Review: The Order of the Circle by Levi Cory, Elisabeth Mkheidze, Maria Letizia Mirabella and Eva de la Cruz

banner that reads The Comic Vaultcover of The Order of the CircleThe Order of the Circle by Levi Cory, Elisabeth Mkheidze, Maria Letizia Mirabella and Eva de la Cruz
Dead Sky Publishing (February 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Levi Cory is a new graphic novelist fresh off the farm. With a degree in Playwriting and studies in film and theater, Levi brings a deep understanding of narrative structure and character development to their work. They have written and directed films and TV shows such as Living… and Snakemagic.com. In addition to their work in film and TV, Levi has authored several written works, including The Comfort of The Womb, Robbing Stupidity, and The Sick Rose. Their playwriting has earned significant recognition, including a Texas Playwright Award. Known for blending deep thematic exploration with innovative narrative structures, Levi continues to captivate audiences across both written and visual media, pushing creative boundaries with each new project. Cory’s newest book, The Order of The Circle, is available on Dead Sky Publishing.Continue Reading

Review: Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness by Vince A. Liaguno

cover of Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness
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Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness by Vince A. Liaguno
Raw Dog Screaming Press (February 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Vince A. Liaguno is an award-winning writer, anthologist, critic, and poet. He is the Bram Stoker Award®-winning editor of Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet (co-edited with Chad Helder) and the acclaimed Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology (co-edited with Rena Mason), which was a finalist for both the prestigious Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy Awards. His debut novel, 2006’s The Literary Six, was a tribute to the slasher films of the eighties and won an Independent Publisher Award (IPPY). His newest collection is Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness, a collection of narrative poetry.Continue Reading

Review: Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods by Murewa Ayodele and Dotun Akande

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cover of AkogunAkogun: Brutalizer of Gods by Murewa Ayodele and Dotun Akande
Oni Press (March 18, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Recipient of the (Lagos Comic Con 2023) Fist Award for Writer of the Decade, Murewa Ayodele is the writer of the Nommo-nominated comic book series New Men, the critically acclaimed webcomic series My Grandfather Was a God, and several Marvel comics. He is also the co-founder of Collectible Comics NG, a Nigerian comic book studio founded with artist Dotun Akande that was nominated in the Comic Studio of the Year category at the 2018 Fist Awards.  Dotun Akande is an award-winning comic book cover artist and graphics designer who has worked with some of the biggest brands in Nigeria. He was the recipient of the (Lagos Comic Con 2018) Fist Award for Best Cover Artist and has created comic covers for comic book series like I Am Iron Man, Vengeance of the Moon Knight, Black Panther, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and Heirs of Apocalypse. Their newest collaboration is the mythic adventure tale, Akogun: Brutalizer of Gods.Continue Reading

Review: Black Magick: 13 Tales of Darkness, Horror & the Occult Paperback edited by Raven Digitalis

cover of Black MagickBlack Magick: 13 Tales of Darkness, Horror & the Occult Paperback edited by Raven Digitalis
?Moon Books (March 1, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage 

Black Magick is an anthology compiled and edited by occult author Raven Digitalis. Each story uniquely integrates occultism and magick, deepening the mysteries of the shadow. Raven Digitalis himself is an award-winning author best known for his “empath’s trilogy,” consisting of The Empath’s Oracle, Esoteric Empathy, and The Everyday Empath, as well as the “shadow trilogy” of A Gothic Witch’s Oracle, A Witch’s Shadow Magick Compendium, and Goth Craft. Originally trained in Georgian Witchcraft, Digitalis has been an earth-based practitioner since 1999, a Priest since 2003, a Freemason since 2012, and an empath all of his life. He holds a degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Montana, co-operated a nonprofit Pagan Temple for 16 years, and is also a professional Tarot reader, editor, card-carrying magician, and animal rights advocate.Continue Reading

Review: Night People by Barry Gifford, Chris Condon, Brian Level, and Alexandre Tefenkgi

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cover of Night PeopleNight People by Barry Gifford, Chris Condon, Brian Level, and Alexandre Tefenkgi
Oni Press (February 11, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Barry Gifford’s novel Night People was awarded the Premio Brancati, established by Pier Paolo Pasolini and Alberto Moravia, in Italy. He has won awards for fiction from the writers guilds in America and the United Kingdom, a BAFTA, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, among others. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages. His film credits include Wild at Heart (winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival), Lost Highway, City of Ghosts, and The Phantom Father.

