Nagasravika's Book Reviews Blog

 The Book of the Dead (Part 2) Edited by Jonathan Strahan  Published Year: 2026 Page Count: 475 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre: Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Anthology, Short Stories, Collections, Various Authors, 2026-read. Link to the part 1 stories in the book  Part 1 stories review Link to Part 3 stories in the book Part 3 Stories Review Wait by Cassandra Khaw  Rating : 3.5/5 A woman of forty thinks that the arrival of a certain dog means her death is near. Long time ago, her mother had shot herself, orphaning her and her sister. Her friend requests her to wait before committing suicide herself. Then on the day she decides to drown herself, she meets a stranger. And her plans get foiled. What I liked about this story is the message that no matter how aware people are about the certainty of death, when time approaches, they want to tarry. No one wants to die because there is always something worthwhile to do, to accomplish! ...

 All of us Villains  (All of Us Villans #1) By Amanda Foody, C.L.Herman  Published Year: 2021 Page Count: 384 pages  Medium Used: Paperback  Genre: Magic, Games, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Betrayals and Alliances, Young Adult, Horror, 2026-read.  Rating : 4/5 😎 😄 😄 😄  First of all, the world and character building are good. All though all the characters stick to their true selves, the problem is none of them are likeable/good. Like the title reads, they are all villains in some form. There are seven main contestants to the game of Blood Veil and each has been groomed since birth for the prize. Participating in the game is generational for the seven families. Grieve family has never won - not even once in the last eight centuries with the game played every twenty years. Lowe family has won the most and has been possessor of the high magick which becomes theirs as the winner's family. The stakes for the participants - who are mere kids - is so high. Only...

 Skeleton Crew  By Stephen King  Published Year: 1985 Page Count: 762 pages Medium Used: Paperback Genre: Horror, Short Stories, Anthology, Thriller, 2026-read.  The real thrill I felt while reading these stories was knowing that they were from the master storyteller King and also not knowing what was going to be there in a story. Sort of like diving blindfolded yet knowing it will be an enjoyable ride! King knows very well how to play supernatural with horror/suspense like a fiddle. I pick up a story and feel that it's gonna be atleast a 3.5/5 which is encouraging!  I am reviewing bigger stories/ novellas here. There are other shorter stories apart from these which I will give a overall rating at the end to. A couple of really short stories like the milkman fail to impress and stir horror in me. Plus all these these stories are very old - from the late twentieth century. So overall rating for the book is 4.25/5  😎 😄 😄 😀  The Mist (a novella of 19...

 Trad Wife  By Saratoga Schaefer  Published Year: 2026 Page Count: 310 pages Medium Used: Mobile Phone, Moon Reader  Genre: Horror, Demons, Thriller, Supernatural, 2026-read. Rating : 4/5 😎 😄 😀😄  It was a good read. But I had some reservations with the characters and the characterization among other things. First off, this book is very unsimilar to Rosemary's baby. In that book, a woman is tricked into bearing the child of satan and is very quickly parted with her child post birthing. Here, we have a woman who (seemed demonic herself to me) willingly gives birth to a demon's child and then parts with her humanity to become one with the cult. Its a novel idea for sure but somewhere in the last 50-60 pages, I felt certain of the ending and that dampened some of my interest. There was only one way the story could go and that way it went!  The narrator mentions that her husband is domineering and controlling like her father and only wanted her for her submi...

 Oracle  (Robert Grim #2) By Thomas Olde Heuvelt  Published Year: 2021 Page Count: 460 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre: Horror, Thriller, Supernatural, Gods and Sacrifices, Fantasy, Young Adult, 2026-read. Rating : 3.85/5 I very near DnFed this book while reading the last 30 percent. I wish the author has written it a bit differently than the mundane fight between good and evil, played out through a clueless kid and an evil bureaucrat. And once we know what's gonna pan out, he makes it even more boring by dragging it. I wanted to bang my head to the floor to make the pace go fast so I  can wrap the book or get to some better stuff which might be interesting in the later chapters. This book has a great start and good going till the revelation of the mystery behind the events. Then its all predictable.  A small kid becomes the Oracle for an old, crippled, cursed and long forgotten God who is trying to fight another evil God who w...

 The Devil Knows Her Name  By C. N. Vair  Published Year: 2026 Page Count: 384 pages  Medium Used: OnePlus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre : Horror, Devil, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Gothic, Magic, Young Adult, 2026-read.  Rating: 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  Wow. What an amazing read. The factor that stands out in favor of this book is how damn good the prose is. It baited me and had me clinging to the hook till the end. The eerie atmosphere is present all through, giving chills down the spine. Very original, freakishly scary. This comprises of all the usual and unique scaring elements like making deals with the devil, eternal youth, mind control magic, binding the devil and his power among other things. There is desperation and violence resulting from that. This is the first person narrative of a woman Tess and she tells her story of how far she went and how many sacrifices she made to save and secure the most important thing to her! A woman - a witch - actually,...

 Hex  (Robert Grim #1) By Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Nancy Forest-Filer  Published Year: 2016( English version )  Page Count: 384 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre: Horror, Gothic, Supernatural Horror, Psychological, Thriller, witches, Gore and Macabre, Mob madness, Mystery, Fantasy, 2026-read. Rating: 5/5 😎😎😎😎😎  This is a strong, unwavering 5 pointer for me. I mean, gosh. This has all the elements that always raised my hair on end. I have always feared falling a victim to mass madness, mass hysteria. I have feared coming in touch and falling on the bad side of a supernatural,evil entity. I always feared being made to choose between those of my family. Its like this book is written by taking all my fears into a mortar and beating or churning out a psychological thriller that is not just addictive but unforgettable. This book is very immersive. The writing/translation from dutch is flawless and brilliant. This story places a hook i...

 The Miserable Mill  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) By Lemony Snicket  Published Year: 2000 Page Count: 197 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6, Moon Reader  Genre: Children's Fiction,Middle Grade, Young Adult, Science fiction, Hypnotism, Horror, Humor, Psychological, Fantasy, Siblings, 2026-read.  Rating : 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  Some people have comfort food to go to in case they are feeling unwell or in need of something soothing in their tummy. These books have become my comfort go-to series when I feel low or disconnected while reading something else. Although the overall logic and execution in the book remains the same, there are some interesting twists and addictive surprises added to make the story unmissable. This book has added some very memorable characters other than the main, recurring ones - like Sir the Boss, Charles, Shirley etc. Also the author has flipped the roles of Klaus and Violet - here, Violet reads and Klaus invents! Sunny jo...

 The Bad Beginning  (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) By Lemony Snicket  Published Year: 1999  Page Count: 151 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6  Genre: Children's Fiction, Horror, Disturbing Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Fiction, Evil Characters, 2026-read. Rating: 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  This is a very small book that felt like it has finished too soon. I was immersed into the tale so much that I failed to note the passing time or the flipping pages. Though this is a children's book,it is written with such a deft hand that it took me back to my own childhood. I started wondering how it would be if I was placed in the stead of those three unfortunate children. Their parents perish in an accidental fire and they are left alone with no friend or guardian. As the story progresses and we are introduced to the characters that want to steal their fortune and leave them penniless or worse, dead, I couldn't help becoming a bit paranoid. I started seeing conspirac...

 The Eyes of the Dragon  By Stephen King  Published Year: 1984 Page Count: 430 pages  Medium Used: Oneplus Nord Ce6  Genre : Horror, Fantasy, Thriller, Action, Demons, Dragons, Suspense, Young Adult, 2026-read. Rating : 5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 😎  This book is just so amazing and gripping that I couldn't put it down. Its fast paced. The character development is just amazing. Only thing is I felt the author has made even 16 - 17 year old teenagers sound like children. He is very good .. no absolutely phenomenal .. in writing young kids going on adventures and if we choose to overlook the ages and such  details, we can enjoy the story thoroughly. Reading from the title, I assumed this story is gonna be surrounding or involving dragons. I postponed picking the book on this account. But now having finished it, I know the title is very misleading. The only dragon in the story is the head of a killed dragon mounted on a hook in the king's private room. The king Rola...

 Walking to Aldebaran  By Adrian Tchaikovsky  Published Year: 2019  Page Count: 100 pages [ Novella ] Medium Used: Kindle Paperwhite  Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Alien Contact, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Loneliness, 2026-read.  Rating: 4/5  The narrator is an European astronaut, who having aspired to become an Astronaut that gets to navigate space and meet aliens, since childhood has his dream come true. Then what remains for him is nothing but pure regret. Because he gets lost in a maze like Crypt, an alien artefact, separated from his crew members and wandering/walking forever and sustaining/snacking on the meat of bugs and squishy, mushy alien creatures stuck in the labyrinth like him.  The narrative plays in two timelines - one is recounting his experiences with different alien creatures and how indefinite walking in the labyrinthe has altered him psychically and physically. The other tells the series of events that took pl...

 Pig Island  By Mo Hayder  Published Year: 2006 Page Count: 340 pages  Medium Used: Kindle Scribe  Genre : Thriller, Suspense, Horror,Crime,Murder Mystery,  Religious Cults, Twists, Shocking Elements, Science Fiction, 2026-read.  Rating : 5/5 😀😀😀😀😅 Wow. What did I just read?! Beautiful beautiful book!!  I was a bit wary going into this. I was craving for a good horror book when a friend suggested me the title. Then I read a few discouraging, low rating reviews on goodreads which said this is not a horror book and the characters are not likeable. I still went ahead with the book and now I am like, yes the reviews are correct on both fronts but what they failed to highlight is that this is one solid hell of an evocative story. I was hooked from the first page. The writing is so gorgeous and riveting. There are some shocking elements and suspense driven plot line that doesn't let up. I didn't see the end coming and I got a huge adrenaline rush w...

 We Used to Live Here  By Marcus Kleiwer  Published Year: 2024 Page Count: 270 pages  Medium Used; Kindle Scribe  Genre: Dark, Lesbians, Horror, Alternate Realities, Ghosts, Murder, Suspense. Thriller, 2026-read.  Rating: 4.5/5 😀😀😀😀🤞 Eve and Charlie are a couple who purchase, renovate and sell houses for profit. They have bought a mansion 3709, situated on a 5 acre plot, surrounded by mountains, forests and ponds, on Heritage Lane. It is a secluded spot, located far from nearby establishments. For example, It would take over 2 hours to get help in case of medical emergencies or police assistance. But still, they love the house and buy it. The interior is cluttered with relics, old furniture covered in dust and they project an year for clearing it up. They plan on demolishing the house and building new from scratch.  One day, a family of five arrive on their footstep with a strange request. Charlie is out of the house and Eve receives them. The Fau...

 Private Rites  By Julia Armfield  Finalist for Arthur C Clarke Award 2025 Published Year: 2024  Page Count: 235 pages  Medium Used: Kindle PW  Genre: Dystopian, Horror, Drama,Dysfunctional Families, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, LGBTQ,2026-read.  Rating: 3/5 😀😀😇 I came across this book while browsing the shelves of Arthur Clarke Award nominees for 2025. Immediately taken in by the idea of a story loosely based on King Lear and his three daughters, I picked it, setting aside three other books I was reading at that point. The dominant thought running in my mind all the time I was reading was, where is this story going? I also remember thinking, at multiple points, that the author is not a sensational storyteller. But I was resolute to not give in to the voice in my head prompting me to DnF and see the book through to the end. Having finished, I have ambivalent feelings for this. I liked the character development and appreciate the fact that there a...

