Paranormal and Supernatural
I’ll be honest, I usually lump this category in with either Horror or with Fantasy. If you do this to there is absolutly nothing wrong with that! There are supernatural and paranormal elements typically found in both of those genres. I decided to spilt them up because I didn’t want the fantasy section to get too “junked up” with things that lean farther from fantasy. I don’t currently have a horror section, and while I do love a good Stephen King novel I don’t think I read enough of that genre to justify its own section currently. So I’ve compromised by having a paranormal and supernatural section!
Side note: if I I’m posting something here that I feel would definitely fall into the horror genre it will be notated in some way because those books aren’t for everyone.
A Step Past Darkness
Vera Kurian
"You check its teeth and its heart and its hooves to see if it's good to buy. I felt like that's what they were doing to me. I didn't want to get bought"
Vera Kurian- A Step Past Darkness
Content Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Eating disorder, Religious Bigotry, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child Death, Cancer, Infertility, Terminal illness, Body Shaming, Bullying, Emotional Abuse, Molestation, Sexual Assault, Drug Use, Sexism
This is an Paranormal Thriller
A Step Past Darkness is the second book I’ve read by Vera Kurian. I was a little hesitant when I realized it had paranormal aspects; recently whenever I’ve read something with paranormal/supernatural vibes by an author who I know from their thrillers I’ve been disappointed. That was not the case with this book! This book is a glowing tribute to Stephen King's IT. Thankfully without the demon clown, because despite my best efforts at exposure therapy I'm still traumatized from when I saw those movies in elementary school. Like seriously I forced myself to read the book and had nightmares the whole time and then I forced myself to watch the new movies when they came out and also have nightmares. Apparently the Pennywise trauma is too strong.
Anyway the vibes are so good, imagine a mixture of IT and Stranger Things. I love the group of misfits come together to defeat something bigger than themselves trope. There’s something just so nostalgic about it! Add in small town religious trauma and you're not going to be able to put this book down!
I was captivated from the start! I kept reading late into the night which was maybe not my smartest decision because then I thought every noise was a demon. I found the characters to be likeable, quirky and I loved watching their growth. Something I struggle with sometimes is the flash from childhood/high school to grown adult because I get confused trying to mesh the younger versions with the older ones. I didn’t have that issue with this book though! I thought that the growth of the characters made sense so it was easy to see how they got from point A to point B. I also thought the authors depiction of the characters individual religious trauma showcased the effects of the small town mega church perfectly and honestly, as someone who grew up in a small town it was incredibly relatable.
The only thing I wanted was a bit more of a dramatic conclusion, with just a teensy bit more conflict but that's because I live for the drama which is a personal problem. The ending very much fit the overall narrative of the book so I wasn’t mad about it I just thought it was a little underwhelming compared to the rest of the book. It was strangely satisfying to see the downfall of a church.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, I think its got good pacing, strong characters and a clear, intriguing plot. I spent a lot of time saying “What the fuck is happening in this town?”. The author keeps you guessing but doesn’t leave you in the dark for so long that the plot lags, and there are just the right amount of Easter eggs sprinkled in throughout to aid you in your guessing without giving it away completely! I would absolutely recommend this book it’s not too heavy on the paranormal aspect so it would be a good book to try if you’re thinking of dipping your toes into the paranormal genre.
Happy Reading!
Soulless
Gail Carriger
“You are about as covert as a sledgehammer.”
Gail Carriger- Soulless
Content Warnings: Blood, Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual content, Body shaming, Racism, Misogyny, Sexism, Religious Bigotry
This is an Adult Paranormal Romance
I read the entire Soulless series (also known as the Parasol Protectorate Series) while on a beach vacation with my family! That's five full books in one week! My kindle quite literally never left my hand. This book was recommended to me by a very sweet woman I used to work with and now I recommend it to everyone! I’ve read the entire Parasol Protectorate Series and also the entire spinoff series The Custard Protocol, where the storylines for characters that you will meet in the Parasol Protectorate Series, are further explored and developed. There are two novellas as part of the Parasol Protectorate Series that I have not read yet. Gail Carriger has several other books as well that I hope to be able to read.
Soulless follows Alexia Tarabotti who is scandalously (for Victorian times) unmarried and has accepted that as her reality and tries to make the best of it. Alexia is half Italian (also considered scandalous) and she was born without a soul both traits given to her by the father she never met. She is smart and well-read, and values education and continued learning. These are often looked upon as distasteful things in the society she lives in. Alexia is also not described as being the “classically pretty, rail thin, attractive" heroine I often find in books, which is one of the things that really has always made her stand out to me as a character. Throughout the book Alexia does get herself into a few “iffy” situations (some aren't her fault but several are) she usually is able to get herself out of most or at least plays a role in getting herself out these situations. Don't get me wrong I LOVE a good man saves the day romance but I also love a strongly written female character who has a man but doesn't necessarily need him to save her.
In Soulless there are Vampires and Werewolves that have not only been accepted into London society but they hold several important government positions as well. There are protocols for vampires feeding and for werewolves changing during the full moon, there are laws governing these protocols as well. The Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR) is the government agency that upholds these laws and helps to keep order among the supernatural individuals. The BUR is run by Lord Connall Maccon who is also the love interest in this series. This is an enemies to lovers trope. The love story between Alexia and Connall is one of my favorite things about this series. The witty banter that they have back and forth is *chefs kiss *.
Soulless starts off as many of my favorite books do, with a murder, and this kicks off the entire plot. The murder leads to the BUR opening up an investigation. Due to the suspicious nature of the murder, Alexia also opens her own investigations and after having to save her from an attack, Lord Maccon grudgingly "allows" her to “assist” him in the investigation.
Soulless is one of those books that I both wish I had read earlier in my life and also that I could read for the first time all over again. All of the characters are so vivid and vivacious that they jump off the page and really bring the whole story to life. The world building and political structure and culture that comes with adding in supernatural beings is phenomenal and done in a way that you don't have to think overly hard about it. Which really allowed me to just enjoy the story, dialogue and characters without trying to keep a complicated political structure straight in my head! If you love fierce female main characters, Scottish accents, romance and mystery you will absolutly love this series!
Happy Reading!