Fantasy / Horror Reading in August 2026

[Hobbit]

Here, I'm reading Richard Swan's Empire of the Wolf series. I am enjoying it, but at near the end of the third book, The Trials of Empire, am more than ready for a break.

Have you read them back-to-back, Atramentous?

They are quite intense!

M.

 

[blailock]

Interesting cover? Is that the a UK cover? In the states it is this one (below)

I'm not sure, Raf. It was the default on Goodreads.

 

[Raf]

Finished the 3rd book of Steve McHugh's Assembly series, "The Pilgrims of the Damned". Another exciting offering in this series. While the series shares the MC and other supporting cast, each book could be read as a standalone supernatural mystery / crime thriller.

In this book, Miles Watson, an Arbiter of the Assembly is off to Maine, USA to track a Werewolf and a Chaos Witch who have fled to the hinterlands of the northeast after a lengthy murder spree. The entire state of Maine has been walled off to contain the remnants of a vampire incursion from some 20 years ago. Those that did not "turn" back then have become something else. Animalistic walking dead known as Desolates.

House Idolator, one of the Lesser Houses of Vampires is trying to become a Great House by re-settling Maine and converting those survivors to be Dusk Worshipers. Dusk are the beings who thousands of years ago created the first vampires then disappeared. No one knows why. But Idolator forms a pilgrimage every year in Maine to bring supplies to survivors and to kill excess Desolate.

But this Pilgrimage is different and Miles, Church and a plucky reporter, also a Witch, have to find their culprits in a place that no one ever knew existed.

McHugh's characters are fun, quirky and relatable. Good series and I'm waiting for the next book in the series which is out in late October.

 

[Raf]

Finished the 1rst book of the "The Hellequin Chronicles series" by Steve McHugh, "Crimes Against Magic".

Nate Garrett is a 1600 year old supernatural troubleshooter and sometimes assassin for Merlin. It seems all the old heroes and villains of the Arthurian tales are alive and well with along with the entire pantheon of other supernatural beings, beasties and mythicals.

The problem is that Nate has no memory of his past beyond 10 years ago when he woke up in an abandoned warehouse. Since then he has become a professional Thief and sometimes Sorceror. And acquired a girlfriend, the daughter of a crime kingpin in London. But now his memories are slowly coming back and his past is putting the people in his new life in danger.

It's funny, because I think I started this book some time back and dnf'd it...or at least put it down to read something else. Expecting to come back. I remember about half of the book. But the ending was new?? But I did have it in my TBR List at one time and it's not there now.

Really top-notch Urban Fantasy though. I'm really liking this author.

Onto the next book in the series.

 

[AtramentousFlux]

Have you read them back-to-back, Atramentous?

I did do that, and wouldn't again - it all became a bit too much.

 

[Fryan]

I read Octavia Butler’s Bloodchild, a very strong collection of short stories and a couple of short essays. I really enjoyed this. Each story was strong, while I think the title story was probably the strongest (and most unique) of the bunch. What really impressed me was the vividness of the stories, they really came to life in my mind’s eye.

I wasn’t fully prepared for the body horror elements that were peppered in a couple of the stories!

After some lackluster and middling short fiction forays recently, this helped renew my love of the short form.

 

[Hobbit]

Currently reading The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. The first 40%is like a straight WW1 historical novel, but it is now starting to be Weird - though not as weird as China Mieville's books!

 

[Cicero]

X The Unknown by Shaun Hutson written 2012 The book is novelization of the 1956 Hammer film of the same name but author has updated the time to the year 2012 , the some changes but for most part It stick to the story an a very good read . I had never heard of this writer Until stumbled across this book << its does start a bit slow but once it getting one gets going Its high octane horror . he a great fobwith the soy and appears to be a popular writer in the UK.

 

[Hobbit]

Shaun was one of those authors who first appeared around the time of James Herbert in the late 1970's & early 1980's. Always remember him being messier and gorier ; for example, Slugs (which was as icky as you can imagine.)

Having said that, I've not seen this book, although I like the movie. It was released as a follow-up to the first Quatermass film. Interesting to see it updated. Hammer have just rereleased the film in a 4K edition, which I'd like to see.

 

[blailock]

I've continued in Discworld with Small Gods. It was recommended as a good starting point and a standalone. After loving Guards! Guards!, I thought this would be a good second book. I loved it! Brutha and Om make quite the pair for this adventure. I'm still loving Discworld.

 

[blailock]

I finished The Only One Left by Riley Sager.
I guess that I would qualify this one as a Gothic Horror. I really enjoyed the mystery and the plot twists. This was my first Riley Sager book, and it definitely won't be my last. I'm looking forward to the next one.

 

[Cicero]

Shaun was one of those authors who first appeared around the time of James Herbert in the late 1970's & early 1980's. Always remember him being messier and gorier ; for example, Slugs (which was as icky as you can imagine.)

Sounds like a really fun read , I pan to check out more of stuff at some point.

Having said that, I've not seen this book, although I like the movie. It was released as a follow-up to the first Quatermass film. Interesting to see it updated. Hammer have just rereleased the film in a 4K edition, which I'd like to see.

My hope is maybe he get tot do do a novelization of the Quatermass films .

 

[Cicero]

Would also recommend The Fungus by Harry Adams Knight .