The Mists of Cairn Gorm: A Tale of the Am Fear Liath Mor (Povey)

The Mists of Cairn Gorm: A Tale of the Am Fear Liath Mor
by Jennifer R. Povey, J.W. Harp (Illustrator) (2026)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This book was a free Advanced Reader Copy from Library Thing. I'm encouraged (but not required) to leave reviews in exchange for the free books.

This is book number 30 in the Systema Paradoxa series of Cryptid books. It's a standalone book like all (or most) of the others, which can be read in any order. (Some exceptions for multiple books written by a single author.)

I left the following review on the Library Thing website, along with a five-star rating:

Dorothy Gordon just wants to climb Ben Macdui like any other mountain she already has, but when she tries the mists turn her around one time and tell her "Not today" another time. Is the Grey Man, Am Fear Liath Mor, giving her a warning or just have fun with the tourists.

This a fun read where Dorothy is unsure what the future holds for her, but she knows she going to summit that mountain and find out what happened to a missing compassion before her trip comes to an end.

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I forgot to add "I enjoyed this book", which I usually include.

There was a bunch of stuff about Scotland and information about mountains being a "Munro", which is any mountain in Scotland over 3,000 feet, first catalogued by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891 (according to Google/Wikipedia). This way new to me and brought a slight chuckle because Janet Munro appeared in Third Man on the Mountain after appearing in Darby O'Gil and the Little People. Yes, my mind makes these connections.

I left out a bunch of stuff for the LT review because it wasn't necessary. After Dorothy's first attempt, she goes back to a pub where she meets a group of cryptid followers having their monthly meeting. One seems to take an interest in Dorothy and her story of the mist and an encounter with the Grey Man. She allows him to accompany her even though she isn't too sure of his motives (but at least he isn't romantically interested in her). It turns out that he wants to get a picture of Am Fear Liath Mor ("Fear" means "Man" don't you know, which will be commented on). When they encounter him, the man pulls out his phone and the Gray Man attacks.

Dorothy is conflicted, as she doesn't like the guy, nor does she condone what he did, but he doesn't deserve to die for it. At the same time, everyone "familiar" with the Gray Man doesn't believe that he would kill the man. Plus, no body is found. He most likely disappeared on his own because of his own actions.

The ending was unusual. Dorothy does manage to summit the mountain before her vacation ends, and when she takes a selfie on the mountaintop, she discovers that the Grey Man is behind her in the photo. She deletes the photo to keep his secret even after the Grey Man allowed himself to be photographed for no reason in particular except that maybe he liked her ... but so what? Why now?

Other than that, it was a good book and I look forward to more Cryptid books.

I did wonder how they were going to kill it when it could mess with their minds the way that it did. They had to get it at a weak moment, of course. I just didn't want for something that didn't work before to work now, because the timing was better. Also, the knife gets removed from the equation, even though it's the main reason that Burton was brought in.

One comment, which I probably should relate to eSpec, is that FBI-VPA is never defined in the book itself. I had to Google it.

Since it's only a novella, it was a pretty quick read.

I now own seven of these books -- 1 paper, 6 electronic -- but I've only read the last two. At least, the paperback is signed.

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If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my new book series that starts with, 7 Flashes of Science Fiction, seven glimpses into possible futures for our world and the worlds around us.


Also, check out my other short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical fivesome of flash fiction and short stories. (Amazon only shows the first three books in the image. Go figure.)

Ghost of the Dawnlands: A Tale of the Skadegamutc (Waters)

Ghost of the Dawnlands: A Tale of the Skadegamutc
by Robert E. Waters, J.W. Harp (Illustrator) (2025)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This book was a free Advanced Reader Copy from Library Thing. I'm encouraged (but not required) to leave reviews in exchange for the free books.

