Title: The Spore Queen

Author: Debra Castaneda

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CY9TDWWZ/

Summary

Forest. Fungi. Family secrets.

Reporter Maria Hart ventures into the depths of Nils Forest chasing a news story about a violent storm, but she never returns. Within months, four other people will also disappear in the woods.

Tech mogul David Eager lives at the forest’s edge. He is haunted by Maria’s disappearance, and something more. Fungus is common in the foggy woodland, but now it’s behaving in unnatural ways, creeping onto his property and into his dreams.

Maria’s friend, Amy Matthews, hears strange rumors about Nils Forest and, motivated by a dark secret, decides to investigate for herself. It’s no easy task. The terrain is notoriously rugged. But Amy is cunning and determined to find her former roommate, dead or alive.

Amy’s not alone. Maria’s mother, desperate for answers about her daughter, joins the search.

Together, they journey into the heart of Nils Forest where they make a chilling discovery—there’s a new fungus in these woods, and it has transformative powers. As they push deeper into the trees, they uncover a terrifying, mind-bending force. Her name is The Spore Queen.

My Review

5/5 Stars

Intrigued by the cover and the title, I decided to do a blind read of this book. I had the idea that it would be about mushrooms, but I didn’t know how the author would twist that into horror. Add in a cult and an ancient God, and it has all my favorite horror elements!

I love the direction she went with it. Nothing spices up a spooky story better than family secrets. And this one had plenty. The characters were all very well-written, but I found the Spore Queen to be my favorite. The way she shifted roles in the story kept me reading until the last page because I didn’t know what would happen with her.

There were some really touching moments in this book too that explore love and lost and what family really means.