Hello everyone!
It is great to be bringing you another book review. This will probably be the shortest review I ever do for this site, but don’t let it deter you from picking up a copy of Earth Vs The Lava Spiders. It should not be taken as a reflection of my excitement that there’s not much to say.
As a matter of fact, if you’re someone that took my last book recommendation and are looking for a pick-me-up that doesn’t stray too far from the horror genre, this is probably the perfect read for you. I know it’s exactly what I needed to clear my head after a string of particularly harrowing reads this month.
I’ll be talking about my personal experience with this book, what surprised me, what worked, what didn’t work, and putting all of my very specific preferences into some context. So without further ado, let’s talk about some Lava Spiders.
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My Personal Experience Going In
Like with all my reads, I tried to learn as little as possible about this book before I read it. I’m a friend (which is to say Twitter Mutual) of the author, and as soon as I saw the cover I knew I wanted to pick it up. I didn’t look at any of the details on Amazon.
There was something so perfect about the reading mood I was in when I actually started this title.
I’ve been reading a lot of very depressing books, and a lot of extreme horror recently. That’s what I prefer to read, but I’m usually not as good at finding so many consecutive volumes that truly get under my skin. Needless to say, I’ve been in dire need for something lighter.
I picked up Earth VS The Lava Spiders immediately after reading Little Eve, which I had thought was going to be a lighter read. It was not. I was actually so surprised by the mental drain of Little Eve that I was afraid to pick up another book. Trapped as I was, under my cat and with only my limited Kindle library available, I took a shot.
I’m so glad that I did because I fell in love with this book. It’s the perfect brain cleanser and I could not have found it at a time where it was needed more.
What Surprised Me
The one big shock I had was how fast the story ended.
Part of it is that it’s easy to read, engaging, and an all-around fun time. Part of it is that it’s an incredibly short book. We’re talking novelette, maybe even on the longer side of a short story length.
This was something that I would have been prepared for if I had looked at any of the Amazon details, but of course, I never learn.
The book makes the most of every one of its words, but I was still sad when it was over.
What Worked
As always, I’ll be getting into details here, starting with the elements I felt were the strongest.
The Vibe
Reading this book has the same energy as watching a SyFy channel original movie. If you like Sharknado, or Arachnoquake, this is going to be a book that you’re obsessed with. It’s fast-paced, it’s fun, and it knows how to perfectly lean into the campiness of the premise from page one.
The Lava Spiders
I don’t like reading about spiders, typically. I had crippling arachnophobia when I was younger and while I’ve largely overcome that, it’s very rare that I willingly read spider horror.
The titular creatures in this book, however, were perfect.
I was hoping for speculative and over-the-top, which is exactly what I got. They were horrifying in a way that was grotesque and gory, rather than in a way that was too realistic or spindly. If you are a reader that likes spiders this may not be as exciting for you as it was for me.
The Characters
I think the make or break point of cheesy fiction comes down to the characters. Nola found a perfect balance for her surprisingly large cast. They’re interesting enough that it’s fun being introduced to them, but with a disposable element that makes it equally fun when they die. They lean into silly movie tropes, but each one has a little extra flavor that colors the world around them. Through their narratives we get a sense of the community overall, without the need for much exposition, which I thought was brilliantly done.
The Pacing
You could have added a couple hundred pages to this title, and I still would have finished it in a single sitting. There was not a single part of it that was not enjoyable to me and it literally took the end of the book to make me quit reading.
Earth VS The Lava Spiders open with a rather trite scene that riffs off of the audience’s familiarity with B-movie tropes before immediately presenting something imaginative and strange.
What Didn’t Work
I have been singing the praises of this book in this review. I’ve also been pretty loud about my love of it on social media. The entire reading experience was pretty close to perfect.
However, I do feel I should disclaimer that enjoyment.
One reason I went into so much detail explaining my reading mindset, is because I think this is a circumstantial favorite. Much like SyFy original films, you have to be in the mood for a story like this in order to fully enjoy it.
This was not a profound read. While it delivered everything I wanted, it was not a life-changing experience for me. I am a firm believer that not every read has to have the same level of depth. It’s okay to pick up a silly book just for the pure enjoyment of it, and I’m endlessly glad that I did in this case.
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Conclusion
I absolutely adored this book. It is surface level, bloody fun and the perfect break for a horror fan seeking pure entertainment. I’m actually going to be searching for a few more reads in a similar vein before I get back to the heavy stuff.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for something light to break up more serious or darker reads. I think that because of its length and tremendous pacing, this would also be the perfect cure for a reading slump.
Interested in Purchasing? Grab Earth vs. The Lava Spiders on Amazon!
I hope that anyone so inclined considers checking it out, and I can’t wait to get back to traumatizing everyone again in a couple weeks.
Happy reading!
Cat Voleur is a published writer of dark, speculative fiction and full time horror journalist. In addition to freelancing scripts and articles on the genre, you can find her co-hosting the Slasher Radio podcast. She currently resides in a house with her army of rescue felines. When she isn’t writing, gaming, or consuming horror content, she will undoubtedly be pursuing her passion for fictional languages. You can find Cat’s work on her website, and don’t forget to follow her on Twitter. If you’re interested in learning more about Cat, check out her origin story.