  The Little Stranger   By Sarah Waters   Published Year: 2009 Page Count: 512 pages  Medium Used: Kindle Scribe  Genre : Historical Fiction, Supernatural, Horror, Ghost Stories, Haunted Houses , 2026-read.  Rating: 4/5  Hundreds Hall is a two century old mansion, flanked by farm lands and gardens, invariably on a spiral of decline, neglect and ruin. The inhabitants of this house are old Mrs. Ayers, her children Roderick and Caroline, a couple of housemaids Betty and Mrs. Belazely. The narrator, Dr. Faraday, is called up to the house for consultation of a sick Betty. This visit stirs up his memories of association with the house where his mother once worked as a maid. He laments at the ruin the house has fallen into and the near poverty the family has sunk into. After that he makes himself a frequent visitor at the house, first as a physician to help with Roderick's ruined leg and later turning himself into their family doctor. This story is narrated ...

 You Like It Darker  By Stephen King  Published Year: 2024 Page Count: 500 pages  Medium Used: Kindle Scribe  Genre: Horror, Anthology, Short Stories, Supernatural, Mystery, Dark Fiction, 2026-read.  Rating : 5/5 😀😀😀😀😀 I should say a very easy, breezy 5 pointer this one gets! I bow down before the creative genius of Stephen King. I salute his knack for writing and keeping the reader hooked no matter what subject he is talking about. Because he is very versatile and very prolific in his writing. Each of these short stories carries its own weight. Each one leaves its mark in a different but sure way. There are short stories and there are longer ones .. but all contain some amount of darkness, death, mystery in them. I especially enjoyed the ones which had supernatural elements added and those with cops and detectives. The old aged male characters, I felt, spoke the language of Mr.King - exactly the way he speaks. Their thoughts and behaviors reflected hi...

 Blindsight  By Peter Watts  Hugo Award Finalist Published Year: 2006 ( Tor Books ) Page Count: 390 pages  Medium Used: Kindle PW  Genre: Aliens, Science Fiction, Horror, First Contact, Space Opera, Philosophy, 2026-read.  Rating: 3.5/5 The narrative didn't make sense all the time. Its not like the author went rambling or anything, its just his sentences failed to drive his point. For the most part though, it felt very engaging and gripping. I had some issues with the overall logic and didn't understand why an evolved species like humans or an intelligent species like the aliens/scramblers do what they do. I have enumerated some of these questions I had while reading down below. The horror angle to the plot .. I felt it initially when humans encounter the ship Rorschach and have an formal dialog with the aliens but later the author has made it mostly about explaining away his theories on consciousness and the nature of these aliens. More than horror, this f...

 The Descent  (The Descent #1) By Jeff Long  Published Year: 1999 Page Count: 575 pages  Medium Used: Kindle PW  Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Satan, Underworld, Gore and Macabre, Expedition into the Unknown, 2026-read.  Rating : 5/5 😀😀😀😀😀 A deeply disturbing book(but my sweet sweet cup of tea!!!). This is not for the weak minded or the sensitive souls out there. I felt like every possible from of death through murder/torture is recounted here. After reading this and taking into account all the events of face off between the underground "savage" creatures labeled Hadals and the so called "civilized" humans, I am at a loss to decide who is more brutal and animalistic. My involvement with the story got too intense and I had to force myself off for a bit. As the story progressed, it only became more often. I had to turn myself away from this darkness so that I wouldn't get consumed by it. The author has come across as someone who has done a lot of resea...

 Someone You Can Build A Nest In  By John Wiswell  Won 2024 Nebula Award Won 2025 Locus Award for Best First Novel  Finalist in 2025 Hugo Award  Published Year: 2024 Page Count: 310 pages  Medium Used: Kindle Scribe  Genre: LGBTQ,Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Horror, Action, Drama, Romance, Monsters, 2026-read.  Rating: 5/5😇😇😇🥰🥰 Loved this one! Absolutely. Reading this, I couldn't slurp in the chapters continuously. I took them in snatches, got a break going elsewhere (into other books, silly 😋) and returning to digest more of this story. This is not an ordinary tale. John Wiswell is an immense talent. What he has created is not just a monster that lived while the story was read and forgotten afterwards. This creature thrives in memory and imagination. It doesn't have one concrete shape or name or body parts, organs..anything for that matter. It is a shape shifter that can ingest bodies whole. It has no conscience that stops her from harming...