Lair of Dreams

Bray, Libba. Lair of Dreams. Book 2 of the Diviners series. 2015. 613p. ISBN 978-0-316-12604-5. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

When Evie O’Neill and her friends solved the ritualistic murders that were taking place in New York City in 1926, she proclaimed to all who would listen that she was a Diviner, one of the folks who possess rare talents such as being able to divine the future, or, in her case, tell the past through holding an object. Her public announcement caused a rift between herself and her uncle Will, but led to her hiring for a radio show. As America’s Sweetheart Seer, Evie parties hard and manages to spend a few days in each hotel before being evicted for being loud, inconsiderate, or simply not the type of customer the place wants.

Meanwhile, things are still gloomy at the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult. Sam Lloyd is still searching for answers on Project Buffalo, and he’s convinced that Will knows more than he lets on. Jericho struggles with Evie’s rejection and Mabel’s obvious interest and is unsure of his next step as the only man-machine combination. Memphis continues to be tormented by his ability to heal while he watches his younger brother Isaiah develop his ability to predict the future.

Theta Knight and Henry DuBois IV pursue their musical careers, but Theta’s fear of losing control of a secret power she wields forces her to distance herself from her relationship with Memphis. Henry, for his part, continues to search for his lover. In a dream, he meets Chinatown resident Ling Chan, who, like him can travel in other people’s dreams. The daughter of a Chinese man and an Irish woman, Ling lost the partial use of her legs due to sickness and now must walk about on crutches. In her dreams, though, she does not have to.

A mysterious disease begins to spread through New York City, first in Chinatown, then elsewhere. People fall asleep, and cannot be woken up. Eventually, boils appear on their bodies and they die, seemingly burned from the inside out. In their dreams, both Henry and Ling encounter a Chinese girl coming to the United States to marry a rich husband in New York. As more and more people succumb to the sleeping sickness, the Diviners realize that this girl is somehow involved. In the shadows, a mysterious government agency is attempting to find all the Diviners. And in the background, the man with the black stovepipe pulls the strings. Can the Diviners stop the sleep sickness before it strikes one of them?

One For Sorrow: A Ghost Story

Hahn, Mary Downing. One For Sorrow: A Ghost Story. 2017. 293p. ISBN 978-0-544-81809-5. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

In 1918, Annie is about to start 6th grade at a new school, and she is nervous. What will people think of her there? She will have to make new friends and learn how to survive in a brand new social structure. With the Great War in full swing, times are tenses and prejudices against German immigrants rampant. Annie is fortunate that both of her parents are employed. She has nice toys and wears new clothes. Others are not so lucky.

On her first day of school, Anne meets some of the other six graders, but before she’s able to introduce herself to a group of girls led by a redhead named Rosie, she is intercepted by Elsie, who immediately tries to make Anne her friend. Elsie is pushy and she makes sure that Annie does not play with the other kids during recess. She even invites herself over to Annie’s house, and wiggles an invitation for dinner out of Annie’s mother. Annie is frightened by Elsie, and she wishes she had never met her.

Unfortunately for Elsie, on top of being pushy, her father is German. Elsie is thus ridiculed at school for being slow and for being a Kaiser-lover. When Elsie becomes sick, Annie seizes the opportunity and begins hanging out with Rosie and her friends. Upon Elsie’s return, she attempts to get Annie to play with her, but Annie refuses, and she soons becomes another one of Elsie’s tormentors.

At about the same time, the Spanish Influenza begins to strike down residents indiscriminately. Soon families are quarantined and people die. Even the funeral parlors can’t keep up. When Annie and her friends come upon Elsie sitting alone on a swing in a park, they harass her and sing a mean song before ripping away her breathing mask. Elsie contracts the flu and dies. Annie is stricken with remorse. Following an sledding accident in the cemetery, Annie becomes haunted by Elsie, who swears to destroy Annie’s life. With a ghost only she can see affecting the real world, Annie soon finds herself in a psychiatric institute. Can Annie figure a way to make it up to Elsie before her own life is ruined?

