fodder for the grimdark stories I weave, from priesthoods and monarchies to architecture and the afterlife. That said, I’m scrolling through the internet, and what doContinue reading “Pregnancy in the Grimdark”

Women in the Grimdark: Surviving a Cruel World

In a world where might makes right, you’d expect the protagonist to survive if he’s brawny, muscular, and can outfight and out-Machiavelli his opponents. But … what if the protagonist isn’t a brawny beefcake that can cleave anyone in twain with a battle axe or a claymore? What if they’re not in the position toContinue reading “Women in the Grimdark: Surviving a Cruel World”