Chris Condon is the low-down dirty scoundrel behind the ongoing Image Comic series That Texas Blood and its acclaimed Wild West spinoff, The Enfield Gang Massacre, both with artist Jacob Phillips. He waded deep into bayou waters to adapt Barry Gifford’s Night People for Oni Press and has not been the same since.Continue Reading

Review: Shadowplay (Book 1): Midnight School by Samuel Fonseca

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Shadowplay (Book 1): Midnight School by Samuel Fonseca
Top Shelf Productions (February 11, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Sam Fonseca has been drawing comics since he discovered that the anime he watched on TV as a child came from manga — and that it was possible to create all that stuff by himself using paper and pencil (still his tools of choice). Nowadays, he alternates duties between art direction, storyboard art, script writing for animation and TV projects, and creating comics. His comic project Age of Rust was nominated three times for the HQMix Prize, and his other title, Dynamite & Laser Beam, won in the “best webcomic” category. Sam also has the strange hobby of creating soundtracks for his comics. His newest collection is the dystopian nightmare, ShadowplayContinue Reading

Review: Six O’Clock House & Other Strange Tales by Rebecca Cuthbert

cover of Six O'Clock House and Other Strange TalesSix O’Clock House & Other Strange Tales by Rebecca Cuthbert
Watertower Hill Publishing (January 21, 2025)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Rebecca Cuthbert is a dark fiction and poetry writer living in western New York. She loves ghost stories, folklore, witchy women, and anything that involves nature getting revenge. Her debut poetry collection, In Memory of Exoskeletons (Alien Buddha Press, 2023) won a 2024 Imadjinn Award for Best Poetry Collection; the poems “Still Love” and “Bloodthirsty” were nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and “Still Love” was also nominated for a Best of the Net Award. CREEP THIS WAY: How to Become a Horror Writer With 24 Steps to Get You Ghouling (Seamus & Nunzio Productions, 2024) was nominated for a Golden Scoop Award. Her hybrid fiction and poetry collection of feminist horrors, Self-Made Monsters, is out from Alien Buddha Press. Her newest collection is a book of literary-speculative stories, Six O’Clock House & Other Strange Tales.Continue Reading

Review: Midnight Lullabies by Jonathan Maberry

cover of Midnight LullabiesMidnight Lullabies by Jonathan Maberry
WordFire Press LLC (September 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

The name Jonathan Maberry is known to horror and speculative readers far and wide. He is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 3-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, anthology editor, writing teacher, and comic book writer. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His newest collection is Midnight Lullabies.Continue Reading

Review: Thunderstruck: A Dark Poetry Collection by Sandy DeLuca, Alex S. Johnson, and Alea Celeste Williams

cover of ThunderstruckThunderstruck: A Dark Poetry Collection by Sandy DeLuca, Alex S. Johnson, and Alea Celeste Williams
Independently Published (October 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Thunderstruck describes itself as “A witchy, pagan, erotic, just right for Halloween poetry collection by critically acclaimed authors, artists and poets.” This is a very appropriate description as the bulk of the poems are witchy and pagan in origin.Continue Reading

Review: Bestial Mouths by Brenda S. Tolian

cover of Bestial MouthsBestial Mouths by Brenda S. Tolian
Raw Dog Screaming Press (November 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Dr. Brenda S. Tolian, DA, MFA, lives and writes New Orleans and is the author of Blood Mountain, published by Raw Dog Screaming Press. As an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the Angela Carter Society, Brenda’s work blends haunting narratives with deep literary insights. Her newest collection of poetry is Bestial Mouths.Continue Reading

