Lisa Morton

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" "With graveyard weeds and wolfsbane seeds, and empty graves all in a row."

Who would pass a book entitled Haunted Nights? Would you pass it? I think not. And do it came to that this collection of stories was added to the October reading list and took priority over other books. I was optimistic that I would enjoy the collection, but I believed that nothing too special was in store. I thought I'd find tales that would be eerie, mildly show more creepy and Halloween-y (...and this word probably doesn't exist, but let's pretend...). And I was wrong.These are stories that are dark, bleak, heart-wrenching and utterly frightening. They are unsettling and upsetting and will make you feel more than uncomfortable. They will make you scared and sad. In short, this is probably the best Halloween stories you'll have read by now.

"Halloween's always been the night when the rules don't hold, hasn't? It's like the world's night off."

The stories take place in the night of Halloween, a night that is hallowed, wild, sacred, potentially orgiastic. A night when masks are on and the world becomes a different place, both magical and haunted, beautiful and dangerous. Sad and nostalgic, if we accept that the dead come to wander with us, a moment of being "alive" in the nothingness of immortality. Who knows of such things? What I do know, however, is that these are the adjectives I would use to describe this collection.

The richness and diversity of the stories will definitely attract your attention, since there seems to be something for everyone. We find ‘’traditional’’ spooky characters and techniques. Haunted houses, dead children, forgotten spirits, owls, gargoyles, vampires, werewolves, but what is truly special is the inclusion of traditions dating back to the pagan days. This makes the stories dark, menacing and unpredictable. A Halloween story from Argentina with a terrifying nod to Seleenwoche, a tale of justified revenge and comeuppance. Poor old Jack-O’-Lantern speaks to us. There is a story dedicated to Nos Galan Gaeaf, the Spirit Night of the Welsh tradition. We experience Samhain and our favourite Dia De Los Muertos with the Sugar Skulls and we come face to face with Keres, the chthonian Greek deities of blood, darkness and death.

The sixteen tales of the collection are excellent but there are a few that made a lasting impression:

‘’Dirtmouth’’ by Stephen Graham Jones is a beautiful story, containing the most accurate observations about this very special day of the year. This is a tragic, haunting tale.
‘’Wick’s End’’ by Joanna Parypinski has a Neil Gaiman touch, reminding me of his ‘’Coming to America’’ chapters in ‘’American Gods’’. And I won’t tell you who is the narrator of the story…
‘’A Flicker of Light in Devil’s Night’’ by Kate Jonez has a nightmarish, menacing atmosphere, right from the start…
‘’The Turn’’ is scary and chilling as is ‘’Lost In the Dark’’. Now, I’d definitely pay to watch that film…
I felt that ‘’The First Lunar Halloween’’ was the weakest link in the collection. I don’t like sci-fi and I couldn’t appreciate the inclusion of this tale, but if you enjoy the genre, then you will definitely like this intergalactic story.

These are not stories to be read in Halloween and be forgotten afterwards. They are scary tales for readers who want something more besides the same old jumpscares or gory spectacles. This is a collection that communicates the eerie, menacing atmosphere of these days to perfection.

Many thanks to Blumhouse Books/Anchor Books, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less

Before I start with this review, allow me to tell you a bit about myself. It won't take more than a minute, I swear.

Now then... I'm a scaredy-cat - official and confirmed. I can't watch something spooky or scary - in favor of saving some face, let's not get on the topic of thrillers and horror movies - without having to beg my 12-year-old brother to sleep in my room so I can get some shut-eye (so much for saving face...). My imagination is on such an unhealthy level - which I have mentioned show more countless times - that I think I hear or see the monster or villain or psycho behind every curtain or under my bed or in every - even remotely - shadowed corner. Now imagine a person like me reading something that comes even close to those spooky things I avoid like the plague when they're on the TV, and you'll start wondering what the hell was this book doing in my greedy little hands.

Still, I will forever be a masochist that gets done in by an engaging blurb and a professionally done cover - sue me, I admit I'm guilty as charged! So I decided to give Netherworld a chance - and swore I would read it to the very end, no matter what - and you know what? I'm damn proud and glad I did, because otherwise I would have missed out on witnessing such a thrilling story with one of the most intriguing main casts yet!

Diana Furnaval is a young widow in Victorian England that is unlike any other woman at her age, her time, and her position would be. Seeking revenge and justice, she sets on a personal mission to close all the gateways that connect our world with the world from which the fiends that killed her husband, William, come - the Netherworld. But she's not alone on this task. Stephen Chappell - a mysterious, all-too-knowing book merchant - , Leung Yi-kin - a young Chinese sailor with exceptional fighting skills - , Isadora Feduchin - a medium that can communicate with the other side and bring messages from the Netherworld - , and Mina - Diana's trusty feline pet that can sense both the gateways and the creatures that pass through them - are by her side, ready to help her in her efforts to defend humanity from the things that go bump in the night and cut off all connections to the Netherworld once and for all. Still, the residents of the other side are not about to give up on conquering our world so easily - and they will use every dirty trick to get Diana either off track or six feet under, if that's what it takes.

I believe now you see what I meant by interesting and intriguing, right? Diana, as a main character, is every bit the strong and determined lady a female lead in such stories should be. But not in a non-believable way. Though she gets scared like every normal person, she knows her mission is important, and ignores her own comforts and safety to make sure the demons frequenting her life will hurt the smallest possible number of people the way they have hurt her. She understands the risks, and while she's often quite stubborn, her self-sacrifices are not to be ignored. She studies her enemies and plans carefully before advancing, and she's moralistic to a fault. And she's not above trying new things, all the while keeping her personality and traits intact. She may be loyal to her late husband, and still love him, but she doesn't push away the possibility of new feelings towards another man - thank God for that, because I seriously shipped that particular pairing called DianaXStephen!

