After The Rain: Stories by Dina Sokal ; The Narrow by Dan Cornelious; The Love That Wouldn't Die by Anthony Biren; 200 Things Women Can Do After 50 by Permission Press

 

After The Rain: Stories by Dina Sokal

This is a summary of the review. The entire review can be found on LitPick.

This poignant and meaningful anthology focuses on emotional confrontations, secrets, trauma, memories, and how sometimes it takes adulthood and maturity to understand these experiences.

The best stories are:

“Henry and Sally”- Henry learns that his ailing wife, Sally, has secrets that he never knew.

This story is about how we never know everything about the people that we are around the most, spouses, children, and close friends and family. 

Henry cares for his wife through her dementia and finds out her secret on his own. He weighs his suspicion towards her and his guilt in bringing this outcome forward. He has to address the reality of his marriage, not his romantic rose tinted view.

 “The Ritual Committee Meeting”-Christy weighs religious devotion with her uncertainty about her committee leaders Jonathan and Rivka who are becoming quite authoritarian.

This story is only a few pages long but says a great deal about Christy and the other church members. Christy sees the tight hold that the couple have on the committee and when she disagrees with them, they let her know that she has fallen in their estimation. 

She wonders if they are there to lead others to worship God or themselves.

“Mother's Day”-An accident forces Val to evaluate her marriage, motherhood, faith, and behavior.

Val once held a superficial view of her life. She thought that it was an idyllic home as long as she existed on the surface and lived in benign contentment. 

Afterwards she has to weigh her love for her husband and family. She also has to look at her own troublesome behavior and seek to change it.

“After the Rain”- A woman has a magical encounter that forces her to confront her past.

Most of the story is surreal and yet meaningful as a strange box leads her to several human figures, particularly a baby that beckons her to follow it. They have a lot of symbolic touches concerning security, suppression, and confrontation.

The story’s climax is reached when she names the trauma that was done to her. She confronts her assailant and brings her pain to the forefront. Recognizing it gives her the first step towards healing.

 Sokal’s watercolor illustrations are winsome pleasant landscapes that bring a timeless dream-like quality to the stories and provide light to even the darkest moments.

The Narrow by Dan Cornelious 

This is a suspenseful Science Fiction Thriller that combines monster disasters, alien encounters, and conspiracy theories and does some clever unique things with the concepts.

After surviving an attack by a mysterious creature Eli Merritt investigates the encounter. He sees a sealed passage which leads him to a civilization of reptilians called the Zargata. He bonds with one named Ryznk. When a greater evil approaches Eli, Ryznk, and their human and reptilian allies have to work together to fight it.

Most of the book focuses on typical military science fiction thriller tropes. There are the military figures who try to keep the weird stuff under wraps as they fight against it. The scientists and doctors with the analytical questions, devotion to science, and arguments with the military. 

The salt of the Earth protagonist who stumbles on the strange new world but still kicks ass. The religious supporting character that quotes the Bible and fears the End Times. It's all familiar but also kind of fun as a good action novel read for the summer should be. 

One of the most interesting aspects of this book are the reptilians. Most Science Fiction novels that focus on conspiracy theories treat the reptilians as some unstoppable inhuman evil bent in conquest and destruction. Dan Cornelious however took great care to make the Zargata just as important and multi-faceted as the humans.

 Ryznk is actually a well written character more so than Eli, his human counterpart who is alright but stereotypical and cliched. Ryznk however is a proud member of the Zargata community but has enough intelligent curiosity and empathy towards the humans. He draws Eli and others  into their mutual struggles by sharing thoughts and emotions. It is an interesting touch in what might have been a typical Science Fiction Thriller.

The friendship that develops between Eli and Ryznk is the emotional core of the story as they fight against their isolation, assumptions, enemies both human and reptilian, and mental and emotional blockers to work together. It's a twist that elevates this book from ordinary to potentially exceptional.

The Love That Wouldn't Die by Anthony Biren 

This is a beautiful and sinister short novel about the love between parent and child that survives beyond death.

John is devoted to his daughter, Rocky. He is so devoted to her that his final thoughts before he dies in a traffic collision were to always be with her. After death, he watches Rocky as she becomes romantically involved with Derek, a dangerous stalker.

The horror and mystery aspects are well written. John's attempts to communicate with his daughter can be creepy as he speaks to her through her phone and flickers with lights. Also John's attachment to Rocky could affect his memory of her and human emotions leaving him as an angry vengeance seeking spirit.

Besides the supernatural horror, there is also human horror. It is particularly noticeable when John and Rocky are given a chilling vision of Derek's actions and motives. The lengths that Derek went through because he felt entitled to have Rocky are incredibly disturbing.

Above all, this is a strong story about the love between a father and daughter. The opening chapter features a charming moment between John and his then-toddler aged daughter as she watches butterflies. It symbolizes their relationship as Rocky is as beautiful and fragile as those butterflies and John tries hard to hold onto her until he learns to defend when necessary but also to let her go.

200 Things Women Can Finally Do at 50 by Permission Press

If you are approaching 50, don't look at it as old age or think that it is an end to life. Think of it as a potential start to do new things. This is a funny and uplifting book that suggests that women can find fulfillment by living for themselves.

This book covers various areas like social life, beauty standards, work, family, health, tech, and a bucket list. The items suggest similar messages like “It's okay to opt out.” “It's okay to be less than perfect” “It's okay to practice self care.” “It's okay for others to take care of you.” “It's okay to be behind the times.” “It's okay to meet long term goals that were put off by life situations.” “It's okay to be yourself.”

The suggestions are humorous and heartfelt to remind readers that they should make time for themselves. For example in the social life chapter, one suggestion is “Unfriend the Energy Vampire. We all have that one friend. She only calls to complain about her ex, her boss, or the rash on her leg. You have listened to the same loop for 15 years because you are loyal. You are not a therapist, and you are not a garbage can for your emotional refuse. It is okay to outgrow people who only take. Hit ‘Block’ or ‘Mute’ to lift that weight off your shoulders immediately. Rebel Rule: Protect your peace like it is a limited-edition handbag.”

