Reading Fantasy / Horror in June 2026

[Westy]

I read The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean - a mythical fantasy set in historical Hong Kong. Mercy Chan arrives with no memory, but has a sought after skill - she can talk to ghosts. When she uncovers something that has big implications, her past comes back to deliver more secrets.

This was an impressive genre mash up, with ghosts, Eastern-version mermaids (a lot meaner than Western), transmigration, family politics, all to the backdrop of a realistic Hong Kong. The historical aspect fit in well, especially the impact from war, there were no dull moments - just an engrossing story overall.

The structure was a bit strange at first - about a quarter through it shifts to childhood for the next half of the book, and then back to current for the last quarter. A bit jarring first off but this didn't last long, and ultimately it was a good way of tying characters together. There were a lot of character body swaps which I found a bit hard to keep track of at times, but that also turned out OK.

Overall a very good read and one of my favourites so far this year.

 

[blailock]

Nor me!

Did you read Black House? I'm thinking I might just skip that one.

 

[Hobbit]

Did you read Black House? I'm thinking I might just skip that one.

No, because I couldn't finish Talisman. I have heard that it is fun spotting all the connections to other King work, though.

 

[AtramentousFlux]

Black House?

I quite enjoyed it, but then I also liked The Talisman, so what would I know?

 

[Raf]

I quite enjoyed it, but then I also liked The Talisman, so what would I know?

I liked Talisman and Black House too. Right up there with my favorite King novels.

 

[Prairie_Dog]

I just finished reading/rereading The Three Coffin Problem which is a collection of the short tales of the Vampire Judge Dee, and his humorous human companion Johnathan. Lavie Tidhar had previously published seven of these nine tales individually, but two stories here are new. These are “Children of the Night” and the titular story that ends the volume. The Epigraph to the volume describes it thusly:

“Being the Full and True Account of Jonathan, a Human Assistant, and Judge Dee, Vampire and Upholder of the Law; in their Adventures Together Across the Continent…”

The Judge Dee tales are a great series. The Vampire Judge is a powerful and old being who serves the Council, and enforces the Law of the Vampires. I always enjoy Johnathan’s mental dialog which primarily concerns his creature comforts or lack thereof. These stories combine mystery, horror, and humor in a surprisingly satisfying mixture. The last story ends on a cliffhanger, as we do not know if this will be the end of these tales or not. I’m hoping that there will be more in the future. It could go either way…

 

[Randy M.]

And, apparently, Tidhar knows something of the mystery genre. One of John Dickson Carr's best known Dr. Fell novels was The Three Coffins.

Sounds like fun. As is A Theory of Haunting, which I'm currently reading, another of Sarah Monette's (a.k.a. Katherine Addison) Kyle Murchison Booth stories, this one a novella.

 

[Rob B]

With June almost over, here's what I read for the month.
I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Detours by Nat Cassidy. I thoroughly enjoyed Cassidy's three novels and this collection is just as good.

Surrender None (Legacy of Gird #1) by Elizabeth Moon - first of a duology, which is a prequel series to Moon's Paksenarrion novels and I enjoyed it on audio. I've seen a decent amount of criticism leveled at it, but Moon almost always delivers for me.

Dollface by Lindy Ryan - A fun small-town slasher novel about a horror writer who finds herself at the center of a murder spree. Also on audio.

Hell of a Witch (Tear Down Heaven #2) by Rachel Aaron - Aaron is always a good bet. Interesting milieu (which I think is a strength of hers) with some fun characters.

The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie - I've become of DiLouie's brand of horror over the past few years.

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon - I've had this on my radar for years, my mom is a big fan of it so I finally read it. Really good stuff, but the style/prose is definitely of it's time even if the story could still largely be told today.

Daytide by Chris Panatier - This is a gonzo fantasy/dark fantasy novel with hints of horror about angels who prey on people's faith and turpentine can facilitate movement between our world and the world of the angels. This is an audiobook.

Lastly, The Winter Folk by Jen Julian - While I'm enjoying this folk-fantasy set in Appalachia, it is published under Orbit's horror imprint, Run For It and more than 2/3 through, I wouldn't classify this as horror. Good, but not horror, per say.

 

[Rob B]

I finished my reread of The Talisman. I read this when it first came out and didn't like it. I was pretty young, so I thought I would give it another chance. I liked it better than the first time, but it's just not my cup of tea. There were too many sections that I kind of zoned out and was bored. I did love Wolf, though.

Oddly, one of my favorites from King...I plan on re-reading this and Black House soon in preparation for Other Worlds than These.

 

[Rob B]

I never heard of King's Dragon by Kate Elliot until a couple of weeks ago, and what I heard was very positive. So I requested it from the library. I'm only 15% of the way through but it's clicked with me. The beginning just feels like tight fantasy storytelling. She weaves characterization and world building together nicely within the dialogue and narration. I got a good feeling about this one!

I love this series, each book is a chonker for sure! Elliott is a great writer.

 

[Hobbit]

I love this series, each book is a chonker for sure! Elliott is a great writer.