Hahn serves another dose of spooky in this well-written tale partly inspired by stories her own mother told her of this time period. Fans of Closed for the Season and Deep, Dark and Dangerous will appreciate this new creepy tale.

The Diviners

Bray, Linda. The Diviners. Book 1 of the Diviners series. 2012. 578p. ISBN 0-316-12611-X. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

It is 1926, and the world of jazz and exuberance has come on the scene. In Ohio, seventeen-year-old Evie O’Neill has the uncanny ability to obtain very personal information about a person from an object. The more personal the object, the more she knows about its owner. When she reveals that the town’s golden boy has gotten a girl pregnant, she is faced with a choice: apologize publicly for her “inaccurate” statement, or get exiled to New York City to live with her uncle until things die down back in Ohio. Thrilled at the possibility of heading to the Big Apple and spending time with her best friend Mabel, who lives in the same building as her uncle, Evie agrees and departs on the train.

Once in New York, she is skillfully robbed by a young man named Sam Lloyd who wakes her up to the dangers of life in the city. Meeting her uncle Will, who is the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult, she is introduced to Jericho, with whom Mabel is enamored. Evie can see why. Tall and blond, Jericho is her uncle’s assistant and was adopted by him years ago.

In Harlem, Memphis and his younger brothers both have talents of their own. Memphis used to be able to lay hands and heal, but hasn’t summoned his ability since the death of his mother. His younger brother, Isaiah, can divine cards and see in the future. Abandoned by their father after their mother’s death, they live with their aunt Octavia. Memphis is a hustler for the local crime lord, but he really wants to be a poet.

And in an old abandoned mansion, a shadow grows. Naughty John, a prophet of the Breathens, was executed for the murder of the mansion’s former owner back in the 1850s. His spirit is back, however, and seeks to complete a ritual involving eleven sacrifices that will release the Beast. The Beast will inflict evil on the world, but will then be banished by the Breathens, leading to paradise on Earth. As Naughty John moves closer to his goal and gets stronger from every sacrifice, Evie, Memphis, and a cast of unforgettable characters get caught in a deadly intrigue of occult and paranormal. Ritual murders plague the city as Solomon’s comet approaches Earth. With only a few days left, can Evie and her friends stop Naughty John?

The Night Gardener

Auxier, Jonathan. The Night Gardener. 2014. 350p. ISBN 1-41971144-X. Available at FIC AUX on the library shelves and as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Molly and Kip are desperate. The two Irish teens have suffered two tragedies, first the potato famine in Ireland, then the sinking of the ship they were traveling on. Fourteen-years-old Molly know that her parents did not survive the sinking, but she does everything she can to let ten-years-old Kip think they are still alive. Looking for employment and hoping to avoid the orphanage, Molly accepts employment with the Windsors, who reside in an isolated estate in the middle of the woods on an island in the river. They are to to take care of Mrs. Windsor, and her children.

Locals tell them to stay away, but it is the children’s last hope. The estate is crumbling and hasn’t been maintained in a number of years. A large tree grows oppressively close to the house, and in one location seems to disappear inside it. The Windsors are pale and sickly looking. Mrs. Windsor is tired. Six-years-old Penny wants to be told stories. Ten-years-old Alistair is always eating candy. Mr. Windsor is busy losing the family’s fortune in town, and rarely comes back to the house.

Soon Molly realizes that there is a creepy presence in the house. The tree itself is conscious and is cared for by a strange gaunt and thin man who wears a tall hat. The night gardener emerges when everyone is sleeping and collects the sweat of the residents’ nightmares to water the tree. Molly also discovers that the tree itself can grant wishes, such as an endless supply of candy, jewelry, money, and stories. The tree delivers letters from Molly’s father and mother, in her mother’s neat handwriting, describing improbable stories similar to those Molly has told Kip.

Kip, however, does not sleep in the house and doesn’t know about the wishing. He witnesses the physical and psychological costs that wishing brings on its victims. When he discovers six graves by the feet of the tree, he realizes that the death of the residents of Windsor Manor are at hand. Can Molly and Kip stop the Night Gardener and the tree before it’s too late?