Tracey's Calling by Rob Santana; The Mantis Continuum (The Mantis Gland Series Book 4) by Adam Andrews Johnson and Where The Wave Broke by Robert Rooks, The Travel Man

Tracey's Calling by Rob Santana, The Mantis Continuum (The Mantis Gland Series Book 4) by Adam Andrews Johnson and Where The Wave Broke by Robert Rooks, The Travel Man 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Tracey's Calling by Rob Santana 

Tracey's Calling by Rob Santana is a tense psychological suspense short novel about trauma and its chilling aftermath on two people, the victim and the perpetrator.

Tracey is left traumatized after being sexually assaulted by Phil, a married husband and father. She is angry and filled with vengeance but she doesn't want to just have him arrested or kill him. She has a more long-term goal. She manipulates her way into his home, befriends his wife, Patsy and daughter, Joy, and blackmails Phil into financially providing her escape from her abusive family.

This book is essentially a two-person story between Phil and Tracey, the abuser and his sexual victim, the blackmailer and her financial victim. They both have plenty of depth and layers in their one-on-one combat.

 Tracey is very methodical in planning and executing her revenge. She decides to become a haunting presence in Phil’s life instead of taking the easy way out and killing him. It's a way of disarming Phil and leaving him as vulnerable and uncertain as he was. She may have been physically underneath him then but she is figuratively on top of him now.

Phil is also an interesting albeit antagonistic character. His memories of that night are filled with the graphic violence that he inflicted and his weak attempts at justifying it. He is not understandable at all here.

However, there are points where the safety of his family is compromised and the Reader's thoughts shift to Patsy and Joy's welfare and how Phil will be affected by their losses. It allows Readers to understand and even be concerned about the husband and father without defending or condoning the violent actions that he did.

Also, Patsy and Joy’s subplots are handled well. Patsy sometimes acts as the comic relief by rehearsing weather girl monologues and being preoccupied with an upcoming job interview at a news TV station. However, she also shows awareness with Tracey’s presence and the circumstances of her arrival by going from empathy, to suspicion towards her, then distrust towards Phil.

Joy is an effective foil to Tracey. She was a sheltered girl thrown into violent catastrophic circumstances which Tracey knew about practically since birth. She acts like a spoiled brat at times, but is also a very realistic teenager with emotions, hormones, and irritation at everyone else around her. She follows Tracey into some dangerous circumstances without thinking of the consequences.

This is a cold calculated tale of revenge in which much is lost and there are very few victors.

 

The Mantis Continuum (The Mantis Gland Series Book 4) by Adam Andrews Johnson 

No matter how an ongoing book series, not every volume is going to be a winner. The first three books of Adam Andrews Johnson’s The Mantis Gland Series told a captivating series about a world where some people called Shifts have mutations because of a gland called the Mantis Gland. These people develop extraordinary abilities like flight, telekinesis, elemental control, super strength, impervious skin, or remote viewing.

 The Shifts are targeted by the Messiahs, a religious cult that has a great deal of power and influence. They perform ritualistic murder on the Shifts so they can swallow and absorb the glands. In each volume, the Shifts gather together in Teshon City where they form a resistance aided by a Demifae,a person who studies magic, called The Mystic and others who fight against the Messiah’s influence. The first three volumes tell a streamlined story and introduce new characters with the goal of bringing them together. They have a definite beginning, middle, and end. 

The fourth volume in The Mantis Gland Series, The Mantis Continuum is by far the weakest book in the series. It has some interesting passages of character development that push some forward into new relationships, abilities, positions, and self-awareness. However, there are too many characters and subplots to tell a comprehensible or compelling story. It’s a case of doing way too much at once.

Some of the new characters and subplots aren’t bad. After the murder of their mother, twins Thech and Jzuna flee to Teshon City with an entertainer named Bivon. A trio, Kosephaji, Relliduna, and Pelipi have to escape via boat after Relliduna becomes seriously injured. Meanwhile a group of former Messiahs whose bodies have completely altered into monstrosities by consuming too many Mantis Glands are heading straight for Teshon and they are hungry.

When the book slows down, it captures some pretty decent moments. Thech and Jzuna have a loving sibling relationship. The sweet but dim Thech is the more physical one while the bright eloquent Jzuna provides the brainpower. Jzuna is a maternal influence on her brother’s life while Thecha brings out her more empathetic side. 

Another winning relationship is that of Kosephjai and Relliduna. As their lives are in danger, they evolve from best friends to lovers. With the constant threats to their lives and feeling out of focus because of the suspicion towards Shifts, there are very few people that they and Pelipi can rely on. These stressful situations bring out their most vulnerable emotions, cause them to evaluate their feelings towards each other, and move their relationship forward. 

The problems occur when the action moves to Teshon City where the new characters meet the old ones. There are way too many characters to focus on and it’s hard to remember who is whom, what their significance is, which book they debuted in, or even their powers. 

If you notice in my previous paragraphs, I mentioned some of the character developments that I liked but not their powers, it's because I don't remember them. There wasn't anything that made their abilities stand out or differentiate from the older characters.

There are times when the chapters read like one giant roll call by showing brief scenes of characters in their current setting but don’t do anything important with them. It was almost like Johnson said, “See this character? Yeah they are still alive. Move along.” With that many introductions or reintroductions, it takes a long time for them to actually do anything.

Even an interesting plot point that was introduced in the previous book of Messiahs whose bodies have become distorted by their addictive consumption of the Mantis Gland, isn't as compelling as it was in the previous book. They leave a creepy disturbing presence, enter Teshon City with unending appetites, kill a few Shifts, and anticlimactically meet their end. They were much more intimidating as a cult.

Perhaps Johnson should have ended the series at Book Three or, as much as I like the new characters, just developed the original ones instead of inserting new ones. This book shows that there is a time to write and build on a new series but there is also a time that it should end. There is a fifth book, The Mantis Synchronicity. Here's hoping that it's better.

Where The Wave Broke by Robert Rooks, The Travel Man 

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery.

Where The Wave Broke by Robert Rooks is a short novel about a touring music group that is long on atmosphere but not on plot or thankfully music group cliches.

Two years after they break up, the band Borrowed Light has re-formed to go on a tour of several European cities. Drummer Giada, bassist Julian, and the guitarist Narrator endure long days going from one place to another, long nights of performing, playing at various clubs, and facing fans, owners, executives, on and on.

Let's explain what this book doesn't have. No love triangles though they had some romantic entanglements in the past. No drug addiction fights or onstage meltdowns. No slow climb to success followed by a rapid fall thanks to personnel disputes and the soulless music industry. No internal conflict between the member who is full of themselves and the others. Not much of the usual music tropes, which actually makes this a great short novel.

