Kendall Reviews Team Member, Steve Stred shares his favourite female author reads of 2018.

Favourite Female Author Reads of 2018

Steve Stred

2018 was a golden year for me for finding so many fantastic releases! One thing I worked harder to do this year, was read more authors I wasn’t familiar with, as well as read more female authors!

So without further wait, here are my top 5 reads from Female Authors as well as an honourable mention!

Return to Dyatlov Pass/The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave – J.H. Moncrieff

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Ok so I couldn’t choose between these two, so the two reads I devoured from J.H. are lumped together! Return to Dyatlov Pass is a gripping creature feature, set in one of the most mysterious areas in the world! This full length novel had a fantastic set-up, a gripping, action-packed middle and an ending that will make you beg for a sequel! The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave was a heart-stopping novella about a possessed teddy bear. This story made me squirm a few times with how the young boy was treated, but in the best way, it working so well for the tone of the book. I have since went on to snag a number of her other releases, and joined her fantastic mailing list. J.H. has one of the coolest websites out there, so if you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend you do! She’s become one of my favourite authors and a bonus for me, she’s a fellow Canadian!

Breathe. Breathe. – Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi

This book snapped me out of my snobbish views towards poetry and inspired me to write my own dark poetry release! Can’t get much better than that… oh wait, yes it can. The book can also include some of the best written dark fiction out there, with the inclusion of a number of short stories. Erin nailed this one from front to back and there is really only one way to describe this book, which I have used before; “violent, visceral paintings.”

The Haunting of Natalie Glasgow – Hailey Piper

I wasn’t expecting this novella to snag me in so hard. I really wasn’t. This was offered up for the Kendall Reviews team to review, and on first glance I was intrigued but read two other releases before this one. Frankly it was the title. I had two prior DNF’s this year that started with ‘The Haunting,’ and I was growing a little weary. Truly, I wish this novella changed its name to ‘The Possession of Natalie Glasgow.’ It would separate it from the pack, as this is hands down, one of the BEST possession tales I have ever read. It bristles with creepiness and when you find out just what is possessing the young lady and why, it will all make horrific sense! One of my fav reads of the year!

The Awakening: Book One – K.L. Hagaman

Now, I don’t read a lot of YA stuff. Not sure why, I just don’t. If the synopsis looks good then I’ll read it, but I don’t go out of my way looking for new YA releases. I also don’t read a lot of fantasy. Pretty much stick to George RR Martin and Patrick Rothfuss, but most people have grown frustrated waiting for their new releases. (Yes Martin puts out random stuff related to his series, but do they really count?)

I have followed Katie for some time on social media, and when she started to tease her debut full length, I was intrigued. I snagged this one on release day and devoured it. The story telling is superb, the character dynamic between Kaden and Lilja makes you feel like you’ve known these two for years, and the plot is fantastic! Can’t wait for book two!

Demon Dance: Dark Tales to Rattle the Psyche – Vanessa Ravel

Now this ones an odd duck for me. The first half of this collection was superb. It was like climbing a mountain, eventually reaching the apex with one of the best stories I have ever read. Seriously. Flesh and Blood should be a full length novel. The imagery matched with the characters are hands down phenomenal. Because of the high of this story, I ended up struggling with the other stories after that, but they all had their merits. I can’t wait to see what else Ravel has in store for us.

Honourable Mention:

Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Terror – Lee Murray et all

I need to include this one. Yes there are some male authors here, and yes their stories are all great. But the number of absolutely amazing female authors Lee Murray gathered in this anthology is boggling. While every story is set in its own world, with its own characters, the pacing and flow from story to story works so well, which is a testament to the talent gathered here. If you haven’t read this yet, please snag it!

So there you have it! My top 5 (technically 7, yes, yes) Female Author reads of 2018! I look forward to seeing what 2019 has in store!

Steve Stred

Steve has a new book out will ALL PROCEEDs going to charity!

You can buy Dim The Sun from Amazon US & Amazon UK

Steve Stred is an up-an-coming Dark Horror author. Steve is the author of the novel Invisible, the novellas Wagon Buddy, Yuri and Jane: the 816 Chronicles and two collections of short stories; Frostbitten: 12 Hymns of Misery and Left Hand Path: 13 More Tales of Black Magick.

Steve also has a number of works on the go and enjoys all this horror, occult, supernatural and paranormal.

Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog Oj.

You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred

You can visit Steve’s Official Website here