Fans of Peter Nimble will enjoy this dark horror tale from Auxier and will appreciate his clever use of words and descriptions.

And the Trees Crept In

Kurtagich, Dawn. And the Trees Crept In. 2016. 341p. ISBN 978-0-316-29870-4. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Living in London, Fourteen-year-old Silla and her four-year old sister Nori have just run away from their abusive father, and seeking refuge, they turn to their aunt, Catherine. She lives at La Baume, a manor that has been in their family for generations. Located outside of a small village in England in the middle of Python Woods, the residence is decrepit and old, and Cath used to run an orphanage there.

Nori cannot talk or make a sound, and she was severely injured to the point where her collar bone and her arm are now deformed. Cath is happy to meet them, and welcomes them into her life. Over three years, Silla and Nori grow up but lack for nothing, except companionship. The manor does not have a telephone, nor a television. Electricity is provided by an old generator, which is broken more often than not. Still, it’s a better life than being stuck in a small apartment with a violent man.

Life in the manor becomes strange, however, and it becomes clear to Silla that something strange is taking place. Cath warns them not to go in Python Woods, ever. When Cath tells the story of the Creeper Man, who supposedly dwells in the forest, Silla becomes scared. Cath tells them the Creeper Man will never let them out of the woods. When Cath serves a birthday cake with living earthworms inside, Silla becomes even more scared. Then Cath barricades herself in the attic, and doesn’t come down. Suddenly there are weird sounds throughout the manor, almost as if it is haunted. A strange boy, Gowan, arrives from the woods and offers to help them. Food begins to run out. And all the while, the trees are physically getting closer to La Baume as the house itself appears to be slowly sinking in the earth. And Nora. Poor Nora, she should have a normal childhood. Instead, she is hungry all the time, and she is the only one who can see that the Creeper Man is in fact already in the manor. Silla must discover the source of the Creeper Man’s power before Nora and her succumb to the threat represented by the trees creeping ever closer …

The horrific atmosphere of La Baume builds slowly, but as details are revealed the terrifying nature of what the girls face is revealed. Fans of horror will definitively want to get their hands on this scary book!

The Metamorphosis

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. 2011. 201p. 159 mins. ISBN 9781937028121. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

As a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa rarely sleeps at home. On the few occasions he gets to sleep in his bed, he relishes the experience. So when he awakens in his own bed one morning only to discover that he’s been transformed into a giant insect, Gregor is at first concerned that he is late for work. Somehow he slept through his alarm and missed his train for work, and surely his manager is already on his way here to see what the matter is and ask why Gregor is being such a bad employee. The metamorphosis from a human being to a bug is only of secondary importance to Gregor, who is the family’s sole breadwinner. He really must get ready for work.

But moving around as an insect is simply too hard, especially if one is not used to it. Soon the manager comes to Gregor’s bedroom door, and he orders that Gregor open his door. Encouraged by his parents through the left door as well as by his sister through the right door, Gregor struggles in his insect body to unlock, then open the door. His sudden appearance when the door finally opens shocks the manager, his parents, and his sister. Gregor quickly loses his job, has trouble finding food he likes, and finds himself unable to communicate with his loved ones.

As Gregor’s life slowly devolves, he remains as sharp as ever, but can only witness the absurd circumstances that rendered him even more of an outsider than he already was, alienated from all but his own thoughts. Gregor’s guilt and loneliness is not enough to encourage him to leave his family, and as he observes new family dynamics change, he realizes that he’s the one holding them back. A classic for the ages, Kafka’s story of alienation remains current even today.

Trials of Death

Shan, Darren. Trials of Death. Book 5 of the Cirque du Freak series. 2004. 207p. ISBN 0-316-60395-3. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

Having been presented to the Vampire Princes in Vampire Mountain, Darren must now survive the five Trials of Initiation to atone for Mr Crepsley's sin of transforming him at such a young age and in such a wanton fashion. Drawn from a pool of seventeen out of the possible sixty, these trials are designed to prove that he deserves to become a full-fledged vampire. Should he fail and not perish in the attempt, he will be put to death as being unworthy of the title of vampire.