The biggest strength in the book is the atmosphere. The opening describes the trio’s travels as “The map matters only because sound behaves differently from where you stand. Amsterdam’s wood, Paris’ velvet, Brussels’ take, Montreux’s morning light, Valencia’s warm air, Stockholm’s clean edge, those spaces shaped our tempos more than adrenaline ever could.” 

The book is a constant stream of wearying movement, travel, faces running together, frustration with last minute changes and bookings, the exhilaration of a performing high, and the languid exhaustion afterwards. 

The clubs are filled with smoky air, tight compacted space, argumentative organizers and club owners, and customers either enraptured by the music or bored with life. Only faces and names change. The music draws the band, their listeners, and club employees for one moment before it ends and they trudge along to their separate lives.

The tone explains perfectly why this book doesn’t go into the usual tropes and cliches about music groups, It tells the truth about that kind of life. Julian, Giada, and The Narrator don’t fall into those typical hijinks because realistically they don’t have time to. They travel to different places, check into hotels, inspect the clubs, negotiate with owners and executives, put up their instruments, sound check, play a few sets, close, thank everybody, pack up, maybe have a few drinks or talk to customers, stagger off to bed, sleep, wake up the next day, check out, and then go on to the next city. 

Any conflicts that occur between them is not because of rock star ego. It’s because they are tired and snippy from constant travel and are getting on one another’s nerves, 

There is a simplicity within these characters and how they accept the music and travel lifestyle as just a part of their lives. They leave complicated love lives, conflicts with family members, and their own insecurities and self-esteem issues behind to play. Also their personalities mesh well with Giada’s no nonsense leadership and organization skills, Julian’s flash and outgoing personality, and The Narrator’s rationality and poetic observation. 

The band gives them a chance to use their musical talents and personality traits to good use by contributing to their chosen art, openly and honestly expressing their emotions, seeing different places and meeting different people, and despite the hardships having a good time, and making exciting memories to look back on.

In fact their tour isn’t really seen as a means to become discovered and sign on with a bigtime record company. It’s just something that they get to do once in a while as friends and musicians and then return to normal life afterwards. . 

Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald; The Hidden Raphael's Banker The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1 by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth Part 1) by Michaela Riley

 Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald; The Hidden Raphael's Banker (The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1) by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth Part 1) by Michaela Riley 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers:

Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald

E.S. Sibbald’s Fantasy short novel, Life Into Death and Other Stories About Two Gods Who Balance the Earth is a lyrical, visceral, and powerful meditation on life and death. These two transitions are personified by a pair of gods who are on opposite sides, banter, vie, and love one another. 

They are present in the literal beginning. In the primordial sea, Life watches single celled organisms form and reproduce. Death appears when one stops moving. They are together at the end when after environmental and nuclear disasters have taken their toll, Life and Death stand in a global wide wasteland where nothing can ever be born or grow. If nothing can live, then nothing can ever die. So Life and Death just fade from existence. The book combines their first meeting, their last reunion, and many of the times in between to give us the full experience of this odd but loving immortal couple. 

Life and Death naturally are a study in contrasts. The first paragraphs of the book remind us that Life is in the bright places of the world while Death is in the shadows. Life exists in the birth of babies, the growth of plants, and in the forests, seas and skies. Death exists in street corners, graveyards, hospital beds, mausoleums, and in the dark corner of the human mind. Life is loved and praised while Death is feared and sometimes hated.

 Both are beautiful, powerful, awe inspiring, and are everywhere in everything and everybody. They are genderless and can take many forms, children, animals, soldiers, elderly people, men, women, married couples, single celled organisms but they always recognize each other. They are drawn together so it is no surprise that their coexistence transforms over the eons into a partnership, to a flirtation, to a friendship, to a romance, to an undying love for each other. It’s a union developed from years of observing each other watching the global experience. 

Many of the most compelling chapters occur as the duo observe mortals in many situations. They see soldiers on the battlefield killing one another, then sees soldiers on different sides calling for a Christmas Day truce during WWI (true story by the way). They participate in a Pride March when same-sex marriage becomes legal in the U.S. Death despairs over having to take a suicidal young woman and silently cheers when Life interferes giving her extra years. They see families sharing love, craftspeople and artists proud of their work, adventurers seeking another thrill, parents holding their children for the first time, and people closing their eyes for the last. 

Each experience leaves their marks on Life and Death and exposes their deeper emotions and vulnerabilities. It is no wonder that they express their love for each other as they see humans do the same. It would be impossible to dwell among mortals and not be emotionally affected by their transience and their desires to find meaning in the short time in which they are given. They try to find out who they are. Life and Death don’t have to.They just are. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t feel, can’t connect, and can’t love. 

In exploring the most important transitions of life and death, Life Into Death tells Readers about what happens at the beginning and the end. But it also tells us that what we do in between is what gives us meaning and existence. They make us alive. 

The Hidden Raphael's Banker (The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1) by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni;

Alessandra Oddi Baglioni’s The Hidden Raphael's Banker is a continuation to her Historical Fiction short novel, The Red Wedding. Instead of a family history about a Renaissance era family scheming and conniving against other families and each other, it's a modern Mystery Thriller with a wide conspiracy involving a painting once commissioned by said Renaissance era family.

In The Red Wedding, we learn that Atalanta Baglioni commissioned Raphael to paint a portrait of Jesus’ Deposition as an act of contrition after family members were killed during the wedding of her cousin Astor Baglioni and his wife Lavinia Colonna Orsini. This book continues the story of what happened to that painting. 

Architect and art aficionado, George Lacroix is in Rome at the Borghese Museum. He sees the painting and becomes fascinated by its origins and history. While researching the history of the Baglioni Family, the painting, and its previous owners, George stumbles across a conspiracy that reveals other motives connected to the painting. 

This book is an intricate thriller in which art and history provide clues and hints leading to modern day events. What in The Red Wedding was a simple act of repentance and memorial to those lost, in this volume became symbolic of the institutions that hold real power through politics, finance, culture, business, philanthropy, and leadership. In a meta moment, George uses Baglioni’s own previous book, The Red Wedding, for research, complete with passages lifted from the book. 

