Lives of Bitter Rain by @aptshadow.bsky.social is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. That is high praise for any prequel, but here it's justified. Days of Shattered Faith was an almost perfect book, and going into Lives of Bitter Rain, I was concerned that it would undo some of the affection 1/2

This is probably going to be the last Friends of the @lairdbarron.bsky.social for awhile. But what a note to end on! This week: @sgj.bsky.social 's uncomfortable masterpiece: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter!

@johnlangan.bsky.social. I'm frustrated. Because I am an idiot and you are too clever for your own good. Technicolor. The professor married Poe's Dead Wife didnt he? That's how he knows this stuff. He even draws attention to it. I spent 20 hours on that post. I read it five times.

Its once again time for Friends of @lairdbarron.bsky.social! This time: @johnlangan.bsky.social's masterpiece "Technicolor!" open.substack.com/pub/eldritch...

This week, The Five Pillars of Exploration, or "what makes exploration in games interesting and fun?" eldritchexarchpress.substack.com/p/on-explora...

It's monthly round-up time. Special mention goes to @benriggs.bsky.social excellent book: Slaying the Dragon which I devoured in about 2 days while working full time. Also: Audible is messing with authors, I have links to @danielgreene.bsky.social's youtube videos for more on that.

Well, I'll be damned. It's royalty free and there's already six, generic manufacturers lined up. newatlas.com/infectious-d...

Not a huge fan of everything Daniel Green has done, but this is important and this needs shared: youtu.be/AfSWV4O8tMY?...

This week, It's time for a review of John Langan's new book, Lost in the Dark and other Excursions! It's wild! It's experimental! I think everyone will find something to love. But, I don't know that the book as a whole will be a favorite of more than a select few.

@increment.bsky.social are there any plans to make more of your books audiobooks? I'd love to read the elusive shift, but I don't have as much time for physical books as I'd like.

It's once again time for the Friends of the Barron Read-along. This month Corpsemouth by @johnlangan.bsky.social. Also, @lairdbarron.bsky.social is in the hospital, I'm sure we all wish him the best but for more specific support you can follow him on Patreon. (Link Below.)

This week in Beneath the Boughs: The party returns from their conquest and... shops.

Its once again time for my month in review.

Fewer than 140 limited-edition NOT A SPECK OF LIGHT hardcovers remain available! Featuring an all-new story by @lairdbarron.bsky.social. New illustrations throughout by @slimyswampghost.bsky.social. Story notes. Signed by author and artist. Reserve yours: badhandbooks.com/preorders/no...

I'm back! I have defeated Covid and returned with a review of @aptshadow.bsky.social 's Cage of Souls! TLDR, it has fantastic prose, a fantastic cover, a fantastic voice actor, and is generally fantastic.

A bonus post, this time, about Adam Nevill's The Ritual and how I found inspiration for my D&D game:

@aptshadow.bsky.social. I'm currently listening to Saturation Point, and I wanted to ask if you had any books or resources on ecology, insects, and so on that you would recommend?

Time for another monthly roundup. The highlights? @tkingfisher.com's Paladin's Grace is an excellent romantic popcorn read, and @aptshadow.bsky.social's novellas, Walking to Aldebaran and Ironclads are both really good. Go read them.

NEWS: We've sold more than 11,000 copies of NOT A SPECK OF LIGHT by @lairdbarron.bsky.social. Named one of 2024's best horror titles by @nytimes.com, Esquire, @npr.org. Stoker nominee. If you don't have this landmark collection, you might consider picking it up. www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...

Well, I have another series I'm working on. Malazan Ho!

@hankgreen.bsky.social I have a question for you since Physics isnt really my thing, biology is: If Time is affected by gravity, does that mean it isn't moving "evenly"? Like, we talk about the big bang, but the big bang happened creating space and mass right? What does that mean for time?

It's time once again for the Friends of the @lairdbarron.bsky.social Read-along! Much thanks to @jeremiahdylancook.bsky.social for organizing the broader @johnlangan.bsky.social Read-along Series. "Kore" is a haunting piece about Halloween and the offerings we give to ghosts of the past. 1/2

@tkingfisher.com I just started your Saint of Steel Series. Firstly, I want to say that I'm blown away by your range. The first I read of yours was Sworn Soldier followed by The House With Good Bones. Now I'm reading romantic fantasy, and I love it!

@goldsborobooks.bsky.social Are you guys going to be doing a copy of Lives of Bitter Rain by @aptshadow.bsky.social in the same style as your other ones? I'm trying to figure out my book budget for the next few months...

Well, its time once again for an actual play report in the form of my ongoing series: Beneath the Boughs, a Dolmenwood Campaign Commentary. This week session 2!

