Those Who Came Before by J.H. Moncrief

*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.*

J.H. Moncrief blends the supernatural, historical, political, and folklore genres of the Native American people to create a gruesome and enjoyable read, with some lessons learned along the way. The Ones Who Came Before is a campfire story gone horrifically wrong, and we have no one to blame but ourselves for the bloody aftermath.

An idyllic camping trip goes horribly wrong for Reese and his friends. When he becomes the lone survivor of a brutal attack, killing his friends, he also becomes suspect number one, especially since his story makes little to no sense- a disembodied voice warning him to leave the camp? A strange blackened tree that gave Reese an electric shock? Detective Greyeyes isn't believing it, but then she hears a disembodied voice as well and finds an arrowhead at the crime scene that she can't seem to get rid of. Extremely disturbing nightmares of a doomed Native American Tribe who once called the campground home, rumors of cursed land, and a mythical beast begin to plague the detectives thoughts and her doubt in Reese's story begins to diminish.

The Ones Who Came Before is a cautionary tale I'm seeing more and more of, and glad of it. The book has strong themes of bigotry and racism towards Native Americans- a subject that needs to be brought to the forefront and I praise Moncrief for doing so. This book shows the ugly history and horrific treatment of our indigenous people, not just historically, but currently, and we're shown some of the hardships they continue to endure. Growing up in a part of the country where Native culture is prevalent, I'm very passionate about this subject and I can be a harsh critic when it comes to stories written around Native culture. But this one didn't disappoint in the least! The depiction of Native Americans as a people and the lore surrounding certain tribes was incredibly well done. The tribe and the lore were grounded solidly in historical facts and tradition. The entire subject was definitely well researched and it showed, particularly in the character of Kinew. What a fantastic character! And his story line created a great dynamic within the story itself- especially his interactions with Reese. The visions the Detective had and the arrowhead were great building blocks connecting the past and the present.
I loved the history that was woven into the story! It was accurate- at least to my knowledge and needed to be, to successfully pull of this tale rich in Native culture. When I realized that this story was going to be written around Native lore, I immediately thought of the Wendigo, and I was so
pumped to be right! *BTW- this is not a spoiler.* The Wendigo is a fascinating creature among Native legends and is somewhat different depending on the tribe and the different parts of the country the tribes reside. Usually described as half man and half demon in some type of animal form, the different variations gave Moncrief some wiggle room to create her own Wendigo, and I have to say, she definitely did the creature justice!
My only complaint was the characterization. It was well done and the characters had depth, but none of the characters besides Kinew were likable to me. This might have been done on purpose, however it's a crap shoot due to the ability of the reader to stay invested in a story where you don't care what happens to most of the main characters.

Those Who Came Before by J.H. Moncrief is a fascinating horror story on different levels. It depicts the two different monsters in this world. The monsters who act like humans and the humans who act like monsters. It's hard to tell which is which and the jury is still out on which is worse. Sometimes reality is more terrifying than a scary campfire tale any of us can dream up. And Moncrief proves it.

Little Paranoias by Sonora Taylor

Sonora Taylor's 'Little Paranoias' is an eerie compilation of short stories that take a stark look at the complications of the human condition, that will leave you feeling paranoid and your skin crawling. Covering topics ranging from the after life to nature taking over the world, I dare anyone who says they have no paranoias to read this and not come out the other side a delightfully hot, twitchy, mess.

'Little Paranoias' by Sonora Taylor consists of 20 tales of the little things that drive our deepest fears. She tells of terror and sorrow, lust and death as a second chance. These works delve into the darkest corners of the mind, laying eggs that are ready to hatch and send you over the edge at any moment. Everyone has something to fear. And Sonora Taylor plays on those fears in her fun and creepy collection.

I was introduced to Sonora Taylor's work last year after reviewing 'Without Condition'- which is fantastic and you need to read it. Trust me. So I was thrilled to get the chance to review another piece of her work! My expectations were high, and she did not disappoint in the least!

Miss Taylor immediately puts you in your discomfort zone and your fears only grow from there as she slowly cranks up the dark, bizarre, and creepy to 11.

She starts out strong with a story titled “Weary Bones”, setting the tone for things to come. The story plays on the dark and the disturbing revelations of humanity. Taylor proves her worth as an amazing world builder in “Seed” and “Quadropacalypse”. Both stories are set in a natural background that is brought to life through Taylor's skill of crafting lush and beautiful world through her vivid imagery.

“Salt”, “Never Walk Alone”, and “Perfection in Shadow”, will all send a shiver up your spine and have you looking over your shoulder at every creek you hear. Honorable mentions go to “Death is a Hunter”, “Part of you”, “Crust”, “Always in Your Ear”, “Drops”, ”Snowfall”, and “Stick Figure Family”. These take a look at perfectionism, our society's obsession with true crime, and our culture's obsession with social media and how we measure ourselves and self worth through “friends” and “likes”.

'Little Paranoias' is an entertaining and evocative compilation of stories in which Sonora Taylor uses your own little ticks against you. Taking pleasure at preying on your weaknesses. But, these tales of terror all come with a lesson to be learned. Taylor uses these cautionary tales to freak you out and learn a lesson along the way. This collection will either cure you of your fears, or create all new ones to join with the ones she's already amped up. A lesson well learned Miss Taylor. I'd say Thank you, but I can feel something crawling up my neck.......

Welcome to the Haunted Fairy Forest!!

Welcome!

You have now entered into my- the Haunted Fae's- dwelling. A fairytale forest, with no happy endings and no princes coming to save you from the dark haunted forest you now find yourself engulfed. You now stare into a void full of ghosts, palace intrigue, assassins, crazy exes, demons, trolls, and, of course, the occasional Fae.

So sit back and relax if you can, and pick your *cough poison cough*, I mean pleasure. Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy your stay!