 It sounds bizarre that this painting would lead to such a conspiracy. But the commission was made by a very influential Renaissance-era family that was involved in high circles including The Pope and had rivalries with other families like the Medicis and the Borgias. It makes sense that they would be involved with some secret inner circles. It also makes sense that these circles would have a ripple effect into modern day with despots in suits that prefer to do their power grabs by spreading money around and remaining hidden rather than poison or stab someone at a wedding.  

There are genuine moments of suspense during George’s investigation. He meets betrayal from people who he thought that he could trust. He becomes romantically involved or is enamored with a couple of women who have their own agendas. There are many global agents who want to keep this discovery hidden and aren’t above killing to get it done.

By far the most enigmatic character is Colomba. At first she appears to be a tour guide who gives George information about The Deposition then disappears. Her story becomes more complicated when George learns that there is nobody employed at the Borghese with her name and appearance. George also encounters her other times on the streets, inside museums, and other places. She acts as a guide or guardian angel who helps George.

 Sometimes Columba provides information, warns George of danger, or keeps him away from pursuers. It’s also interesting to note that there is a similar character in The Red Wedding who also provides a similar function. This suggests that the current Columba is a ghost of the former Columba and is atoning for the death and destruction that happened in the Renaissance by preventing it from happening again. 

The Hidden Raphael’s Banker is for those who like their adventure thrillers to be widespread with conspiracies that tie history with current events, are led by brilliant experts in their field, and excite readers while making them think.

Labyrinth of Shadows The Witch's Return Part 1 by Michaela Riley 

Michaela Riley’s Historical Fantasy Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth) is a rich, enchanting, and complex novel about a witch that is reincarnated over the centuries.

The Witch is a very powerful being. While there are other witches, this specific figure, The Witch, is said to be the most powerful. She has been reborn countless times. In 1590 Copenhagen she is Anna facing a witch trial in which she is to be burned at the stake. In 478, she seduces young Prince Clovis of the Franks to tell him that he will lead his armies into victory. 

The majority of this book is set in the 5th Century when Mairead, a Druid High Priestess conducts a Samhain ritual to rid her tribe of Armaeus, the most feared Daemon in the entire realm. During the ritual, she discovers an abandoned baby and takes her in. The baby, named Merona, is the current incarnation of The Witch and is destined to fight and hopefully defeat Armaeus. She shows flashes of insight from her former lives but she also has to receive training. To do that Merona must be taught by Murdach, Mairead’s friend.

This book has an abundance of witch lore weaved into the narrative. Those who have an interest in folklore and legends of witches and their origins will be fascinated with the references. Mairead and her Druids follow ancient rites and rituals

Mairead’s authority was high during a time period which still respected Druids and the Ancient Celtic traditions that they represented even as they were also aware of the transition towards Christianity that was on its way. This is a society that is firmly holding onto the old ways, even as new ones are starting to gain influence. 

An interesting twist to this book is the appearance of Armaeus and his goal. Instead of being an instrument of Satan or dark magic, he is an instrument of the evil in humanity. He encourages the Witch Trials to attack women who could fight against him and fan the flames of human prejudice. It’s interesting that the Christians who claim to be fighting Satan end up serving someone just as powerful and dangerous. But hatred often clouds judgement. People can’t always tell who their enemies really are as long as they use the right words and hate who they hate. Merona certainly has her work cut out for her. 

Some of the most fascinating chapters occur during Murdach’s training of Merona that increases her knowledge and abilities. The flashes of intuition from other lives become stronger and more concrete as she explores past lives. She also explores future lives like her time as Anna, to give herself foresight and precognition and begins to recognize patterns of people and situations that keep reoccurring. She recognizes that she, Murdach, and Armaeus have a history that stretches through time. 

Meronia also has to expand her magical abilities. Murdoch takes her on a series of tests to train her in elemental magic. She faces trials of earth, air, fire, and water to channel her abilities and control the elements. The training takes several years and many revelations before Merona is considered powerful enough to fight Armaeus.

The final test is for Merona to go to the Labyrinth of Shadows where she has to encounter her fears, face her biggest challenges, and discover her inner power. It is a challenging trial, the kind in which one could emerge as an insane threat or an extremely potent witch. 

The Red Wedding by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Dear Emperor Yours Jane by Robin Robby; Small Worlds by Gail Vida Hamburg

 The Red Wedding by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Dear Emperor Yours Jane by Robin Robby; Small Worlds by Gail Vida Hamburg 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews

The Red Wedding by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni

The Red Wedding by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni is a short but captivating novella about a notorious Renaissance era family that faced an organized bloody and violent attack. This is actually based  on Baglioni’s family history.

In the 15th and 16th century, the city of Perugia, Italy was considered rich and cultural enough to compete with Florence's sophistication. The Baglionis were a powerful family with a lot of political, financial, and cultural influence in Perugia. They had alliances and rivalries with other families like The Medicis of Florence, The Borgias of Rome, The Doges of Venice and others. 

This book focuses on the family from 1492-1501 after the death of patriarch Braccio Baglioni. Since Braccio’s son Grifone was killed in battle, he did not have an immediate heir so he left the legacy to his brothers Guido and Ridolfo. The brothers decided to create a diarchy shared between them. Their sons, Giampolo and Astor married Hyppolite dei Conti and Lavinia Colonna Orsini respectively, who came from illustrious Roman families. However, Grifone’s son, Griffonetto would not give up his own right for succession. He also had an advantageous marriage to Zenobia, the daughter of the Count of Santa Fiora. He participated in a conspiracy to eliminate the diarchies and their successors. During the night of Astor and Lavinia’s wedding, Griffonetto and his allies struck. They killed the couple, Guido, Ridolfo, and their relatives. Only Giampolo survived to kill Griffonetto who died in the arms of his mother, Atalanta. 

The Red Wedding is an intricate work that captures the culture, class, and conspiracies that made the Renaissance. There are plenty of moments of whispered conversations, feigned friendships, and harsh betrayals. Many are on the hunt for financial gain and family power. 

The Red Wedding itself is a graphic slow moving plot that fills various pages. It is tightly potted as though it were a secret invasion during war. The attackers hide until their targets are separated and at their most vulnerable and unobservant. Then they overwhelm them in a surprise synchronized mass murder. 

One of the hardest passages to read is the deaths of Astor and Lavinia. They  consummate their wedding night and contemplate a wonderful future together in their private chambers. Their assassin appears from the shadows lying in wait and suddenly that future is ended in the bloodiest way possible.