Stephen was my personal wet dream - I don't care if he didn't come off as sexy, the guy is something of a mysterious scholar with many secrets up his sleeve, and sells books, that counts as one of the hottest traits in my book! Yi-kin was adorabble - there were times I just wanted to squeeze the hell out of him - and Isadora was every bit the eccentric and funny woman a medium can be. As for Mina, well, I'm not exactly a cats person - scratch that, I hate them to death - but this particular feline was after my own heart. She was very clever, not the least bit the annoying, hissing, snobbish monster that most creatures of her kind are. And hey, any animal that rushes to save their mistress and her friends first thing when they come upon danger, is ok IMHO.

Even without the golden main cast, though, the book was one of the best I've come across in the paranormal genre. The plot alone was worth every single night I spent with all lights on and backed in my bed's corner. And those extra few seconds it took me to check under my bed and behind my curtains before I went to sleep. The story started in a way that most writers seem to ignore, yet Lisa Morton managed to follow it in a flawless fashion. According to many creative writing lecturers, the best way to start a book is to provide the hook - lure the reader deep enough to get them hooked, and THEN provide more details on the main character and the plot, with flashbacks and the usual. And she did just fine in that department. The prologue had me so freaked out, I stopped reading - damn, I usually read out loud, and when I realized what that thing in the church was chanting and what, as a result, I was murmuring, I shrieked - and took a couple of minutes before resuming, this time in my head, because I'm superstitious enough to fear I might summon something if I say the words loudly. Now, normally, I would leave the book in DNF state right then and there. But the writer had made it impossible by then, so I couldn't do a damn thing, other than keep up with the story - and I don't regret it at all. Still, I'm telling you, if anyone ever decides to make Netherworld into a movie, I will NOT go watch it, no matter how many millions it will make (because I'm sure it will!) - one time through all this fearful torture was enough, thank you very much.

The brilliance of this book, however, didn't stop there. It was also quite accurate in its lore. Ms. Morton took great care in her research in both the western and the eastern spooky legends. And then used it in such a detailed yet enjoyable way, it was more like academical fun times than boring and overbearing lectures. Sort of like how a good uni professor manages to make a subject interesting enough to get you to study and pay attention, without overdoing it.

The only drawback in all this was that Diana was a bit too self-righteous at times. While I admire her morality and her idealism, it tended to make her less of a realist - when she was claimed as a realist herself at the start of the book. It was a bit contradicting. Then, there was the question about her fortune. I understand that the Furnaval family had a lot of money, but the reason behind that wealth was never explained throughout the book. Were they merchants? Had a lot of land that they sold to suit their monetary needs? Or was it something else?

But I refuse to lower the rating because of those two minor problems of mine. This book deserved the highest rating possible for managing to keep me reading even when I was scared out my mind. The action, the cynical and sometimes macabre humor, the legends and the writer's personal voice are only a few of the reasons why this series should be in your TR list ASAP! I myself - no matter how masochistic it may sound - can't wait for the next book!!!

***I was given a review copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers November 2013 Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.*** show less

The main character, Lady Diana Furnaval, is dealing with her husband's recent death. She is a widow during the 1880s in London. Her husband was a gatekeeper and because he is the last in his line, the role/title goes to his wife. She is determined to finish her husbands work and close all the Gateways leading to the Netherworld. Lady Funraval's mission takes her to China in the midst of the opium trade, to Calcutta, San Francisco, West Virginia and finally back to London. She is running out show more of time to close all the Gateways as the Netherworld creatures are getting stronger. Her late husband's journal has provided some clues and her companions turn out to be very helpful. The journal came to Diana by way of Stephen Chappell's odd bookstore. In fact, Stephen turns out to be there when he is needed, quite often. The ending is exciting and will leave readers looking forward to Book 2.

I thought the author did a lot of research to get the descriptions and setting right in all the places that were mentioned. There were also a lot of difficult issues addressed like about the British and Chinese perspectives of the Opium trade, how the Indian people were treated by the British in their homeland, how the Chinese were viewed in San Francisco and other parts of the US. The author gave a lot of historical information that flowed perfectly with the story. I also enjoyed the supernatural part of the story to be seamlessly integrated, leaving the reader to believe it is real. I think the characters are well developed, leaving room for more development of Stephen Chappell (hopefully he will play a larger role in the 2nd book). The dialogue is well done and flows easily. While the story is dark and there are supernatural creatures that lead to violence; I think overall the content is not objectionable and would make a great addition to a school or public library. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down and I am looking forward to the next book. show less

In Summer’s End, author Lisa Morton creates a melancholy mood that reflects the coming coldness of winter around Halloween. Her themes resemble the work of Michael Scott (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) or Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) while the story itself is reminiscent of Dan Brown’s work, if Dan Brown were actually an expert in anything about which he wrote. The “MacGuffin” of her work, a Druidic manuscript that contains arcane magical knowledge, serves to pull show more the reader into the story and help them overcome their skepticism just as Morton’s fictionalized persona must overcome her own skeptical nature. The story progresses swiftly, wasting no time on excess exposition as Morton leads her reader through the veil separating the profane world from a deeper magic. Her use of Irish history and myth presents a Halloween story that, while tied to the holiday’s traditions, avoids many of the stereotypes that plague the genre. All told, the novella is a wonderfully creepy story that a reader could enjoy in a single sitting, thereby setting the mood on a Halloween afternoon. show less