Early Review – Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Apocalyptic/Science Fiction/Horror
Length: 272 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release Date: February 21, 2023
ASIN: B09XL6L9W8
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley for review from NetGalley
Rating: 5/5 stars
“A virus tears across the globe, transforming its victims in nightmarish ways. As the world collapses, dark forces pull a small group of women together.
Erin, once quiet and closeted, acquires an appetite for a woman and her brain. Why does forbidden fruit taste so good?
Savannah, a professional BDSM switch, discovers a new turn-on: committing brutal murders for her eldritch masters.
Mareva, plagued with chronic tumors, is too horrified to acknowledge her divine role in the coming apocalypse, and as her growths multiply, so too does her desperation.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This was an incredibly weird and demented collection of three interconnected novellas that I ended up really enjoying. Snyder always comes up with some crazy stuff and doesn’t shy away from the gory details. I really enjoyed her Jessie Shimmer series and continue to enjoy her writing here as well.
The synopsis does a decent job describing the plot, so I won’t reiterate it here. This is pretty much an apocalyptic set of stories where a strange virus starts to manifest in people in different ways.
This is viciously twisted and gory, and at times you will think, “Did I really just read that?” It is also incredibly creative and intriguing since Snyder delves into depths of depravity that most authors wouldn’t be comfortable delving in to. I love it for its uniqueness and just how much fun it ends up being to read.
The characters here are easy to engage with and come across as intelligent and introspective in their own ways, even when they are vicious and amoral. There is plenty of action and suspense, as you sit back and wonder how everything will play out. The ending is open-ended but I thought it fit the story tone well. Most endings to an apocalyptic tale like this are a bit open-ended.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this and was so happy to see Snyder back to writing full-length books (even if it is more of a novella series in one novel). The weirdness and creativity here is awesome, but stomach turning at times. This is not a book for the faint of heart, but if you are a fan of Snyder you already know that. She does not turn away from gore or uncomfortable strangeness. I loved this and am excited to see what she writes next!
