New Book Review - Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

Name - Wolf Worm 

Written by - T. Kingfisher 

Narrated by - Mary Robinette Kowal 

Published by - Tor Nightfire 

Audiobook by - Macmillan Audio 

T. Kingfisher has done it again, making a story focused mostly on disgusting insects enjoyable is a tough task indeed, but she managed to create one of the best horror stories out of it and literally knocked the ball clear out of the part with this one. Despite my limited exposure to her writing, based on what I have read so far and what the general opinion about her is on the internet, Kingfisher has certainly become one of the big names in horror fiction these days.

The story is set in 1899, with the narrator Sonia Wilson who thinks of herself as a scientific illustrator due to her experiences working with her deceased father. She was working on a dead end job as an art teacher when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects. Sonia jumps at the chance and moves to  North Carolina, into his manor house to start drawing for scientific research again. But soon enough she finds that the job is not as straightforward as she though, nor the woods around the house as friendly.

The story gets quite gross at times, especially if you don't like to get into depth into parasitic insects and their lifecycles. But, the progression is quite engaging and the author in her characteristic style even makes her musings about mundane things very interesting and entertaining. Any fan of historical fiction would love the portrayal of the time period something to chew on, as her points regarding the condition of a woman without any make relatives to take care of and the overbearing sense of racism as an everyday fact of those days was neatly done.

But once again, the main strength of T. Kingfisher lies in her ability to create compelling characters and their thoughtful stories that make readers delve into the depths by becoming totally invested in their plights. Sonia is a smart, capable, and curious woman with a keen sense of humor and her own unique brand of morality. Her inquisitive nature and obsession with getting to the bottom of the mysterious stuff around her is clearly apparent in this passage, “Some thoughts burrow into your mind as thoroughly as a wasp larva burrows into an unsuspecting caterpillar. The trick, which I am still learning, is how to live without being devoured by them.” And once she has seen into the facade and found out about she goes on to decide, “It is terrible to be helpless, but it can be equally terrible to be the one who is supposed to be able to help.”

The other characters are also quite skillfully fleshed out, getting their own nuances and motives to make them stand out as believable and relatable participants of the overall narrative. Ma Kersey was a wonderful inclusion, who needed more time to develop in my opinion. Rose and Saul are both strong characters, with their unique personalities and moral codes shine among the rest. I would have liked if the negative characters had more time to shine and given more personality, instead of the black and white wash of being evil.

Another angle I liked is how much the author seemed to have researched to put everything based upon authentic facts before giving them the supernatural twist. I learned that the botflies and screwworms really did exist and wreaked havoc upon their hosts, and that made me even more queasy, making the horror element more palpable. And then there were some memorable lines like when Sonia was thinking about Ku Klux Klan, “God knows hatred is more resilient than wildlife.” Or her interesting perspective on dead bodies, “The history of the world is written in dying bodies and those who have to pick up afterwards.”

The prose is teeming with witty remarks and thoughtful observations making the reading flow like a breeze despite occasional uncomfortable topics. And the ending was quite satisfying to be able to give everyone the required closure, leaving the readers reminiscing on some aspects of the story, keeping them wondering who actually was the real monster and whether the end justified everything.

I will give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Promising Books being published on November 2026

Well, November seems to have a scarcity of books that I find myself interested in. Maybe there aren't interesting things coming out this month, maybe I am just tired of trying to fit new series into my schedule or maybe I am just too invested in reading short stories these days. There are only four books promising enough for me this month.

"Monsters of Ohio" by John Scalzi from Tor Books

Welcome to Richland, Ohio. Things aren't great.

The town’s biggest employer is closing shop, and Richland's on the brink. It's where Mike Boyd, with his own set of problems, finds himself returning to after decades away.

He's not planning to stay.

But Richland has other plans for Mike, his old friend Dave, and a newcomer Andi. They're caught in a swirl of local troubles, private equity, executive theft… and something extremely weird involving Jeremy Keller’s prize cow.

Welcome to Richland. Leave your expectations behind. Bring a tarp.

[ New Scalzi, and there is a Cthulhu-like monster on the cover photo. I just hope this is as fun as his usual stuff. ]

"ECO25: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction" Edited by Marissa Van Uden from Violet Lichen

ECO: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction explores humanity’s deep relationships with other species and our communal fears, grief, and passion as we try to protect our natural world—all through the lens of the fantastic.

Featuring established authors, award winners, and rising stars, each volume forms a unique snapshot of how some of the most imaginative writers on the planet are engaging with this extraordinary time in Earth’s natural history.

In putting together this annual anthology, a team of passionate judges read hundreds of ecofiction works published in collections, magazines, and journals around the world, narrowing them down to a shortlist of the very best. The 24 most compelling, emotionally impactful, and thought-provoking stories are then selected as finalists.