@johnlangan.bsky.social Any chance of us getting more audiobooks? I've loved your narrators thus far, and I know there are a few books that don't have narration yet.

@aptshadow.bsky.social (Second attempt at this since the first contained typo's) I'm currently reading The Scarab Path. Were the Mantis's there based off of any particular species from Egypt? Secondly, do you get off on killing characters I like? It's becoming a theme. 1/2

It's time for my monthly round up. Sorry it's been a quiet month. There's been a lot going on recently.

@marthawells.com will there be a physical release or an option to buy the Murderbot TV show at a later date? I want to watch it, but I don't want a subscription to Apple TV...

I'm not sure how many people will see this or how many will care, but I've taken down my review of @richardswan.bsky.social's Grave Empire. I don't think I did a very good job with itz and frustration with the process of writing it tainted some of my word choice. 1/2

Any authors who are willing to say, what genre do you write, and when you write a book series, what percent of readers follow you to the second book?

Time for the Friends of the Barron Read-along! This writeup? @johnlangan.bsky.social's The Fisherman. Come for the fishmen, stay because they won't let you leave! Also, you know, for the literary analysis of grief, the horror of loss, and well... you get the point.

For those of you who are TTRPG fans, you might enjoy my new series where I reflect on the upcoming Dolmenwood Campaign setting and my players adventures in it!

After much pet-emergency related chaos, my wife and I have made it to see Hades town.

Well, the last post of the Laird Barron Read-along is complete. Once again, I must thank @igreggreene.bsky.social for organizing it. It's been a long road, but one that has been well worth the effort. This time, The Wind Began to Howl. P.S. This cover is awesome. Good job @hagcult.bsky.social

Well, the first draft of my next short story is done. Its been cooking for about 6 months now, since before my wife and I left Scotland. If you'd like to read my first short story, and get a feel for what I write, you can read it on my substack: open.substack.com/pub/eldritch...

It hard to believe but there are 80 essays in the Laird Barron Read-along project now with one more to go! This is my newest submission covering Worse Angels, a horror thriller that shows off some of the best of what Laird has to offer.

Two posts left in the @lairdbarron.bsky.social Read-along. This time: Black Mountain. If Blood Standard was noir/crime, Black Mountain is a conspiracy laden thriller with hints of cosmic horror.

@thebrokenbinding.bsky.social & @aptshadow.bsky.social Okay, I've said this at a couple of different points. I really want to see more collaborations between you guys. I'm desperately hoping that once you finish the main Shadows of the Apt series you continue with the Short story collections. 1/2

@aptshadow.bsky.social I dearly hope that there are plans to continue through your back catelogue with Broken Binding. I'm about to finish Cage of Souls, and I can't think of many books that made me feel the full range of human emotion like this one.

It's the beginning of the end. No! I'm not talking about politics, I'm talking about the last month of the @lairdbarron.bsky.social Read-along Project! This time: Isaiah Coleridge Book 1 Blood Standard!

@aptshadow.bsky.social Reading Cage of Souls. Were Stephan's comments about cowardice, statues, and standing meant to be a nod to Rincewind? It sounds very Rincewind.

It is once again time for my monthly roundup, a look back at the month, and a look forward to what's out next.

It's the beginning of the end for my Laird Barron Read-alongs. Only a few more to go. This one is a (very) long look at @lairdbarron.bsky.social 's The Light is the Darkness. While not my favorite of his works, it is one of his most interesting.

It's once again that time of week! This time we are taking a look at Laird Barron's excellent novella X's For Eyes! A perfect read for those looking to mix Roger Zelazny, Hardy Boys, H. P. Lovecraft, and international corporate conspiracy.

A look at Robert Jackson Bennett's excellent Shadow of the Leviathan series, including a review of the upcoming novel A Drop of Corruption before it releases in April! That's Right! I got an ARC! This is the perfect series for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Eldritch Horror, and Adrian Tchaikovsky!

It's time for another @lairdbarron.bsky.social Writeup! This time we are looking at the entertaining and humorous Horror piece: "49-Foot Woman Straps it On."

A couple days late, but this is a look back at my month in review. A little slow, but I'm not complaining. Special shout out to @richardswanauthor.bsky.social for his excellent Grave Empire. I'm sorry I didn't finish the eARC before release, and the review won't happen for another month or two. Oops

Book recomendation time once again. Christopher Ruocchio's Empire of Silence may not be for everyone, but it was certainly for me. I think the premise could be be described as "Mass Effect, but a noble born Darth Vader with a literary degree is looking back on his life.

Another examination of @lairdbarron.bsky.social's writing, this time covering "An Atlatl" a novella written in the universe of Limbus Inc.