Most of the characters are duplicitous, cunning, and looking to outdo one another. Everybody is hiding something whether it's murderous intent, secret alliances, or extramarital affairs.

It is hard to like any of the characters but it is very easy to become drawn in and seduced by their goals and actions.

The Baglioni Family are fascinating characters but one of the most fascinating is Atalanta, widow of Grifone and mother of Griffonetto. As a noblewoman and widow, she has very little public influence. She was property of her father, then her husband,then her son but that never meant that she couldn’t seize power covertly. In many ways, she acts as the true head of the Baglioni Family behind the scenes.

Atalanta forged allyship with other influential families which helped her and her family survive the aftermath of the Red Wedding. She was also very involved in patronage of the arts and culture. Her most prominent artist was Raphael, whom she commissioned for his painting, The Deposition. 

She makes her opinions about her household rather clear and isn’t shy about her feelings towards others such as Zenobia, her daughter in law with whom she shares a mutual animosity. However, Atalanta also can put her personal feelings aside as when she shelters Zenobia and her children from the abusive domineering Griffonetto. It says something about her as a woman that she was willing to side with the daughter in law that she didn't always get along with over the son that she spoiled and indulged when he was younger. She recognizes when it is time to put her family legacy first and when it is time to listen to her conscience instead.

There is also a very heart wrenching final encounter between Atalanta and Griffonetto after his confrontation with Giampolo. She realizes that in this competition between scheming family members, there are no winners. People are ruthlessly murdered and family members mourn their loss and have to survive another day.

Dear Emperor, Yours Jane by Robin Robby 

Robin Robby’s previous short novel about Jane Austen, Jane Austen’s Totally Unexpected New York Adventure was a gentle comic Time Travel Science Fiction in which three 21st century travelers go back to 1817 to take Miss Austen to futuristic New York to be treated for the disease that would eventually kill her. Austen becomes captivated by the future and has a romance with one of the time travelers.

Robby’s next short novel about the Regency-era Romance novelist, Dear Emperor, Yours Jane, is a sharper, less genteel and more satirical Alternate Universe where Austen encounters another noted historical figure from her time period, Napoleon Bonaparte. 

In 1815, Napoleon returned from Elba and roared with vengeance. On the heels of her recently published novel, Emma, Austen decides that the French Emperor “needs editing.” She travels to France to get an audience with Bonaparte so he can change his megalomaniacal ways. The two engage in several conversations where they talk in circles around each other. Writing about disagreeable men isn’t the same as encountering one in real life, especially if he is the leader of an Empire and is determined not to change his ways. Austen has her work cut out for her.

The short novel gets a lot of humor about the contrast between the two main characters. Austen and Napoleon represented different aspects of the 18-teens. Politics vs. Literature. Battlefield vs. Drawing Room. Weapons vs. Words. Battle of Waterloo Vs. Battle of the Sexes. Masculine Vs. Feminine. They come from different hemispheres so it’s natural that they would butt heads upon meeting. 

Because Austen is a writer, she often uses literary analogies. She tells Napoleon that she believes Napoleon “to be written” and he needs revision “posthumously if necessary.” Napoleon, a military leader and strategist, speaks in war metaphors such as bragging that he conquered kingdoms and assesses Austen’s worth by asking what she conquered. (“Hearts,” she answers.) 

Napoleon sees Austen as an adversary who needs to be conquered or removed. Austen sees the Emperor as similar to her fictional characters, a man full of too much pride that needs an intelligent witty woman to make him see reason. Ironically, the thing that made her a good writer to millions makes her a terrible judge of character in this story. 

Napoleon and others around him remind Austen that they are not fictional characters. They can’t be redeemed by a few words, a comedy of errors, a grand ball, and an unexpected illness. They are real people and real people can’t always be changed. Austen is persistent but is deeply troubled by this revelation. This is a revelation that becomes more real when world politics comes between them and challenges Austen's drive to make the world a better place by redeeming the tyrant before her.

Dear Emperor, Yours Jane is an Alternate Universe but it is played realistically. It doesn’t end with a sudden change in history and things go on as before. Austen and Napoleon’s conversations are more of just an interesting meeting of minds but not impactful in history. (Though it is implied it did lend significance in literature by inspiring one of Jane Austen’s final novels, her darkest one, Persuasion). It’s a dark perspective that says some things are inevitable and can’t be changed even in Alternate History. 

Small Worlds by Gail Vida Hamburg 

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery.

Gail Vida Hamburg’s anthology, Small Worlds, specializes in flash fiction, brief short stories often under 1,500 words or five pages that tell a complete beginning, middle, and end. They focus on character, conflict, and tension within a limited scope. It's a challenge for an author to capture such actions, emotions, and development in such a short time but a good author can. Hamburg is a great author who captures those moments when lives are changed, decisions are made, and protagonists are left for better or worse.

The best stories are: 

“Signal Love”

The Protagonist becomes fascinated by Nate, the human sounding AI who helps her with a computer problem. She then calls him a few more times resulting in a friendship and potential romance.

The Protagonist is a lonely woman looking for some connection. She has exquisite taste in wine and gourmet cooking but it's hard for her to enjoy those things when she is alone. She has had many relationships that ended badly and has little to show for it except a broken heart and low opinions about the dating pool.

Though as an AI, Nate cannot fully emote; he can recognize changes in voice and demeanor and respond with limited emotions. To her, it doesn't matter. She finds him more understanding and empathetic than any other man that she met.

Nate has a warm natural presence as he helps her. She finds him to be a good listener and understanding as she reveals more personal vulnerabilities. He may be an artificial intelligence who simulates responses, but she sees something that is completely human.

In a time when people act more inhuman by considering empathy a weakness, cruelly mock and bully others, and put themselves over the needs of others, it makes sense that AI would retain the traits that humans abandoned. It makes sense that the Protagonist would find such a companion in Nate that she was unable to find in human men.

“Unclaimed”

Janice, her children, Glory and Bruce escape their abusive husband and father and retreat into the Australian Outback with Janice's mother, Rhonda and sister, Nin.

This story is just as much about setting as it is about character. The Outback is described as arid, barren, dry, and surrounded by abandoned buildings and wild animals. It takes tough people to survive such a location. It gives some idea of the situation that the family was in that would have warranted such a difficult and dangerous decision.