ECO25, the second in the series, features a range of beautiful and evocative stories, including works by talented authors such as Ally Wilkes, DaVaun Sanders, G. Willow Wilson, Michael Capobianco, Rebecca Campbell, Ruthanna Emrys, and Samir Sirk Morató, among many others.

[ I already read this outstanding collection. Meticulously curated , this one has stories for almost everyone. A must read anthology for anyone interested in short stories. ]


"There Are No Giant Crabs in This Novel (John Dies at the End #5)" by Jason Pargin
 from St. Martin's Press / Titan Books

A massive, sticky pile of severed human limbs suddenly appears in the parking lot of a vacant department store in a desolate small town. A set of footprints are found trailing away in the snow, as if a single pair of bare feet had wandered off the pile. If this wasn’t puzzling enough, the cops soon find that no one seems to be missing the limbs. Some of the fingerprints on the severed arms belong to living people with all their appendages intact, others match no one on file, the rest of the limbs somehow have no prints at all.

This sounds like a case for local weirdos John, David and Amy, partly because the cops don’t want the headache and partly because David’s own arm is in the pile, despite an identical copy of it still being attached to his body. When a mysterious man then shows up at David’s home claiming to be in pursuit of an entity he calls “the Penetrator,” it seems clear the trio are in for a long weekend.

In addition to stopping whatever this nonsense is, the gang will also have to quell the panicked headlines that threaten to ensue, which could prompt the feds to try to just wipe the whole town off the map (again). As such, the first thing you need to know is that, contrary to whatever ugly rumors you may have heard, there are no giant crabs in this novel.

[ Somehow this series seems irresistible. I just don't know why I haven't read this author yet. ]

"Loba" by Valentina Cano Repetto from Angry Robot

She’s not the first lighthouse keeper to lose her mind on the shores of Cabo Polonio, but she’s determined to be the first to survive it.

Delmira Torres knows fleeing to Brazil is the only way she’ll be free of her abusive husband. But to get there she’ll need money; it’s why she takes a posting at a lighthouse in Cabo Polonio, Uruguay, a small town where time doesn’t seem to move quite right.

There, she has only a month until her husband and her secrets catch up to her. But the position comes marred by the legend of La Loba, who stalks the lighthouse and the nearby fishing village, and by the spiraling visions that begin to plague Delmira.

A century earlier, Amalia arrives at the same lighthouse. Held captive and desperate to escape her dire situation, her story may hold the answers to Delmira’s torment.

Both of them, desperate for freedom and determined to survive, must find a way to outlive the horrors of Cabo Polonio.

[ The blurb and cover seem very interesting to me. I think I will love this, especially due to the setting. ]

Weekend Shorts - right here, on this spot By Parker M. O’Neill

Name - right here, on this spot

Written by - Parker M. O’Neill

Published on - Flash Fiction Online October 2026

To be memorable as a flash fiction piece is quite a hard work; you have less than a thousand words to get a point or message across that has to stay with the reader after they are done with it. It is possible only when you are passionate or thoughtful enough.

This is the second story I read by this author; the last one was a piece I read on the excellent 'ECO25: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction'. It was quite different in tone and plotline than this, but the author seems to have a particular fondness for telling stories dealing with familiar relationships, which is something I also enjoy.

This one by Mr. O'Neill is a very strong and melancholic piece. Here, the narrator is digging on a post-war battlefield looking for a piece of memorable object for someone else. But instead he dregs up memories from many wars in the past, from his memory of a father lost to war and from his own personal memory of being part of a war.

The style is very different from many flash pieces. It never tries to be too vague or poetic; rather, it tries to hammer home any point. Rather it deals with the trauma that war forces onto the survivors and how the memory of such battles lingers on long after the final bullet has been fired.

A passionate piece focusing on the personal horror and neverending reality of war. This gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Weekend Shorts - Alien Animal Encounters by John Scalzi

Name - Alien Animal Encounters

Written by - John Scalzi 

Published on - Strange Horizons (October 15, 2001)

Well, I read about this short story from the author on Bluesky about how this was his first published story 25 years ago. And I wanted to check out the humble beginnings of a superstar writer like Scalzi.

It was an unconventionally formatted story about people encountering strange aliens and animals. There are some twists like an alien encountering dogs or one human mistaking earthly animals for aliens.

This was an entertaining short and breezy read and has the early examples of the charming signature humor that John Scalzi has become known for. But it was also a bit uneven in describing some stories as is expected from someone in the early stages of mastering the craft.

It was especially enjoyable to me as I myself have recently started trying to write short fiction and praying for that big break of first publication.

