Skip to main content

Gothic by Philip Fracassi

 

Title: Gothic

Author: Philip Fracassi

Genre: Horror

Published: February 3, 2023 by Cemetery Dance

Thank you to Cemetery Dance and NetGalley for the copy for review.

Tyson Parks is an aging horror writer struggling to capture his past success with his books. On the edge and close to financial ruin help comes in the form of a birthday present. His girlfriend Sarah gives him a beautiful antique desk that sparks his writing. Too bad the desk is actually a sacrificial alter, and there is some evil magic creating his success. How long before the evil in the desk wants repayment?

Gothic is dark, creepy, and a fun ride. I was expecting a haunted desk to be as scary, but this book was very successful in showing the menacing and disturbing nature of the desk. Watching the slow and undeniable transformation of Tyson throughout the book as the desk takes hold of him is unnerving to read. There is a real sense of dread while not wanting anything to happen to this family who has been thrown unknowingly into this situation. 

I would recommend Gothic to fans of horror with cursed objects. This book is a lot of fun to read despite the very dark disturbing content.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden Book Review

  Title: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs Author: Rebecca Gransden Genre: Weird Fiction/ Horror Published: 10/30/24 by the author I received a copy for review from the author.  This collection of 14 short stories that are full of imaginative scenarios. The ideas are truly unique which helps to draw you in.  Imagine taking a friend's pigeon to the vet leads to an underground cult. Imagine a sentient turducken escaping its packaging to explore the world. These are just of a couple of the outrageously weird concepts explored in this collection. A couple of the stories are written a very fever dream kind of way that makes following the plot difficult. I don't fault the experimental writing, but I personally do not enjoy the confusion they left me feeling. The rest of the stories I enjoyed. The standout stories for me were SparrowEyes, with its creepy setting and creature, and Happy Bunny, with a person in a bunny costume getting teleported to various television and movie s...

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell Book Review

  Title: One Dark Night Author: Hannah Richell Genre: Mystery/Thriller Published: 08/19/25 by Atria Books Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy for review.     Tragedy strikes at a Halloween party in the woods, steeped in local lore, by a small English town when a teenage girl dies. Rachel, a local school guidance counselor, deals with the fallout of the tragedy.  Meanwhile her ex-husband, a local police officer, works to find a murderer in this small community before anyone else gets hurt.  This is a great book for thriller fans that want the perfect read for spooky season. It is a well crafted twisty murder mystery with wonderful atmosphere. A thriller with a Halloween party gone wrong, spooky woods, a local legend, and very strange happenings. I highly recommend this read for fall for thriller fans that don't want to read horror for Halloween. My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

Requiem by John Palisano Book Review

  Title: Requiem Author: John Palisano Genre: Science Fiction Horror Published: 05/27/25 by Flame Tree Press Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy for review.    Ava is part of a small crew stationed on Eden a moon-sized cemetery in space. If they are to keep their sanity or even their lives Ava will need to take on a cosmic entity who has taken hold in Eden. A satellite with hundreds of dead people in space has to be the perfect  setting for a horror novel. Add in a cosmic entity messing with  minds of the dead and living, and you have the greatest premise I have heard in quite some time. The characters are diverse and interesting. I thought the psychological attacks went on a bit too long before answers are given, but overall I really enjoyed this book. If you like very psychological science fiction horror stories than this one might be for you.  My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars