Remembering the Lost Warriors: Dance of Necromance is a poetry book remembering the dead and fighting for the living

 

 

Dance of Necromance: Poetry Book of the Dead

Sumiko Saulson

Mocha Memoirs Press, 2026

ISBN-10: 1962353338

ISBN-13: ‎978-1962353335

Ebook, 72 ppg.

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For the people whose lives were cut short and wrongs have been done, writers take the time to honor them with words. Poets, too, use their craft to shed light on those we have lost as well as those whose cause must be kept alive. In the poetry collection Dance of Necromance: Poetry Book of the Dead by Sumiko Saulson, you will find poems that recognize them, remember them, and bring them to life within its pages. As ghosts, it is only fitting that they are included here in this book, a collection of poems about ghosts, haunted locations, and memories of lives lived.

 

There are poems in this book about those no longer among the living, such as a cat who once belonged to the author and a dancing Chihuahua named Coco (Cha-Cha). There is a poem about the late author Anne Rice as well, which I enjoyed reading.

 

But more importantly, there are poems that remember those in the LGBTQ community who are also no longer among the living, such as Matthew Shepard and Sylvia Rivera. Some are named and others are not in these poems; they are all remembered collectively. You will find them in various poems, either by mention or in entire poems dedicated to their memory, such as with the poem “Never Forget We Bled.”

 

“The Haunted Streets of San Francisco” is another poem I really enjoyed reading. It opens with this very intriguing stanza:

 

“When tourists come to visit San Francisco

Some of them find it a spirited place

More ghosts are found here than dancers at a disco

They add to our mystique and Victorian grace” (Page 25)

 

The poem “Death of the Artist” on page 68 is profound. I love this poem. It reminds readers to never forget those feminist, queer, and Black voices from the past who spoke out against racism, homophobia, and oppression. I like these lines especially:

 

“Dark poetry is a broader field

Than bigoted old dead white men

And includes feminist voices such as

Sylvia Plath and Emily Dickinson

 

Phillis Wheatley cries out from the grave

A voice of resistance among the enslaved

Speaking for a vast graveyard of the unknown

Over a dusty tome of pauper's bones

 

Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes

And folks who used to sing the blues

Ancestors whose oral storytelling taught

The finer points of suspense and plot

 

Audre Lorde and James Baldwin,

Queer poets of the revolution,

Spoke out against racism, homophobia

And other wicked institutions”

 

“Ghostly Muse” is another good poem, and one which touched on something I have often wondered about. Have there been ghosts reading right along with us? Have ghosts influenced writers and artists? And what history a ghost would carry with it! There’s so much that can be learned there and investigated. Unfortunately for us, however, we can only wonder and speculate over such things.

 

Dance of Necromance is a collection of poetry that will delight and entertain readers who enjoy reading horror and paranormal poetry. Combined with poems that explore the current political turmoil as well as stories of experiences in relation to current events, these poems are a voice for the voiceless as well as the endangered and oppressed. With poems honoring those no longer with us as well as poems pleading to never forget the crimes committed against marginalized people, this collection of verse stands out as one which will touch readers, incite calls for action, and create a sense of appreciation for those voices that can only exist in memory.

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

An Ancient Banshee Scorned: Blood Point is an Irish Folk Horror Novel of Ancient Evil and Modern-Day Possession

 

Blood Point

Alexander Lane

Hi3NichiNari, 2025

Ebook, 438 ppg. 

ISBN: 978-1-7395830-4-0

Ebook, 438 ppg.

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Blood Point by Alexander Lane is an Irish ghost story of how an ancient evil terrorizes a group of tourists visiting there for the summer Solstice. Given the mystical elements at work at this time of year, it’s no surprise that a supernatural force long ago destroyed could be resurrected, even by accident. People who are not familiar with the history of ancient landmarks would see something that is “cool” without realizing that it could harbor ancient spirits not to be toyed with.

 

The story starts slow but it eventually picks up and once that happens, it’s hard to stop reading! I didn’t like the slow start, but I did appreciate how readers are given a chance to get to know the main characters better.

 

The backstory is told in strong detail and I was very fascinated by it. The backstory was more interesting than the main story, but I still kept reading both. Readers are encouraged to read the backstory, because it contains important information to know about things that happen later in the story.

 

The way this story is told, with the main characters, is that they are each telling their side of the story. This is good because it fills in a lot of blanks, but it does take a while to go through everything. But even so, their stories are told in so much detail and with bits of other character’s actions that they are pretty much accurate about.

 

I could totally understand Holly’s fascination with the pyramid, and I did love her idea of having a picnic at the pyramid when celebrating Midsummer Night. I mean, it’s one interesting way to pass the occasion! But little do they know what evil lurks within that pyramid, which of course some of them decide to explore.

 

As we dive further into the stories of the women who were murdered in the past, this female reader can certainly understand the anger and rage of these murdered women who were crushed under the heel of men. As Holly writes in her journal:

 

“These three women, they’re in me and around me. Beautiful Norig with her eyes full of stars, her skin like living, polished wood and I can touch her like she’s real, tracing the whorls and grain on her face with my fingers. Whorls. Marguerite told me to use that word. I thought Norig would be hard, like a tree, but she’s soft and warm like me, but with that raw Sídhe power flowing around inside her. It makes me tingle and then I remember where it came from. My poor French boy. Then there’s bloody, naked Eitigh, bruised and scratched from her final journey, the tracks of tears forever cutting through the grime on her cheeks. I’d love to wipe it away, put a bit of colour in her cheeks and eyes, see the girl who seduced a king. And black-lipped Marguerite, her chin cracked and scalded, eyes burning with a cold fury. She’s clever and educated, but all she had to look forward to was children and letting men make choices for her. Her pompous father and those arrogant brothers! No wonder she listened to Norig.” (Ppg. 279-80)

 

When these women tried to obtain power, they were accused of witchcraft and murdered by men. When they performed actions which other men felt were wrong, they were also accused of witchcraft by men and murdered by men. At the time both murders happened, women had no say, no rights and no kind of equality at all. Men had power over them and they used that power to either keep them subordinate or silence them.

 

It’s a terrible reminder of the horrors women faced in those days and how important it was for the women’s movement to happen so that women would have rights. So, the symbolism of a woman freeing an abused, murdered and wronged woman from long ago was a beautiful aspect in this story.

 

And what happens in the climax of the story is amazing! There is so much that is explained and shared in this part of the story. It brings all of the preceding events full circle and everything just falls into place.

 

The whole story is absolutely amazing. Yes, it starts off slow, but it is so worth it to hang in there for the rest of the story. The pace picks up eventually and it’s hard to stop reading as so many things happen!

 

Blood Point is a beautiful yet terrifying story of Irish folklore and ancient magic. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys reading Irish stories as well as stories of ancient magic and long-ago tales. It is a thrilling and scintillating story of the quest for power and vengeance. A story told from the POVs of the major characters, it draws readers in and keeps them turning the pages as the drama intensifies, the horrors take hold, and the quest for answers leads to a magical and otherworldly showdown.

 

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ghosts from the Past Haunting the Present: We Never Left is a spine-tingling ghost story of crime and revenge

 

We Never Left

Matthew Hollis Damon

Independently Published, 2023

Print book, 114 ppg.

ISBN-13: 979-8335929585

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NOTE: This review is based on the 2023 print copy I bought from the author. The cover pictured is of the book I purchased.

 

TRIGGER WARNING: This story includes a rape scene as well as the use of the “N” word (the one related to racism).

 

 

Starting a new ghost story book is always full of anticipation. There’s the excitement over reading a spooky story, the chance to experience another author’s take on a ghost story and the wonder of how a story is told. Matthew Hollis Damon checked off all of those boxes when he wrote his YA supernatural horror novella We Never Left and the scares even lingered long after I finished reading this book.

 

** SPOILERS BELOW **  

 

For a YA story, it definitely met my expectations. The teen characters were fleshed out and realistic. I liked how one of the teens in the group, Naria, is a sensitive, and none of her friends mocked or acted weird about her abilities. There was just total support and encouragement.

 

The other character, Rowan, has dreams of stardom. He wants to make strides in the paranormal investigation TV show field, and he thinks filming an investigation at the very haunted Daughrity House is his golden ticket to TV fame. The other group members are not as motivated as he is, but they do share an interest in the paranormal, so they pretty much agree to participate in this investigation.

 

As I read the story, I wondered, what was it that attracted Rowan’s interest in this particular haunted location? Sure, it’s a location of mediocre fame in the haunt community, but what was it that made him decide that, yes, they were going to investigate this particular haunted house?

 

I started to wonder that even more when I learned of Rowan and Naria’s connection to that house. It’s scary that something like this was happening to the characters? I do believe in reincarnation, so I could see how it is possible, but for it to happen so strongly and so many times really added more scares to the story.

 

Another very frightening aspect of this story is how Naria is constantly pulled into the past as it happened at that house, and suddenly transformed into an historical role. This particular scene really had me on the edge of my seat:

 

“A gust of air blew through the house, making her sage stick brighten momentarily. Naria turned, holding the lantern out protectively and expecting something terrible behind her. But there was nothing there, just the empty hallway couched in shadow. To the right she could see kitchen counters, but to the left something had changed. Where the parlor furniture had been covered with white sheets before, she could now see an old-fashioned couch with ornate wood and cushions that looked like red velvet.

 

She approached slowly, her lantern forming a giant black shadow wall inside the room. As she approached the entry frame, the shadows slowly spit more of the room and furniture into view. There were no covers on the furniture or on the floor, or anywhere in sight. Everything looked so antique, the type of stuff no one owned anymore. None of it even looked comfortable, just stiff-postured chairs and hard wooden arm rests.

 

The bookshelves were full, but she hurried across this room to the opening in the next wall, beyond which she could see the front door. “Fuck this house,” she muttered, waving her sage around like a maniac, because in her mind the sage was going to stop anything bad from happening.

 

“I need to leave,” she mumbled, grabbing the door handle and yanking. It didn’t budge. She found no locks, just a large keyhole on this side of the door. “Please let me leave,” she said to whoever might be listening.

 

Laughter filled the air behind her, and she looked up the stairwell, longer and wider than anything a normal house would have, but nothing like what you’d expect in a mansion of this size. Walking up the stairs were two men in old fashioned coattails, one in tan and the other in black.

 

“Hello?” she said, and both men swung around.

 

“Who’s there?” a familiar voice asked.

 

“Brody?” she asked.

 

Brody stepped down the stairs until his face came into the light. “Yes?” he said. His eyes registered distaste when he saw her. “What is it?”

 

“The other man stepped into the light beside Brody, and she saw it was Eric wearing the black suit and silly-looking hat.

 

“Eric! Oh, thank God—” she took a step toward them, and they both recoiled.

 

“It’s that new servant girl,” Eric whispered.

 

Brody nodded in recognition. “Ahh yes, so it is.” He smiled in a way that seemed unfriendly. “Come here, girl. Let’s take a look at you.”

 

“Knock it off,” Naria said, her voice edging toward hysterical. “Brody and Eric—I’m so scared.”

 

“What’s wrong, girl?” Eric said imperiously.

 

“Come and look in the ballroom!”

 

“She addresses us as if we were her equals—friends, even,” Brody remarked.

 

“We are friends,” Naria said.

 

“Friends,” Eric said with a laugh. “We’re certainly going to be.”

 

Brody’s voice was cold and deadly. “You presume a lot.” He lunged furiously down the stairs, and she stumbled back from the violence in his demeanor.” (Ppg. 46-49)

 

That’s not the end of that scene but I don’t want to spoil what happened next. All I will say is, Yikes! I was gripping the book as I read that scene, holding my breath as chills raced down my spine. It was really scary!

 

There are lots more frightening scenes in this book which I am sure readers will enjoy. Note the trigger warnings above; these two things in the story made me uncomfortable but I enjoyed reading the rest of the story. (And, no, that scene quoted above does not include the rape scene.)

 

We Never Left is a chilling story of past connections pulling us out of the present and how history will sometimes refuse to stay buried. A short story full of tense plot twists, horrifying surprises and shocking revelations, this novella is sure to creep out fans of ghost stories and leave a lingering sense of anxiety and dread al the way to the very last page.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I purchased this book from the author and this review is completely voluntary