Am trying this series again. Another one where the author can write, but it takes a while to deep dive into the world. See also Tad Williams, Robin Hobb and Steven Erikson for series I really must finish.

Here I've read This Kingdom Will not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, to be reviewed for another website - Rob reviewed it here wonderfully. I really enjoyed it; there's a lot of tell here but there's a lot to tell! Very clever and knowing, but a huge cliffhanger ending without warning.

I also read and reviewed Mike Carey's The Tinder Box, which a folk fantasy with more than a touch of The Brothers Grimm about it. I generally love Mike's books and this was no exception. The review went live today.

 

[Prairie_Dog]

I just finished reading Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter which is a stand alone novel by Heather Fawcett (so far at least). It is an alternate world fantasy that is set in Montreal, Quebec. However, this is not our Montreal, as there is magic, and magicians who practice it. There is also electric lighting, but there are horse drawn vehicles. So, it seems somewhat in the past, but isn’t medieval.

Having set the scene, it’s time to introduce our protagonist, Agnes Aubert. She is a widow who has an inordinate fondness for cats, and for organization. She’s a big fan of checklists and bookkeeping. She and her sister have established Les Amis des Chats which is the titular cat shelter. They travel about Montreal catching feral kittens, taming them, and then offering them for adoption. They sometimes end up with older cats, who have been abandoned, or must be surrendered for various reasons. These cats and kittens are as much characters in the story as the people.

The story begins with Agnes visiting prospective locations to rent in order to move the cat shelter. The building that it is currently in has been badly damaged when magicians had a magical duel in the street in front of it. With winter coming, a new place must be found. She is having trouble finding a location when she checks into a place that has previously been a scarf store, and before that a bakery. The owner’s agent offers this property for a very low rent given its size and location, and Agnes jumps on the offer.

This is where the story really gets underway. As things progress, strange visitors show up at the shop. Agnes begins to suspect the secretive owner might be involved in magic, and the trade of illegal magical artifacts. She tries to overlook this as she has finally found a safe and spacious location for her beloved cats, and indeed the shelter prospers. However, she is soon drawn into the realm of magicians, and especially the one known as the Witch King!

This is a cozy fantasy, with a tasteful touch of romance. It involves people who love cats, and baked goods of surprising origin. It’s a nice read, and will give you warm feelings by the end. Definitely recommended.

 

[AtramentousFlux]

in preparation for Other Worlds than These.

Yes, me too, I think.

This Kingdom Will not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews ... I really enjoyed it;

It's great fun. Very much looking forward to the next.

 

[Fryan]

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon - I've had this on my radar for years, my mom is a big fan of it so I finally read it. Really good stuff, but the style/prose is definitely of it's time even if the story could still largely be told today.

Have you read The Other by Tryon? I really enjoyed that one. Set in the 30’s about personality transference between two twins. Really good psychological horror. It’s available via NYRB.

 

[blailock]

I finished Daughter of Crows which is Mark Lawrence's latest.
I always enjoy Mark's books, and this one was no different. It goes to some dark places, and we get 3 different timelines of the characters. Good stuff.

 

[Fryan]

My latest read was Walking Practice by Dolki Min.

Though the narrator is an alien stranded here on earth after narrowly escaping some sort of planetary attack on her home world, I’m posting about this here in the Fantasy/Horror section cause the SF stuff is more like window dressings for what is a gruesome horror fest…with a hefty helping of smutty stuff thrown in.

The alien is basically super horny and hungry, so satisfies both cravings in one go by using dating apps to hook up with, then consume her hapless lovers. The alien can also shapeshift, but keeping its human form in check is a challenge, which leads to some funny descriptions of doing things like riding a bus or climbing up stairs.

I don’t usually go for body horror, and or smut but this was pretty well done and the narrative voice was fun to read. It also is pretty topical about many things like gender norms, dating, body image, relationships and the strange things that humans value.

I’m glad I stepped outside of my usual reading zone to give this one a go.

The cover is also quite striking and there’s crazy illustrations peppered throughout the book as well, but I don’t know how to share an image on here.

 

[Raf]

My latest read was Walking Practice by Dolki Min.

Though the narrator is an alien stranded here on earth after narrowly escaping some sort of planetary attack on her home world, I’m posting about this here in the Fantasy/Horror section cause the SF stuff is more like window dressings for what is a gruesome horror fest…with a hefty helping of smutty stuff thrown in.

The alien is basically super horny and hungry, so satisfies both cravings in one go by using dating apps to hook up with, then consume her hapless lovers. The alien can also shapeshift, but keeping its human form in check is a challenge, which leads to some funny descriptions of doing things like riding a bus or climbing up stairs.

I don’t usually go for body horror, and or smut but this was pretty well done and the narrative voice was fun to read. It also is pretty topical about many things like gender norms, dating, body image, relationships and the strange things that humans value.

I’m glad I stepped outside of my usual reading zone to give this one a go.

The cover is also quite striking and there’s crazy illustrations peppered throughout the book as well, but I don’t know how to share an image on here.

That one was a DNF for me. Too much gore usually makes me lose interest.