Because of this escape and having to start over, the family bonds closer together. Janice, Nin, and Rhonda share laughs and hardship stories to take their minds off the trauma before and the uncertainty afterwards. Glory is protective towards Bruce and this emotional connection lasts into adulthood. 

The hardships result in changes within the family. Some succumb to illness, and others have encounters with violence and addiction. It is very realistic that while many thrive in hard times, they still encounter physical and emotional difficulties. What keeps this family together is unconditional love and support despite the trauma.

“Catfish Tango”

Mike, a warehouse worker, tries to look for love on social media. His friend, Darren encouraged him to elaborate his profile changing him into a wealthy tech CEO with a handsome pic. He connects with Nadia, a UX Designer with secrets of her own.

This story explores the complexities of social media and modern dating. On the Internet, people can pretend that they are someone else who works at an awesome job, looks like a supermodel or a movie star, goes on breathtaking vacations, and has an enviable life that is free of problems. 

They can literally role play as anyone provided that they don't get caught. While people have become more aware of catfishing, some people still like to create completely different identities and live separate lives online that are distant from their real ones.

Mike pretends to be everything that he isn't in real life, rich, successful, charismatic, the kind of man who would attract someone like Nadia. He has severe self esteem issues. He questions everything about himself like his job, his appearance, his interests, his friends, and living situation. He hides behind the role because he doesn't like the person that he really is. 

His insecurities manifest in his face to face meeting with Nadia. He recognizes someone else hiding her real self underneath a different identity. While they accept each other's frailties and flaws, they also are enchanted by their assumed identities and find a way to retain them as well. Mike actually found someone with whom he could be himself, or more than one version of himself. 

“The Trouble with Bianca”

This story is an epistolary between Mr. and Mrs. DiAngelo and various school employees about their 12 year old daughter, Bianca. 

The exchanges are full of anecdotes about Bianca violating the dress code, challenging authority, using provocative and political statements, saying and doing controversial things. The parents, teachers, and administrators are full of questions. What is going on with her? Is her problem psychological, emotional, social? Did her parents give her a bad upbringing or did she get a bad education? Is Bianca responsible for her own behavior or are the adults partially to blame?

Each character gives their own perspective about how they view this girl. Her principal thinks that she is a brat who needs punishment. Her teacher believes her to be an irredeemable bad seed. Her guidance counselor sees her as an eccentric creative. The school psychiatrist diagnoses her with Oppositional Defiance Disorder. Bianca's parents say that she is a highly intelligent young woman who needs freedom to express herself. 

They don't come to any real conclusions because they can't agree on a plan or what Bianca needs. Instead there is a lot of blame passing and finger pointing of who is to blame. It's also worth noting that while we get multiple perspectives or opinions about Bianca, we don't get any perspective or opinion from Bianca. Even though she is an object in other's lives, she isn't the subject in her own life or even allowed to have a voice towards how it should go.

There are no real answers about Bianca's situation or what should be done just like there aren't with any troubled child. It's a question that anyone who is around children, parents, relatives, friends, educators, medical professionals, social services need to find a common ground, work together on determining them, and learn what procedures are needed.

They need to remember that kids aren't a monolith. Not every kid responds or behaves the same way or requires the same kind of treatment. They are individuals and should be treated as such. Because of that, it's also incredibly important to get the child's perspective themselves to discover what is troubling them, what they are thinking and feeling, and what can be done to help them move forward in life. 

“The Lonely Passion of Helen B.”

47 year old Helen B. lives a lonely structured friendless life. She decides to place a “rent a friend” ad online. She meets a small group of weird but likable applicants.

This story is practically a companion to “Signal Love,” in that it also explores loneliness and the lengths people will go to find companionship. Though instead of finding it through an AI simulation, Helen finds it in human people. She just goes around meeting them in an unusual way.

Helen is a shy analytical person with plenty of oddities and eccentricities which makes her perfect to lead this strange group. From Helen’s interest in collecting and cataloging insect specimens, to Marvin's fascination with Naval history and his detailed descriptions of scoliosis and plantar fasciitis, Daphne's feminism, devotion to Simone Weil and non sequitur questions like whether whales mourn, Craig’s Feng Shui practice and divining her apartment as having “limited energy,” Nancy, a devout Catholic who always brings muffins, and Zoya, a tough foul mouthed Russian expat who wants to understand “American loneliness.”  This cast seems to come from a sharp witty sitcom about goofy weird friends. 

Helen's new friends give her laughs, comfort, shared interests, parties, and gold times. It's a stress reliever from her usual life but it can also be a bit much for someone who isn't used to that much attention and togetherness.

Susan has been an introvert for over 40 years so it's not easy for her to fit into a social group. While loneliness has been a problem in her life, the solitude also gave her opportunities to think, meditate, research, become independent, and study her insects. She actually finds great comfort and ease in solitude and she misses that.

This story reveals that there is a huge difference between being alone and being on your own.

“Kali”

Kali is a strong willed defiant woman raised by a mother who encouraged her to challenge the system around her. When she settles in an affluent mostly white community, she is met with  derision and hatred.

This story is a character study of a woman raised to fight against an oppressive system that has been present since long before her ancestors were born. She was clearly raised to be a fighter. She was named for the Hindu Goddess of Death.  Her mother raised her to embrace Feminism and Black Power and she takes those lessons to heart.

In a strange way, “Kali” could be an answer to “The Trouble with Bianca.” Where “Bianca” was about how a troubled young woman with a difficult background is viewed by the people around her but never gets to speak for herself, “Kali” is about a troubled young woman with a difficult background who has no trouble speaking or thinking for herself, thank you very much.

Kali was raised to challenge those who would threaten her. When she enters the beach, white beachgoers stare at her with focused suspicion. One could say that her upbringing made her hyper aware and paranoid of her surroundings and perhaps she imagines that others have hostile intent towards her. But she isn't imagining their racist words to describe her or the vulgar harassment that some of the men give her. Above all, she isn't imagining when one of the men rapes her.

Kali was raised to fight and fight she does. She commits extreme violence to defend herself against her rapist. The ending implies that the rapist unleashed Kali the Death Goddess inside Kali the Protagonist. What he leaves behind is a woman who has ancestral rage, an activist’s view of the world, suspicion towards white men, and a weapon that she is prepared to use. It is uncertain whether she will attack to defend others or just commit violence for violence’s sake. One thing for sure is that she will embrace violence as her answer to any conflict.

