Category: Horror

Book Review: The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

The Midnight Shift
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pub Date: 14 August 2025 (Original: 11 June 2021)
Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death, suicide, dementia, blood, drug abuse, debt, murder

TL;DR: I loved the premise The Midnight Shift more than I did the execution. I don’t actually have that much to say about the book—it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me in the way that I thought it could’ve. It’s an interesting take on a vampire story and one that I don’t recall having read before, but overall, I felt so little emotional connection to the story, that it just fell flat-ish.

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Blog Tour Review: Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m excited to share my thoughts on Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson!

Thanks to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

Unhallowed Halls
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: 18 February 2025
Genre: YA Horror Fantasy
Rep: LGBT+, Queer, chronic illness, endometriosis

Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death, blood, murder, gun violence, car accident, amputation, self-harm, forced isolation

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: Unhallowed Halls is a book that I had a very fun time reading! I came for the dark academia and mild supernatural horror vibes and Wilkinson delivered on both. The intimidating structure and cold halls of Agathion combined with the fog-enshrouded moor surrounding the campus created a wonderfully gothic and eerie atmosphere that set the tone well for the story. Our MC was so easy to root for and I enjoyed the found family vibes with the “elite clique” that she finds herself taken into. While the second half of the story was a large departure from the first half, I went with the vibes and found myself enjoying the tonally different and slightly ludicrous unfolding of events. It’s batty but if you can just roll with it and suspend your disbelief, it’s a fun time (at least, it was for me)! 😂

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Book Review: The Roses of May by Dot Hutchison

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Roses of May (The Collector #2)
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date: 23 May 2017
Genre: Horror Thriller Mystery

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as the Butterflies were kept captive, FBI agents Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez are still entrenched in the aftermath, helping survivors in the process of adjusting to life on the outside. With winter coming to an end, the Butterflies have longer, warmer days of healing ahead. But for the agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers.

Priya Sravasti’s sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mother move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. But when she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Paedophilia, incest, rape & sexual assault, eating disorder, PTSD, suicide, blood & gore depiction, murder, stalking

TL;DR: The second book in The Collector series was engaging and horrifying and I was hooked from the first page. It’s not very fast-paced but I loved the characters and their relationships, and I appreciated how the author explored all their trauma, grief, loss and means of coping. I loved the Sravasti women and rooted for these badasses the whole way through. Recommended for those who enjoy thrillers featuring serial killers and likeable but flawed characters.

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ARC Review: Dyer Street Punk Witches by Phil Williams

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

✨ HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO DYER STREET PUNK WITCHES! ✨

When Phil Williams reached out a couple of months ago asking if I wanted to read his latest book Dyer Street Punk Witches, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Williams’ books are typically a little out of my comfort zone and although I’ve only read his Ikiri Duology, I had such a good time reading them that I’m keen to keep reading more of his books. Check out my reviews for Kept from Cages and Given to Darkness.

On that note, today I’m excited to share my thoughts, a few favourite quotes, plus, one of (several) collectable character trading cards as provided by the author.
Special thanks to the author for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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ARC Review: Given to Darkness by Phil Williams

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

🥳 Happy Pub Day to Given to Darkness! 🎉

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Given to Darkness, book two in the Ikiri duology by Phil Williams. When I was approached by Phil to read the conclusion to this thrilling duology I immediately said yes because I remembered how much I enjoyed book one! Check out my review for Kept from Cages.

Special thanks to Phil Williams for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Goodreads: Given to Darkness (Ikiri Book 2)
Publisher: Rumian Publishing
Publication Date: 19 October 2021
Genre: Supernatural Action Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

Ikiri demands blood. Whose will it be?

A malevolent force stirs from the heart of the Congo. One child can stop it – but everyone wants her dead. Reece Coburn’s gang have travelled half the world to protect Zipporah, only to find her in more danger than ever. Her violent father is missing, his murderous enemies are coming for them, and her brother’s power is growing stronger. Entire communities are being slaughtered, and it’s only getting worse.

They have to reach Ikiri before its corruption spreads. But there’s a long journey ahead, past ferocious killers and unnatural creatures – and very few people can be trusted along the way. Can two criminal musicians, an unstable assassin and a compromised spy reach Ikiri alive? What will it cost them along the way?

Pick up this exciting conclusion to the Ikiri duology today, for a supernatural thriller that will keep you hooked right to the finish

BUY A COPY:

AMAZON UK
amazon US
B&N
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Blog Tour Review: Kept from Cages by Phil Williams

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

I’m back with another blog tour with The Storytellers on Tour for Kept from Cages by Phil Williams. Thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Be sure to click on the banner below to check out the rest of the bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: Kept from Cages (Ikiri Book 1)
Publication Date: 21 September 2020
Genre: Supernatural Action Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

No one returns from Ikiri.
Reece’s gang of criminal jazz musicians have taken shelter in the wrong house. There’s a girl with red eyes bound to a chair. The locals call her a devil – but Reece sees a kid that needs protecting. He’s more right than he knows.
Chased by a shadowy swordsman and an unnatural beast, the gang flee across the Deep South with the kid in tow. She won’t say where she’s from or who exactly her scary father is, but she’s got powers they can’t understand. How much will Reece risk to save her?
On the other side of the world, Agent Sean Tasker’s asking similar questions. With an entire village massacred and no trace of the killers, he’s convinced Duvcorp’s esoteric experiments are responsible. His only ally is an unstable female assassin, and their only lead is Ikiri – a black-site in the Congo, which no one leaves alive. How far is Tasker prepared to go for answers?
Kept From Cages is the first part in an action-packed supernatural thriller duology, filled with eccentric characters and intricately woven mysteries. Start your journey to Ikiri today.

