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queencarolrules's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
minno's review against another edition
4.0
This compilation of short stories featuring Derby Cavendish, destroyer of supernatural baddies, had me laughing out loud on public transit. Humorously raunchy, and epically flamboyant, this was a perfect light read.
errantdreams's review against another edition
5.0
Derby Cavendish spends his time fighting supernatural menaces. The otherworldly has been attracted to him since St. Patrick’s Day when he was seven years old, and with his unique collection of very gay friends (yes, Derby is quite gay as well), he protects his little community from things that go bump in the night.
Things that go bump in the night include fruitcake zombies. It’s a bad thing when a fruitcake recipe requires using a particular lucky instrument, which just happens to be a huahua fertility fetish. Zombies ensue. There’s a potluck Christmas season dinner that gets quite rowdy when an evil holiday sweater enters the mix. Then there’s one of my favorite characters in this book: Aaron the fabulously gay Jewish werewolf drag-queen (better known as Miss Mitzy Knish, the original Hebrew Hot Pocket). This anthology’s tales happen in chronological order, and details and characters survive from one story to another. Things that happen in one story become crucial to the characters’ survival in another.
Bethany is Derby’s nemesis. We first see her at the Gay Hockey League Jockstrap Auction and Bake Sale, where Derby uses his knowledge of holidays to summon something to deal with her and her creepy minions. At a fundraiser for an organ, the East Sykes Ladies’ Senior Auxiliary manages to get maneuvered into accidentally invoking an orgy, requiring one of Derby’s friends to get… creative… in fixing the problem.
Please note that there’s some very ribald and adult-oriented humor in here! Not for kids!
The short stories wrap up with one longer novella called “Green,” a multi-holiday extravaganza that brings us back to the collection’s title of “cocktails at seven, apocalypse at eight.” Also, the huahua is back, and so are the zombies (sans fruitcake)!
The stories are oddly inspirational despite the bawdy humor of it all. The characters are fantastic, with plenty of hilarity and depth to them. The world of otherworldly creatures is built well, with a glamour that helps to keep the ordinary people from remembering the strange things that go on around them. So if you’re looking for a gay ol’ holiday read with plenty of fabulous hilarity, be sure to pick this volume up!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/12/review-cocktails-at-seven-apocalypse-at-eight-don-bassingthwaite/
Things that go bump in the night include fruitcake zombies. It’s a bad thing when a fruitcake recipe requires using a particular lucky instrument, which just happens to be a huahua fertility fetish. Zombies ensue. There’s a potluck Christmas season dinner that gets quite rowdy when an evil holiday sweater enters the mix. Then there’s one of my favorite characters in this book: Aaron the fabulously gay Jewish werewolf drag-queen (better known as Miss Mitzy Knish, the original Hebrew Hot Pocket). This anthology’s tales happen in chronological order, and details and characters survive from one story to another. Things that happen in one story become crucial to the characters’ survival in another.
Bethany is Derby’s nemesis. We first see her at the Gay Hockey League Jockstrap Auction and Bake Sale, where Derby uses his knowledge of holidays to summon something to deal with her and her creepy minions. At a fundraiser for an organ, the East Sykes Ladies’ Senior Auxiliary manages to get maneuvered into accidentally invoking an orgy, requiring one of Derby’s friends to get… creative… in fixing the problem.
Please note that there’s some very ribald and adult-oriented humor in here! Not for kids!
The short stories wrap up with one longer novella called “Green,” a multi-holiday extravaganza that brings us back to the collection’s title of “cocktails at seven, apocalypse at eight.” Also, the huahua is back, and so are the zombies (sans fruitcake)!
The stories are oddly inspirational despite the bawdy humor of it all. The characters are fantastic, with plenty of hilarity and depth to them. The world of otherworldly creatures is built well, with a glamour that helps to keep the ordinary people from remembering the strange things that go on around them. So if you’re looking for a gay ol’ holiday read with plenty of fabulous hilarity, be sure to pick this volume up!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/12/review-cocktails-at-seven-apocalypse-at-eight-don-bassingthwaite/
ashleyh's review
4.0
This collection was a lot of fun: raunchy, humorous and flamboyant. I wasn't sure about the old-school-detective-style interior monologue at first, but it grew on me quickly. And it was interesting to see how the author's voice changed story to story as they were written over a number of years. Would definitely recommend and read again.
lilyn_g's review
5.0
Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight is a hilarious collection of Derby Cavendish short stories by Don Bassingthwaite. It's chock full of sexual innuendos, puns, and general (hinted at) debauchery. The very first page wrenched an amused giggle out of me. Each story is exquisitely crafted absurdity that will have you in stitches if you've even the slightest bit of a gutter mind. From the original Mean Girl to the Three Bears, the villains are refreshing twists on age-old evils. The good guys- Derby, Andrew/Mitzy, and Matt - are adorable and easy to root for.
On a serious note, there were a few other things worth mentioning beyond the amusement factor. The first is that the author uses his stories to provide a bit of subtle (and some obvious) education for those who are not a member of the LGBT+ community. For instance, when a few of the villains are talking, one of them corrects the other on how to refer to a person that is in drag. I honestly didn't know how to do this, and was pondering it for the review, so it was nice to read! The second is that none of the villains that Derby and company go up against use homophobia as a reason to want to destroy them. Given the prejudices that still exist and get displayed on a daily basis, it wouldn't have surprised me if it had been addressed in this book. I'm glad it wasn't, though. It kept it all on a very light note.
I can truthfully say I liked every single story within this collection. (You have no idea how rare that is for me.) I do have a few favorites, though. Fruitcake - in which an ancient fertility symbol is used to make cake batter with horrible consequences. Sweater - a demon that manifests in ugly Christmas sweaters, and Derby's self-sacrifice to keep everyone safe. Finally, Organ - in which a perfect storm of happenings incites an orgy - simply because the, uhm, climax made me laugh and want to scrub the image off my brain.
Gloriously flamboyant and fantastically ridiculous, Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight is a must read for the naughty minded. Don Bassingthwaite did a great job, and I think people will get a kick out of reading it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher for review consideration.
On a serious note, there were a few other things worth mentioning beyond the amusement factor. The first is that the author uses his stories to provide a bit of subtle (and some obvious) education for those who are not a member of the LGBT+ community. For instance, when a few of the villains are talking, one of them corrects the other on how to refer to a person that is in drag. I honestly didn't know how to do this, and was pondering it for the review, so it was nice to read! The second is that none of the villains that Derby and company go up against use homophobia as a reason to want to destroy them. Given the prejudices that still exist and get displayed on a daily basis, it wouldn't have surprised me if it had been addressed in this book. I'm glad it wasn't, though. It kept it all on a very light note.
I can truthfully say I liked every single story within this collection. (You have no idea how rare that is for me.) I do have a few favorites, though. Fruitcake - in which an ancient fertility symbol is used to make cake batter with horrible consequences. Sweater - a demon that manifests in ugly Christmas sweaters, and Derby's self-sacrifice to keep everyone safe. Finally, Organ - in which a perfect storm of happenings incites an orgy - simply because the, uhm, climax made me laugh and want to scrub the image off my brain.
Gloriously flamboyant and fantastically ridiculous, Cocktails at Seven, Apocalypse at Eight is a must read for the naughty minded. Don Bassingthwaite did a great job, and I think people will get a kick out of reading it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher for review consideration.
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