Review: Cocktails from the Crypt: Terrifying Yet Delicious Concoctions Inspired by Your Favorite Horror Films by Jonathan Dehaan and Kimberley Elizabeth

cover of Cocktails and CryptsCocktails from the Crypt: Terrifying Yet Delicious Concoctions Inspired by Your Favorite Horror Films by Jonathan Dehaan and Kimberley Elizabeth
Page Street Publishing (November 26, 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Jonathan Dehaan and Kimberley Elizabeth launched Nightmare on Film Street in 2016 as a welcoming space for horror enthusiasts of every stripe and obsession level. Their mission? To celebrate the eeriest genre there is in the most enjoyable way possible. Forget deep dives and academic critiques — they’re all about sharing laughs, spinning conspiracy theories, and making cheeky observations. Beyond podcasting, they are emerging filmmakers, with Kimmi celebrating her writing and directorial debut in the segment “Do Us Part?” of 2022’s horror snthology Sinphony. They live in Winnipeg, Canada with their two pugs. Their new collection of cocktail recipes is Cocktails from the Crypt: Terrifying Yet Delicious Concoctions Inspired by Your Favorite Horror Films.Continue Reading

Review: The Collected Enchantments by Theodora Goss

cover of The Collected EnchantmentsThe Collected Enchantments by Theodora Goss
Mythic Delirium Press (February 2023)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Cemetery Dance readers familiar with the name Theodora Goss are most likely familiar with her Victorian Gothic historic mystery series The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club trilogy, which begins with The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter. For those who don’t know, it follows the exploits of Mary Jekyll, daughter of Henry Louis Stevenson’s character Dr. Jekyll, as she unites with the daughters of various other fictional characters, as well as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, to discover and foil the plots of a cabal of mad scientists. However, for readers who might not be aware, Goss isn’t just an overnight success, but a talented author with a rich literary history stretching back to 2002 with the publication of her short story, “The Rose in Twelve Petals.” Fortunately for all of us, Goss has released her complete bibliography in one mammoth volume titled The Collected EnchantmentsContinue Reading

Review: CAW: Poetry by a Murder of Writers edited by Stasha Strange

cover of CAWCAW: Poetry by a Murder of Writers edited by Stasha Strange
Ix Studios (October 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Stasha Strange is a writer who draws inspiration from the untamed worlds found within books. Recently, she embarked on a new chapter of her life, transitioning from the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area to the welcoming embrace of Ohio. Beyond her literary pursuits, she passionately advocates for the homeless and tenants’ rights. She shares her life journey with her partner, Andrew, and her beloved companions, a feline familiar, Jax, and a silly California King Snake named Noods.Continue Reading

Review: Dame Evergreen, and Other Poems of Myth, Magic, and Madness by Rebecca Buchanan

cover of Dame EvergreenDame Evergreen, And Other Poems of Myth, Magic, and Madness by Rebecca Buchanan
Self-Published (October 31, 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

Rebecca Buchanan is the editor of the Pagan literary ezine Eternal Haunted Summer. Her work has appeared in a variety of venues, including Abyss & Apex, Enchanted Conversation, Eye to the Telescope, and Star*Line. Her newest poetry collection, Dame Evergreen, And Other Poems of Myth, Magic, and Madness will arrive on October 31.Continue Reading

Review: At Summer’s Wistful End by K. A. Opperman

cover of At Summer's Wistful EndAt Summer’s Wistful End by K. A. Opperman
Jackanapes Press (September 2024)
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

K. A. Opperman is a poet of the Gothic and the grotesque hailing from Southern California. He has been published in a wide array of contemporary horror and dark fantasy magazines, journals, and anthologies, including Weirdbook, Skelos, Ravenwood Quarterly, The Audient Void, The Weird Fiction Review, Spectral Realms, and many others. His debut book-length collection, The Crimson Tome, is available from Hippocampus Press, and a second collection, The Laughter of Ghouls is available from PS Publishing. While not drinking a fine ale or writing morbid poems, he can often be found tending to his pumpkin patch. He has a religiously zealous, year-round devotion to Halloween, and some people have called him “The Pumpkin King.” Since 2020, he has been amassing a collection of conversational verse related to Halloween. This collection has been published over three books on Jackanapes Press, culminating in At Summer’s Wistful End.Continue Reading