Most vampires, however, are cheering for Darren and hope that he succeeds. The game master himself decides to train the young apprentice and prepares him for the games. But as Darren participates in one event after another, the vampires themselves feel uneasy. The vampire princes and their generals are holding counsel, discussing Mr. Tiny’s message that a Vampaneze Lord will arise and lead the Vampaneze in a fight against the vampires.

Darren succeeds at the first three trials, though he is badly hurt each time, but as he is about to be gored to death by a boar in the fourth trial, Harkat intervenes and saves his life, much to the displeasure of the vampires. Now faced with two choices, certain death or possible escape, Darren selects the cowardly way out and flees deep in the mountain with the help of friends. But when they encounter a large group of 30 to 40 Vampaneze, Darren and his friends realize that there is a traitor on Vampire Mountain...

The story continues in The Vampire Prince.

Rebecca

Du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. 2006. First published in 1938. 393p. ISBN 0-380-73040-5. Available at FIC DU on the library shelves.

When she first meet Maxim de Winter, owner of the large English estate of Manderley, the narrator is suitably impressed. A lady companion to a wealthy American, they have been spending time in Monte Carlo entertaining high society and gossiping around. Paid ￡90 a year, this is a large sum for an orphan such as herself. Maxim and her begin courting, and soon he reveals his love for her. Nearly twice her elder, Maxim was previously married to Rebecca, who died tragically in a boat accident and was found drowned nearly a year ago.

Coming back to stay at the estate, the new Mrs. de Winter meets the staff of Manderley, who were all enamored and retain fond memories of Rebecca. Especially, Mrs. Danvers, the head housekeeper. A maid in the service of Rebecca’s family, Mrs. Danvers takes every opportunity to note to Mrs. de Winter every way in which she is lacking, pointing out that Rebecca was in every way better. Rebecca was more cultured, more sophisticated, more beautiful, more well-bred, and more entertaining. And Maxim is growing distant again, leaving his new wife to fend for herself Life for the new Mrs. de Winter becomes very hard, and everywhere she feels the presence of the ghost of Rebecca.

Then a shipwreck happens in the bay near Manderley, and in the investigation it is discovered that the first Mrs. de Winter’s boat has sunk in the same spot, and her body is aboard. So who was the woman who was identified by Max as his dead wife? Why did the book sink? What did happened to Rebecca?

A psychological thriller wrapped in a gothic novel, the mysteries contained in Rebecca will entertain the readers and leave them pondering how decisions taken a long time ago influence events later on.

Dracula

Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897. 392p. ISBN 0-307-74330-6. Available at FIC STO on the library shelves.

From its first publication back in 1897, Dracula has inspired a whole sub-genre of gothic horror fiction, giving the shivers to those who would see vampires flying around in the dark nights looking to feast on the blood of their victims. To this day Dracula remains synonymous with the malevolence of vampires and their ilks.

In the story that inspired it all, Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula, who has made arrangements to move his estate to England. Harker is to finalize all paperwork and prepare the shipment of the Count’s personal possessions, but on his way there he encounters many people who have misgiving about the Count. Through interactions with the old man, Harker eventually realizes that the Count is a vampire, a creature of legend so horrific and violent he knows he will die here.

When a strange Russian ship grounds ashore near the town of Whitby, people are amazed to discover that all of their crew has disappeared, save the captain who tied himself to the wheel and died at his post. A large animal is seen escaping the ship and disappearing in the farmlands around Whitby. Boxes of earth are then discovered in the ship’s hold, and the fate of the crew is detailed in the captain’s log.

Lucy and Mina, friends and women in their prime, are witness to the strange happenings, and soon Lucy’s nights become filled with nightmares. Her fiancé cannot keep her safe, and she begins wasting away. Dr Steward, who along with the American Quincey Morris and Lord Arthur Holmwood had proposed to her, contacts an old friend and mentor, Abraham Van Helsing. Soon, with the good doctor Van Helsing on the scene, it is clear that what they are dealing with is not a sickness any of them can solve, but that of a vile vampire.

