THE DEMON BARKER OF WHEAT STREET by Kevin Hearne & THE SWEETER THE JUICE by Mark Henry

Carniepunk: The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This great short story is part of The Iron Druid Chronicles. I've read the first two books in this series, as well as a few other short stories, so it was good to catch up with Atticus.

The druid, Atticus, his apprentice, Granuaile, and the Irish wolfhound, Oberon, are in Kansas because Granuaile is hoping to catch a glimpse of her mother. They don't see her, but end up in the middle of a demonic problem...

Great story! It's an interesting and gnarly standalone tale set in this intriguing world. Lots of freaky demonic characters, plenty of unsuspecting humans, and a lot of magical action.

Atticus is such a cool character and so is Granuaile. Not to mention the adorable and always hilarious Oberon.

Yeah, I really enjoyed this!

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Carniepunk: The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

OMFG.

I have to start with this: all the bad things the other reviewers mentioned here are right.

This is a terrible story. Not only because of the obvious transphobia, but also because it's a really shitty story. It's all over the place. It makes no sense. It's not even about a CARNIVAL. Like, at all. If the author was trying to be funny and witty, that's even worse.

I hated it. And actually can't understand how such a gross short story made it into a high-quality anthology featuring a great collection of stories. Except for this one, of course.

Total disappointment.


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RECESSION OF THE DIVINE by Hillary Jacques & DAUGHTER OF THE MIDWAY, THE MERMAID, AND THE OPEN, LONELY SEA by Seanan McGuire

Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Greek mythology so I was looking forward to reading this one.

Olivia does inspections for an insurance company, but she wasn't always human. She's bound her powers while living in the human world and the day she inspects an accident in a travelling carnival, everything unravels...

You know, I should've loved this tale because, like I mentioned above, I love when Greek mythology is mixed into modern narratives. Olivia was interesting enough and so was the muse that keeps popping in and out, but there was something about this story... I'm not even sure what it was, but it's missing something.

Yeah, I liked many of the elements and carnival descriptions, even the writing style, but I didn't love it.

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Carniepunk: Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With a title like this one, I was intrigued instantly.

When Ada’s carnival passes through Alabama the secrets buried in the past rise to the surface...

Wow. What a stunning tale. The melancholy storytelling is as thick as the wonder about Ada's family and the world she lives in. The carnival is all she's ever known, but stopping at this town changes everything.

I especially found her mother's story to be the saddest, but of course that carries forward to her daughter as well. And Ada is such a lovely character that my heart broke.

Loved this. Very moving. And that ending. 😫


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PAINTED LOVE by Rob Thurman & PARLOR TRICKS by Jennifer Estep

Carniepunk: Painted Love by Rob Thurman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect from this story, but I'm really glad I read it. That's for sure!

Doodle has been all over the world meeting people. He usually blends into the background, more an observer than a participant. But when he meets Bartholomew, all of that changes...

OMFG. This story!! Everything starts out simple enough, and then you slowly start to realise that you have no idea what's really going on. Well, until you understand EXACTLY what's going on and: 🤯 !!

Yikes. I loved this so much. The writing style totally hooked me in, and I couldn't stop reading. There's something very disturbing about Doodle's story, but the way that it's told weaves a spell of dark magic around the reader. There's plenty of ugly, but there's also some fascinating imagery.

Awesome!

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Carniepunk: Parlor Tricks by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story is part of the Elemental Assassin series. I've actually read several other short stories set in this world, as well as the first book, so it was cool to catch up with Gin again.

Gin and Bria are sisters who go to the carnival looking for a missing teenage girl, but they get more than they bargained for when Esmerelda the Amazing sets her sights on Bria. Good thing Gin is also an Elemental Assassin...

What a fun story! What starts out as two sisters going to the carnival soon becomes the mystery of what happened to a missing girl last seen at the carnival, and delves into the cunning secrets of a ringmaster who is willing to do whatever it takes to stay young.

I really enjoyed it! I also should get back into this series. 😊


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HELL'S MENAGERIE by Kelly Gay & FREAK HOUSE by Kelly Meding

Carniepunk: Hell's Menagerie by Kelly Gay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this short story packs a hell of a punch! It's part of the Charlie Madigan series and although I haven't read it yet, I still really enjoyed the story.

Emma is determined to rescue a litter of hellhound pups that were stolen, and when Rex finds out, he tries to stop her. Instead, they end up catching the eye of a creepy ringmaster who has plans of his own...

I was seriously hooked from the beginning and absolutely love this version of hell. The details were so vivid and the worldbuilding so natural that I had no trouble visualising everything. There's a lot of creepy, freaky stuff that goes on here.

Also, did I mention it's action-packed?

The story is told in the alternating POVs of Emma, a twelve-year old with a really cool power, and Rex, a former jinn and now human.

Terrific story that makes me want to get stuck into the series!

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Carniepunk: Freak House by Kelly Meding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the prequel short story to the Strays series. I haven't read any of the books, but I still enjoyed it. A lot.

Shiloh Harrison's djinn father has gone missing and she's just figured out where he is. Held in a freakshow hosted by a despicable warlock. When she teams up with a human and a werewolf, she finds more than she bargained for...

This is definitely a solid and very interesting urban fantasy tale that introduces a cool half-djinn heroine with some very unique set of powers. I thought the worldbuilding was excellent, and I love the characters. As well as Shiloh's voice.

It's an awesome story that has me intrigued. I need to know more...


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