I left the following review on the Library Thing website:

A Skadegamutc is a "ghost-witch" from Wabanaki mythology. In 1988, a sorceror from the Penobscot tribe defied death to become a ball of light. The creature takes the form of a sort of vampire/zombie to feed, and that's how it appeared when Joe Littlecloud and Horus Ruth of the VPA (Violent Paranormal Activity) department of the FBI corenered it, and almost killed it. But it played with the men's memories long enough to injure Ruth and then escape.

Littlecloud realizes that he needs to call Chimalis Burton, a FBI-VPA agent in Colorado who has a special, cermonial knife. Burton is currently on adminstrative leave while the FBI investigates the killings of federal agents while she pursued a different cryptid in Alaska, but she's cleared to assist Littlecloud in Maine.

And then the hunt is on, taking them through Maine and New Brunswick, to hunt down and corner the ghost-witch, all the while hampered by bad information being fed to them by an agent who is under the influence of the skadegamutc.

There were a few twists that I didn't expect, along with mentions of previous cases that I assume are in earlier books that I'll have to look for, ending with a satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed this book.

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My first impression was that Littlecloud and Ruth were characters from a previous book and that Burton was a character from a different book, and that this was an ultimate crossover. The descriptions online only mention Burton, so this is her book, even though she's the last major character to be introduced.

Spoiler-y stuff: the book is also an ending for some characters as well as the ceremonial knife, which may or may not be repaired in the future.

I did wonder how they were going to kill it when it could mess with their minds the way that it did. They had to get it at a weak moment, of course. I just didn't want for something that didn't work before to work now, because the timing was better. Also, the knife gets removed from the equation, even though it's the main reason that Burton was brought in.

One comment, which I probably should relate to eSpec, is that FBI-VPA is never defined in the book itself. I had to Google it.

Since it's only a novella, it was a pretty quick read.

I now own seven of these books -- 1 paper, 6 electronic -- but I've only read the last two. At least, the paperback is signed.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.

Mount Misery (Chambers)

Mount Misery
Systema Paradoxa #28
by James Chambers (2026)

(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)

This book was a free Advanced Reader Copy from Library Thing. I'm encouraged (but not required) to leave reviews in exchange for the free books.

Also of note: I have been published by eSpec Books, which also published this book.

Systema Paradoxa is a series of Cryptid books, each with a new take on a different monster. I own about a half-dozen (one is a signed printed book and the rest are ebooks), and this is the first one I've read. Each book stands alone, and there's a series of writers. This book did reference previous encounters by the main characters, but the previous books, whichever ones they were, were not required reading.

I left the following review on the Library Thing website:

Anyone who has ever driven on Long Island, particularly at night, will get weird feelings that strange things are happening around them. This tale brings that to life, adding Mothman, Men in Black and a mystery needing to be unraveled.

Ben Keep and Annetta Maikels know that reality isn't what it appears to be. They investigate the paranormal and find it difficult to turn down a request for help, especially when the paranormal come asking for help in their own unusual way.

It's a fun ride, much more fund than actually driving along the Southern State or Ocean Parkway.

This book, which is part of a series of Cryptid tales, is a standalone story. Some references are made to earlier stories, but you don't need to read those first.

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More of a breakdown of the stories, which doesn't belong on Library Thing:

Actually, I don't have much to add, so I'll start with something from eSpec:

Cryptid investigators, Ben Keep and Annetta Maikels, left "normal" behind a long time ago. They've peeked behind the curtains of existence, glimpsed beneath the weft and weave of accepted reality.

Ben and Annetta investigate the paranormal, especially when they come asking for help. There are references to past cases, and I imagine that these deal with previous entries written by Chambers for this series. These didn't bother me, I took them in stride. Then there was a call from a character who'd previously disappeared. He's warning Ben about this case. I don't know who that is and I had no attachment to him even though he should've been important. He was important to Ben.

The only other thing that stood out was that large portions of the text were in transcript format, as Ben and Annetta were interviewing witnesses. Scenes like this are great for TV, but I'm less fond of them in print. It makes it feel like I'm reading a script.

I enjoyed this novella. I have more in this series to read.

If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.