I will give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Link to the story - https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/fiction/alien-animal-encounters/

New Metal Review - In Perfect Stillness by Domhain

Album Name - In Perfect Stillness

Band Name - Domhain 

Genre - Atmospheric Black Metal/ Post Metal / Blackgaze

Label - These Hands Melt 

Release Date - February 20, 2026

Line Up -

  Andy Ennis - vocals, bass

  Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan - drums, vocals & cello

  Mete Aker - vocals

  Ashley Irwin - guitars, backing vocals

Black Metal can be the most constrictive genre in the hands of unskilled musicians; it can also be the most diverse genre of extreme metal in the hands of musicians who are passionate and who dare to experiment and broaden their perceptions in terms of creating something evocative and memorable. And in their debut album 'In Perfect Stillness', Domhain once again proves that Black Metal can be one of the most beautifully crafted genres when you set your mind to it.

Any band that reminds me of the likes Agalloch, Primordial and Alcest within five minutes of starting my listen deserves to be appraised carefully. I did spend quite a lot of time listening to this five track album of only 35 minutes, and still I long to return to its landscape of soothing yet aggressive brand of fusion of post metal, atmospheric black, blackgaze/shoegaze and even some doom metal inspiration; that Domhain have created in their first full length release.

Andy Ennis gives a masterclass performance in varied vocals delivery with both melodic clear singing and aggressive black metal growls dispersed throughout the album, which is accompanied and accentuated by Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan creating a sense of duality in singing which helps with the creation of the emotionally drenched atmosphere. 

Nathan Irvine does most of the guitar work with a thick and moody layer of post metal chords, but he is also helped by guitar work of Ashley Irwin who also provides some backing vocals. In addition to her vocals Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan is also responsible for drums and cello, working like a machine. While Andy Ennis also contributes with bass, adding into the background yet another layer creating the soundscape.

The album opens with a sparse and bare opener with a cello infused vocalization. Then begins the first real track 'Talamh lom' which is a piece of well-crafted post black track with haunting vocals and oozing atmosphere. Then comes my favorite track 'Footsteps II' with its beautiful tunes incorporating piano and cello with traditional metal instruments and melancholy dual vocals. 'In Perfect Stillness' is a much more straightforward black metal track reminding me of the later day aggressive Agalloch containing some angry growls and blistering drumming. Then the album closes with majestic 'My Tomb Beneath the Tide', which incorporates everything the band has to offer with calming intro and outro and the band showing their varied skill set all throughout the track.

And immediately after finishing it, I was gripped with listening to it again. Wanting to re-experience some bits or remember a particularly haunting section. This is the greatest strength of any good album, dragging you into its embrace once more after you finished listening to it.

Overall Score - 

                                 9 out of 10.

For more info check out the bands official website and their metal-archives page -

https://domhain-band.bandcamp.com/

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Domhain/3540531779

Weekend Shorts - Sing by Jules Bly

Name - Sing

Written by - Jules Bly

Published on - Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #448, January 8, 2026

I came upon this short accidentally, and am quite glad to have read it. It is a simple tale with a beautiful message. There is no over-complicated structure or convoluted plot but rather the tale of a man who has to keep singing no matter what happens to him.

This is yet another tale written mostly in second person. This is the tale of a man who is burdened with the responsibility to keep singing till his death or the world is bound to vanish. This is his tale of finding love and peace, and finally him finding out that fate is not inevitable despite his initial belief.

This one teaches us to try to find a better future for ourselves, teaches us that we can make our own fate if we try hard. This tale also teaches us to do the right thing despite it being uncomfortable and to try to find peace in simplicity, and also to try to be adventurous once in a while.

"You sing a different song.

You act recklessly.

The world does not vanish."

The only little gripe is some repetitive use of phrases to emphasize a point across was a bit unnecessary in my opinion.

Nevertheless, I will give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Weekend Shorts - Really and truly dead by Emma Burnett

Name - Really and truly dead

Written by - Emma Burnett

Published on - Flash Fiction Online October 2026

Well, to my understanding, this one has all the ingredients that make a flash piece shine and stay memorable long after it's read. There is somewhat unreliable yet sympathetic narrator, a suitable mystery and hints at poking jabs at our current reality with its problems despite its speculative setting.

Our narrator starts the story in a room full of dead and also ends it there. In between, by the use of an unusual second-person perspective, describe how the world around them has changed into something sinister.

I really loved this little paragraph, detailing how uncertain and illogical life under a fascist regime is for someone suddenly thrust into it, "You knew nothing about it until after the soldiers attacked, clearing out the people and claiming the resources in the name of a state that isn’t this city, but isn’t not this city. All the villages are being emptied out, their residents fleeing to the city. All the resources are now owned by the state, which feeds the city. You don’t understand how this helps anyone."

The story also features an interesting twist at the end, leaving the reader wanting to learn more about the character and their world.

This is an almost perfect flash piece, thus gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.