Lucy’s death precipitates the matter, and soon the men, accompanied by Harker, who managed to escape Transylvania, and Mina, his wife and Lucy’s friend, agree to bring the fight to the Count, who seeks to implant himself in London and find new victims to feed on. Can this small group manage to thwart an ancient evil before it is too late?

Black Butler, Vol 3

Toboso, Yana. Black Butler, Vol 3. 2010. 192p. ISBN 9780316084260. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The battle between Sebastian and one of the Grim Reapers heats up as the two of them seek possession of Ciel Phantomhive. The Grim Reaper enjoys stealing memories from their victims as they die, and he recounts tales of Madame Red’s life before her death. And he looks forward to consuming Sebastian’s memories.

Ordered by Ciel Phantomhive to destroy the Grim Reaper, Sebastian jumps into action. The Grim Reaper lands the first blow, but Sebastian disables the Reaper’s chainsaw, nullifying his advantage. As he’s about to dispatch the Reaper, he is prevented by another Reaper who is here to collect the rogue Reaper.

The burial of Madame Red brings out family members of the Phantomhive clan, however, and Ciel must now entertain his demanding aunt, Francis...

The story continues in Black Butler, Vol. 4.

Cuckoo Song

Hardinge, Frances. Cuckoo Song. Amulet. 2015. 416p. ISBN 978-1419714801. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Twelve years old Triss wakes up not recalling the last few hours. Her parents tell her that she fell in the river but she is recovering well. Her younger sister Pen immediately turns hostile upon seeing her, however, and this level of hostility shocks Triss. Since the death of their older brother, Sebastian during the First World War, her architect father and her stay-at-home mother have been distant. And now, Triss feels different, as if she were someone else.

As she begins to discover clues about Pen’s anger towards her and her ravenous hunger, Triss becomes enmeshed in the revenge plans of a mysterious man known as the Architect, who wishes nothing but their destruction. Running on borrowed time with the help of Violet, Sebastian’s fiancee, and Pen, Triss must stop the Architect’s grand vision from coming true before it is too late.

Based in the early 1920s in England, this family has suffered a tragedy and is unable to cope with it. Every character is fleshed out and their motivations are clear, all except for Triss who, appropriately for the story, remains a work in progress as she discovers who, or what, she really is. Hardinge slowly and craftily builds a horrific yet spellbinding narrative that culminates in an unforgettable confrontation. There are only gradations between good and evil in this book, and each character perform acts they later regret. Triss and her family cannot escape the fact that their fate is intertwined. Fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s Marina: A Gothic Tale and those who like their horror served with a side of hopeful frightfulness will thoroughly enjoy this book.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 2005. 160p. ISBN 1416500219. Available at FIC STE on the library shelves.

Can man ever separate himself from his baser instincts and become wholly good? Dr. Jekyll is a most appreciated doctor, whose company is sought out by everyone. Yet, he has a terrible secret. Mr. Hyde is a violent, vicious and deformed man. Every time he meets someone, that individual feels an air of evilness about him. He, too, has a secret.

This is a tale of danger and warning about the dual nature of humankind, the fight between good and evil that takes place inside all of us. An instant success when it was first published in 1866, this story endures and remains read today because of its appeal and of the universal truths it contains.

The Most Dangerous Game

Connell, Richard. The Most Dangerous Game. 1952. 48p. ISBN 978-1-58341-920-5. Available at FIC CON on the library shelves.

Sanger Rainsford is one of the world’s best hunters. He has hunted everything, from elephant to polar bear, and he has written several treatises on the subject. Finding himself in the Caribbean on a ship sailing to South America to hunt jaguar, he hears what sounds like a gunshot coming from afar. Straining to hear another sound, he accidentally falls into the sea and swims towards the sound he previously heard. As he nears the island, he hears more gunshots and the cries of pain of an animal he cannot recognize.

