Tag Archives: Gothic

NetGalley Review: She Made Herself a Monster

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Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the review copy of Anna Kovatcheva’s “She Made Herself a Monster.” It is very appreciated!

I have been on the hunt for really good fiction, the kind that grabs me with the first paragraph and keeps me in its teeth until the end. Sadly, I am often disappointed. However, Anna Kovatcheva does NOT disappoint! From the grisly opening scene in a dank basement to the open road, the wonder of childbirth, revelations about murder, and a dance with death, all spattered with the blood of monsters, “She Made Herself a Monster” is a rollercoaster of suspense.


I loved this book. I rarely give a full five stars for books, but this one absolutely earned it. This is a dark, Gothic tale heavy with folklore and superstition. Modern science vies with Old-World traditional beliefs in a village that believes itself to be cursed. A monster hunter rides into town one day and sets off a domino-fall of events that lead to an edge-of-your-seat ending.


“She Made Herself a Monster” is Kovatcheva’s debut novel, and I cannot wait to see what she gives us in the future.

NetGalley Review: Murder Ballads by Katy Horan

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Murder Ballads by Katy Horan is a treat for fans of Dark Folklore and Gothic themes (that’s a gruesome way to begin a review, isn’t it?). I was already familiar with “The Death of Queen Jane” and “The Twa Swans” thanks to Loreena McKennitt. Horan included a list of recordings, so readers can immerse themselves fully into the eerie beauty of these lyrics. Horan includes some backstory to each of the selected ballads; this led me down a rabbit hole of reading the expanded stories behind these ballads. Katy Horan doesn’t just present her readers with a collection of songs, but a unique volume of true crime as well. Apart from the two songs McKennitt produced, I would say my favorite is the rendition of “Where the Wild Roses Grow” performed by Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue. I definitely recommend this darkly beautiful collection to anyone who loves folklore, poetry, and the Gothic and Romantic literature of the nineteenth century. You will absolutely love it. Be warned, though, you will spend hours looking up music videos.