Lately I’ve read a few books that were supposed to send shivers down my back, or a tingle up my spine, or at least give me a mild case of goosebumps, but all they did was make me wonder whether my sense of thrill is broken.

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes, published 08 February 2022.

It was hailed as Titanic meets Event Horizon and that is more or less what you get. A luxury space liner adrift for two decades. An emergency signal picked up by a small crew. As soon as the crew enters the space liner they know something is wrong. The whole ship is frozen. The passengers are dead, but something moved. They all saw something move out of the corner of their eyes.

It wasn't that big of a surprise to me, what was behind the horror. Still, the book was interesting and entertaining enough for me to stick it out till the end.

3/5 Harpy Eagles

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, first published January 2020.

Take a secret society that is the heir to the Great Library of Alexandria, six young magicians, who are the best of the best, and a building that is very English and that is to be the home of the young magicians until the initiation, when one of them has to be murdered by the others.

Dark academia YA fantasy, unlikable characters that hardly ever interact with each other, lots of telling instead of showing, stilted dialogue, a big twist that just isn't. And this is the revised edition?! I do not want to know what the first - unrevised - edition looked like.

This book will have its following. It's been hyped on TikTok and has a wonderful cover. It just wasn't for me.

1/5 Harpy Eagles

Sundial by Catriona Ward, published 10 March 2022 (UK). 

"... [A] twisty horror novel..." Erm, no.
Lots of animal cruelty and child torture? Yes. 
Did I enjoy the prose style? No. 
Did I guess the twist(s) beforehand? Yes.
Would I recommend the book to anyone? No.

1/5 Harpy Eagles