Landing on the island, he discovers a castle built by the shore. General Zaroff dwells within the walls. An eccentric Russian who fought in World War I, Zaroff’s passion, like that of Rainsford, is hunting. But Zaroff tired of hunting animals, which for him pose no challenges. No, now Zaroff hunts humans. And Rainsford the hunter is about to become the hunted ...

Library of Souls

Riggs, Ransom. Library of Souls. Book 3 of Mrs. Peregrine’s Peculiar Children. 2015. 458p. ISBN 9781594747588. Available at FIC RIG on the library shelves.

At the end of Hollow City, Jacob and Emma had been left on the platform of a metro station in modern-day London. Library of Souls picks up right where the 2nd book of the trilogy left off, with Jacob and Emma separated from the other peculiar children. They must discover where their friends have been taken by the Wights, but it is a race against time as peculiars out of their Loop age quickly.

Jacob and Emma continue to fall in love with each other as they connect with Addison, Mrs. Wren’s intelligent and articulate dog. Racing through London trying to escape the Wights that chase them, the trio manages to pick up the scent of their peculiar friends and trace them to the Thames river. There they meet the enigmatic Sharon, a boatsman who offers to take them across on a historical tour.

When they arrive at their destination, the trio is crestfallen. They are on Devil’s Acres, the worst slum of the Victorian era. The Wights have built their fortress here, and the peculiar children and their Ymbryne leaders are imprisoned in the foul basement. Unfortunately, the other inhabitants of Devil’s Acres are as deadly as the Wights. So Jacob, Emma and Addison must figure a way to infiltrate the fortress to free their friends. Even his newfound ability to control the hollowghasts may not be enough to survive this rescue mission.

Tunnels of Blood

Shan, Darren. Tunnels of Blood. Book 3 of the Cirque du Freak Series. 2000. 224p. ISBN 978-0-316-60608-0. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

When a vampire general brings unsettling news to Mr. Crepsley, Darren’s life changes for the worse. On the move again, Darren is thankfully joined by Evra Von, the Snake Boy, and they find lodging in a small hotel on a city square. Mr. Crepsley disappears for nights at a time, so the two boys are left alone to explore the city.

At first, Evra and Darren enjoy being outside and watching television. Evra had never before seen a television, much less a program on one, so the novelty is exciting. But as life becomes routine, Darren wants more. He meets Debbie, who also lives on the square, and suddenly the two of them are in love.

Eventually the boys decide to follow Mr. Crepsley to discover what he is up to. That’s when they encounter Murlough, a blood-thirsty vampanese who has been hunting humans in Crepsley’s city. And now, Darren and Evra become Murlough’s targets. Can they save themselves and their loved ones from the vampanese’s clutches?

The story continues in book 4, Vampire Mountain.

Vampire Assistant

Shan, Darren. Vampire Assistant. Book 2 of the Cirque du Freak Series. 2000. 256p. ISBN 9780316905725. Available at FIC SHA on the library shelves.

In Living Nightmare, Darren Shan was turned into a half-vampire by Mr. Crepsley in exchange for saving his friend’s life. He had to abandoned his family and faked his own death. Now, the two of them are living together, moving from place to place and never staying long. But Darren has not reconciled himself to the life of a vampire, and he continues to harbor the wish to kill Mr. Crepsley. He also refuses to drink the blood of a human.

After an unfortunate encounter with human boys his own age (he almost kills one of them by accident), Darren and Mr. Crepsley are forced to move on again, and Darren realizes he will never have friends again. Mr. Crepsley decides to rejoin the Cirque du Freak.

Darren is reunited with Evra Von, the Snake Boy, who’s not much older than he is, and they strike a quick friendship. The two of them also meet a local boy, Sam Grest, who wants to join the Circus to be with them. Unfortunately, Steve doesn’t know that they have special “talents” and that, as a regular human, he cannot become a member of the troop. The three of them run into Reggie Veggie, an eco-warrior there to oppose the building of a new road. Though RV, as he calls himself, is quirky and fun, he also is very interested in how the animals at the Cirque are treated, and he is especially concerned with the fate of the Wolfman.

As the Cirque gets ready for its final presentation in the countryside, everything is about to go wrong and change Darren’s life forever….