BUY NOW: Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

BOOK PROMO: The Kept From Cages ebook will be available for 99p/99c in UK/US Kindle from January 13th–19th.

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Blog Tour Review: The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

Today is my stop on the TBR & Beyond Tours for The Bitterwine Oath by Hannah West. Special thanks to Holiday House and the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Be sure to click on the banner above to check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: The Bitterwine Oath
Publication Date: 01 December 2020
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Panda Rating:

Every fifty years, a cult claims twelve men to murder in a small Texas town. Can one girl end the cycle of violence – and save the boy who broke her heart?

San Solano, Texas is a quaint town known for its charm, hospitality, and history of murder. Twice now, twelve men have been brutally killed, and no one knows who did it. A shadowy witch? A copy-cat killer? Or a man-hating murderess? Eighteen-year-old Natalie Colter is sure that the rumors about her great-great-grandmother’s cult of wronged women are just gossip, but that doesn’t stop the true crime writers and dark tourism bloggers from capitalizing on the town’s reputation. It’s an urban legend that’s hard to ignore, and it gets harder when Nat learns that the sisterhood is real, and magical. And they want her to join.

The more Nat learns of the Wardens’ supernatural history, the more she wonders about the real culprits behind the town’s ritualistic murders. Are the Wardens protecting San Solano from even darker forces? As the anniversary of the murders draws near, the town grows restless. Residents start getting “claimed” as this year’s planned victims, including Levi Langford, the boy whose kiss haunted Nat for a year.

Nat knows that no one is safe. Can she and the sisterhood stop the true evil from claiming their town?

BUY NOW: Amazon (US) | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | Indiebound

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Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: The Magic Ingredient by Lindy Miller

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

I’m back with another blog tour today with Xpresso Tours for The Magic Ingredient by Lindy Miller. Thanks to Xpresso Tours for organising this blog tour and to the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to click on the banner below to check out the other bloggers on tour!
Also, don’t forget to enter the GIVEWAY (INT) at the end of my post!

Goodreads: The Magic Ingredient
Release Date: 13 October 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:

The end of summer is approaching, but even at the height of Bar Harbor’s tourist season, Eve Silver is having a hard time keeping enough dough in the bank to sustain the family bakery. Her only hope of paying past due bills is to win the catering bid for the town’s upcoming Harvest Happening festival. Otherwise, it’ll be lights out for Mount Desserts by Christmas.

Widower Jeff Perry is moving with his twelve-year-old daughter, Candy, from Manhattan to Maine with one goal: starting over. When sparks fly between Jeff and Eve as the town readies for the annual harvest festival, Candy wishes she had a love potion to help her dad fall in love again. Will Eve be able to save Mount Desserts—and open her heart to Jeff—by the most bewitching night of the year?

It’ll take a lot of love, a little bit of luck … and just a pinch of magic.

BUY NOW: Amazon (US)

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Blog Tour Review: Sisters of the Moon by Alexandrea Weis

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

I’m back with another blog tour today with Xpresso Tours for Sisters of the Moon by Alexandrea Weis. Thanks to Xpresso Tours for organising this blog tour and to the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to click on the banner below to check out the other bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: Sisters of the Moon
Publisher: Vesuvian Books
Release Date: 22 September 2020
Genre: Horror, Paranormal Fantasy
Panda Rating:

A monstrous fate will turn a girl into a legend.

On an island in Lake Obersee, where The Sisters of St. Gertrude abide, a destitute Moor named Durra arrives. Sold for taxes, she and her two companions tend to the nuns and their collection of cats. At night, she combs the library for details on the order, the remote island, and the beasts howling outside her window.

But when a prank reveals the sisters’ gruesome secret, Durra is forced to accept a new fate. Bestowed an unearthly power, she must choose between life as a nun or living among the monsters beyond the convent walls.

Her path is about to change the tide in the ultimate war. The war between good and evil.

BUY NOW: Amazon (US)

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Blog Tour Review: Children by Bjørn Larssen

Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

I’m back with another blog tour with The Storytellers on Tour for Children by Bjørn Larssen. Thanks to SoT for organising this tour and thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Be sure to click on the banner below to check out the rest of the bloggers on tour!

Goodreads: Children (The Ten Worlds #1)
Publication Date: 03 October 2020
Genre: Fantasy Retelling, Mythology
Panda Rating:

Magni never wanted to be like his father, a murderous, absent, cheating alcoholic: Thor – the feared and beloved God of thunder. When Thor destroys everything and everyone his son knows and loves, Magni vows to stop the violence. His dream is to bring peace and prosperity to the Nine Worlds, then settle down with the man he loves. But is it possible to remain good in a place this bad? How do you escape cruelty in a universe built on it, or the shadow of your father when everyone calls you by his name?

Maya knows she’s a failure and a disappointment to her foster-parents. How could a child raised by Freya and Freyr – Goddess of love and God of sex – have no interest in the greatest of pleasures? Obviously, it couldn’t be the torture they subjected her to, or treating her as a tool that might someday be useful. Maya, her rage at their games more powerful than she knows, wants freedom to pursue her own destiny. But how do you forge your own life away from your God-parents when you’re nothing more than human?

A retelling of the Norse myths unlike any other, Children will answer all the questions you never knew you had about the heathen Nine Worlds… before leading you into the Tenth

BUY NOW: Amazon (UK)

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