“Go Gentle In This Good Morning”

This is a journal entry of 102 year old Elias Nathan Hollingwood. It recounts his long life and his decision to end it.

Many of these stories are excellent character studies so it is fitting that the final story in this review covers an entire long life. 

Elias gives his perspectives of his upbringing in Brooklyn, his military career, his marriage, his children, the changing world, his views, and his grief and losses as he waits to die. 

He draws the reader in by his anecdotes such as describing his wife, Clara as a “red haired woman with a librarian's gaze and an Irish lilt.” After she died in 1988, he mourned “she was my girl, my bonnie lass. She deserved opera and skylights. She died before I could give them to her.” He also has similar affection and melancholy for his and Clara's four children.

While Elias's memories are melancholic and nostalgic, they are also realistic. He acknowledges his previous racist beliefs that he held until he encountered the Tuskegee Airmen and The Navajo Code Talkers during WWII. He admired that courage, devotion, sacrifice and love for a country that didn't always love them back or acted like it didn't.

Elias’ story is one of love, loss, joy, regret, many experiences, and satisfaction that he lived through it. It's not a situation where one feels angst at his passing but feeling that it was well earned. He made the decision to end it on his own with satisfaction and an almost joyful exuberance about what happens next. He ends his life as a happy and contented man.

 

Lit List Wolf at the Door by Joel McKay; The Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror by Michael Botur

 

Lit List Wolf at the Door by Joel McKay; The Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror by Michael Botur

Wolf at the Door by Joel McKay

Joel McKay's short novel, Wolf at the Door is like one of those horror movies where a small group of characters, each with their own personal problems have to band together to fight some creepy monster. It's so formulaic that there isn't anything that we haven't seen a hundred times. It's predictable but the kind of predictable that is almost comforting in a strange odd sort of way. Like a favorite horror film that you might watch to have a good scare and a fun time.

Married couple Doug and Char Deerborn are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner party. The attendees include their troubled teen Charlotte Jr., Tommy their young son who is afraid of monsters outside their window, Mike and Marleen, their friends who are soon to be divorced, Dan, Doug's ex con brother, Randy, Doug's friend and a nervous bachelor, Craig and Amy, a couple with health problems, and both sets of their parents: Doug's conservative parents, Fred and Mable who do not approve of Doug taking his wife's last name and Judy and Owen, Char's parents who just don't like Doug.

All of these personality conflicts become inconsequential when the party is rudely interrupted by the presence of a werewolf who wants to have its own Thanksgiving feast.

Wolf at the Door plays with all of the horror conventions to a T or I guess to a W for werewolf. There is the couple tha ext hooks up before one gets brutally attacked. There's the sassy teen blossoming into young womanhood and her bratty kid brother who knows about the monster thanks to his interest in manga and horror movies. The disapproving in laws that tote guns proudly. All there and all soon to be a wolf's buffet.

I will say that it is a good change for the monster to be a werewolf. Werewolves haven't been as overused as their horror cousins, vampires. So it's nice to see the furry antagonists grab the spotlight. In fact, the werewolf is the highlight of this book. Many of the other characters are so painted by numbers, self centered, and obnoxious, that the moment when the werewolf regrets their actions is the one bit of humanity in the book. 

Wolf at the Door isn't a great book but it's good for a scare and a howling good time.

Spoilers: With few exceptions, the short stories of Michael Botur's The Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror, do not involve the supernatural. Instead they involve human monsters with all of their perversions, lusts, paranoia, and obsessions. And by the gods, they are graphic. 

Even the few that do involve the supernatural, hint that what the protagonist encounters may not be real but could be instead the product of an unhinged mind who is suffering from a terrifying hallucination that forever changes them.

These stories come with the obligatory twist ending. However with the graphic horror that precedes them, they are not the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits endings that provide a sense of wonder and need to learn a lesson. Instead, they are more like Tales from the Crypt type of gut punch endings that leaves the Reader fainting or vomiting with the realization of how monstrous real life and real people can be. 

The best stories in this anthology are: 

"The Writing on the Rat"-Joyce Koh is an urban explorer who explores abandoned places and posts her findings on her social media account. Her latest interest is to examine St. James Church. Unfortunately, she falls into the cellar door and is locked inside.

Joyce's story turns from one of a foolish adventure into a fight for survival. Joyce remains for days inside the cellar reduced to the most savage acts to remain alive. She succumbs to insanity and self- mutilation until she is reduced to a bloody shell of her former daring self.

"The Devil Took Her" -This is one of the few short stories in this anthology that may involve the supernatural and despite or because of that, it's the best of the bunch.

Melanie, an investigative journalist, is missing and her husband, Patrick, hired a private investigator. In typical hard boiled detective noir narration, the detective cynically tells  Patrick to put his money away and that he found Melanie's journal. Oh and he's not going to like what he's going to read.

The majority of the story involves Melanie's narration and her obsession with catching who she dubs the Golden State Dementor who potentially murdered eight people. 

The book is an eerie cat and mouse chase as Melanie sneaks near dumpsters and dark alleys around fast food restaurants to catch her elusive prey. She goes through dangerous lengths and watches the most violent acts against humanity before she makes the fateful decision to set herself as bait and follow the Dementor into his lair. 

The killer and Melanie's pursuit are terrifying as she puts her sanity and life on the line to capture something that behaves inhuman and might just be demonic. 

"Fake ID"-There are a couple of stories in this anthology that take full advantage of the first person narration by having the narrator start as a sardonic worldly troublemaker that transforms into a barely functioning captive. This one is the better story.

Oliver, a student, buys a fake ID from rich kid Matt McAnulty to get some booze and coke. Unfortunately, he gets more than just Matt's ID. He gets all that comes with it including Matt's very eccentric neurosurgeon parents.

This story is sort of like Get Out Meets the Stepford Wives as Oliver struggles to leave a very terrifying situation before it transforms him forever. It's a scary prospect that if a child disappoints their parents, then they can make a new one as though they were buying a new toy or pet.

"The Strange Paper"-Think of this as QAnon Times Ten if such a thing is possible. While in high school, the narrator becomes obsessed with The Strange Paper, a periodical with stories of UFO's, Big Foot, Loch Ness Monster, Fairies, Secret Societies, and the like. He becomes so fascinated that as an adult, he goes to meet the editor, Maxwell Winckle, to work for him as a writer.

The Narrator's dream job turns into a nightmare as Max's articles go from harmless speculation to paranoiac fantasies. He is convinced that vaccines turn people into reptilian shapeshifters. By the time, the Narrator realizes that he is in the employ of a deranged lunatic and not the hero he thought, it's too late. Maxwell has millions of followers ready to do his bidding thanks to his protegee's articles that portray him in a leader like and cultist manner.

This story shows the gruesome danger of hero worship and cult of personality when one admires someone so much that they let them do the thinking for them. Sometimes when they surrender their free will, they can do the most unthinkable things that they would not have even dreamt of on their own.

"Mengistu"-Violence is the same the world over and anyone can get caught in it, whether they have lived in a country all their lives or are just visiting. While in Ethiopia, Kevin is court ordered to teach ESL to some young students. Through his students, Kevin becomes involved with the political struggles between various tribes and the remnants of leaders like Haile Selassie, the founder of the Rastafarian movement and Haile Mengistu Mariam, AKA The Butcher of Addis Ababa. 

Kevin acts like the worst kind of visitor, acting like he knows everything from Wikipedia and lecturing the locals about their own history. He pays for his ignorance when he says the wrong things to the wrong people and gets swept up in historic violence that has been going on for decades.

"Itching"-This story features a prank war gone horribly horribly wrong.

Jasmine, a coding student, puts itching powder on Warwick, an obnoxious rival's seat. This immature stunt sets off a chain reaction of one upping that gets progressively weirder and more serious thanks to the pranksters' knowledge of hacking and coding.

Things finally come to a violent, gruesome, and considering the previous stories inevitable ,conclusion as Warwick's attitude changes from jocularity to sociopathic as Jasmine's daughter, Saffire gets caught in the middle.

New Book Alert: The Cabin Sessions by Isobel Blackthorn; Limited Setting and Ominous Sense of Dread Highlight This Session

 

New Book Alert: The Cabin Sessions by Isobel Blackthorn; Limited Setting and Ominous Sense of Dread Highlight This Session

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The strongest adjective that I can use to describe Isobel Blackthorn's The Cabin Sessions is "ominous." On the surface not much happens until the very end but the entire book fills the Reader with such dread and anticipation that they know something bad is going to happen long before it does.

The Cabin Sessions is different from Blackthorn's previous works, Prison in the Sun and The Ghost of Villa Winter. Both of those books were mysteries involving murder, hate crimes, and sexual assault set against the backdrop of the beautiful Canary Islands. In those works, the exterior setting was just as important as the plot and character's actions. The beautiful island is a contrast to the darkness that the characters suffer. 

The Cabin Sessions does something similar but with a different type of setting. Instead of opening up, the action is contained and limited. The setting of the book is mostly on Christmas Eve inside a bar/nightclub/local hangout in small town Burton called The Cabin. At The Cabin, musicians and other entertainers of dubious talent entertain the locals one night a week. Most of the locals attend the sessions to drink, listen to or mock the music, and try their best to ignore their troubles. 

It doesn't help the creepy atmosphere that The Cabin Sessions is full of miserable characters with enough emotional baggage to fill an entire airport terminal. The character's interior lives add to the overall dread as they are filled with secret sins, obsessions, and relationships ready to come out.

The cast includes: 

Adam- A guitarist and newcomer to Burton. He just ended an unhealthy relationship with the abusive rocker, Juan. He is dealing with the death of Benny, his close friend and mentor and Juan's jealousy over Adam's friendship with other men. He also is terrified  when he sees a sinister unknown man outside the Cabin that may have done something illegal. When Juan barges in to fill in for the recently deceased Benny, Adam is filled with revulsion and longing for his ex.

Philip and Eva- They are a brother and sister who live next to Adam and across the bridge from The Cabin. Philip is a plumber and handy person who has his way with many of the women (and some of the men) of Burton. He has a salacious history and is one third of a love triangle that is in the process of ending badly.

Eva is usually in her own little world doing peculiar things like collecting stamps from her job at the post office, holding her breath under water for a record time, and talking to "mermaids" that only she can see. However, her chapters reveals forbidden longings and desires that she is unable to reveal. 

Rebekah and David- The proprietors of The Cabin and organizers of the Sessions. They are an ultra religious couple that try to keep a firm hold over their daughter, Hannah as she serves food and buses tables. Unfortunately, Hannah rebels against their watchful gaze by sneaking around with men. She ends up in a very precarious situation.

Cynthia- Dulcimer player, local eccentric, and some believe witch. She is in mourning for her sister, Joy, who most believe disappeared but she is convinced that she died. Cynthia also has a prophetic gift in which she displays that one of the gang is going to die before the night is through.

Delilah- She is the closest thing that Burton has to a diva. She is often the center of attention and acts as a confidante to many of the other characters. Also her father was the pastor at Burton but was defrocked after a sex scandal. She may have some buried rage against those who made it happen.

There are also a few other characters like Nathan (terrible songwriter, Hannah's boyfriend, and is also close to Eva), Alf (blues guitarist with a questionable musical history that he often embellishes), and Joshua and Ed (a duo who are often together, the former has a criminal history and the latter a bad tempered wife). 

With the small cast and limited setting, The Cabin Sessions would make a good stage play or short film. (Eva's chapters in particular would make effective monologues of a woman who may be in the process of losing her sanity and could be a very unreliable narrator.)

Most of the conflicts are implied and revealed through conversations and inner thoughts which often contradict each other. Everyone is hiding something and no one is revealing anything until they are forced to.

Most of the troubles are hinted at and it's partly because of the setting being largely in the Cabin. Despite some dramatic confrontations and dreadful situations throughout the night (like a rancid smell, Cynthia's predictions, and the strange man outside) no one makes an effort to leave the Cabin. It almost invites the possibility that they can't or won't leave. Perhaps The Cabin serves as a sort of Purgatory or holding pattern, even an askew and imperfect sanctuary, which tries to keep the bad things away. 

Unfortunately, The Cabin Sessions shows that troubles don't end at the front door of The Cabin. Sometimes they bang the door down and shake the Cabin's walls to create a giant explosion making what was once hidden and ominous become upfront and terrifying.