nwreader's review
4.0
This is a great collection of horror depicted in so many different ways. All written by women with a wide range of genres. Some were fantastical, sci-fi, cosmic..etc.
It's hard to review this book and all it's short stories but as a whole I feel they worked well as a collection. I really enjoyed the ones that made me think and feel my feels. The ones that stood out most to me were:
- Bodiless by Faith Pierce
- The Lady Crow by Lucy Rose
- Lure by Catherine McCarthy
- Nightcrawler by Ushasi Sen Basu
- Dear Meat by J Snow
- The One That Got Away by Rebecca Rowland
I am glad I read this during February's WiHM and discovered some new female horror writers I can add to my "want to read" more from list.
*Content warnings: all of them
4/5
It's hard to review this book and all it's short stories but as a whole I feel they worked well as a collection. I really enjoyed the ones that made me think and feel my feels. The ones that stood out most to me were:
- Bodiless by Faith Pierce
- The Lady Crow by Lucy Rose
- Lure by Catherine McCarthy
- Nightcrawler by Ushasi Sen Basu
- Dear Meat by J Snow
- The One That Got Away by Rebecca Rowland
I am glad I read this during February's WiHM and discovered some new female horror writers I can add to my "want to read" more from list.
*Content warnings: all of them
4/5
karlakayjenniges's review
4.0
February is Women in Horror Month and what better way to celebrate than to read a complete anthology uniquely written by 30 different women from all around the world. Each story centers around the theme of 'The One That Got Away'. There are elements of horror, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and tales of love and revenge.
Edited by Jill Girardi
Forward by Gwendolyn Kiste
Published by Kandisha Press
Recommended reading by Frightgirl Summer
Contributing Authors and their stories:
1. Heavy Metal Coffin by Amira Krista Calvo
2. Bodiless by Faith Pierce
3. Minor Malfunction by KC Grifant
4.The Incident On Asteroid 4 Pandora by Stevie Kopas
5. The Lady Crow by Lucy Rose
6. The Recliner by Marsheila Rockwell
7. Call of the Tide by Demi-Louise Blackburn
8. Date Night Ablaze by Rowan Hill
9. Shell by Barrington Smith-Seetachitt
10. From Scratch by Sonora Taylor
11. Invasive Species by Dawn DeBraal
12. Josephine by Michelle Renee Lane
13. Lure by Catherine McCarthy
14. The Thrill of the Hunt by Villimey Mist
15. Sings of the Suburbs by Ashley Burns
16. Rippers by Ellie Douglas
17. Liked by Mocha Pennington
18. The Lady of the House by Yolanda Sfetsos
19. Should Have Gone to Vegas by Janine Pipe
20. Atla's Journey by Carmen Baca
21. Nightcrawler by Usashi Sen Basu
22. Little Sally Ann by Shawnna Deresch
23. Bramblewood by Meg Hafdahl
24. Cold Comfort by Amy Grech
25. Kiss by R.A. Busby
26. The Last Thread by Paula R.C. Readman
27. The Letter by Lydia Prime
28. Piano Keys and Sugar by Hadassah Shiradski
29. Dear Meat by J Snow
30. The One That Got Away by Rebecca Rowland
I really enjoyed reading this compilation of short stories. New voices of women authors to keep a look out for in the future. Their style of writing clearly shined through. Really great stories and lots of fun to read!
A huge thank you to Janine Pipe and Kandisha Press for sending me a complimentary copy for an honest review.
Edited by Jill Girardi
Forward by Gwendolyn Kiste
Published by Kandisha Press
Recommended reading by Frightgirl Summer
Contributing Authors and their stories:
1. Heavy Metal Coffin by Amira Krista Calvo
2. Bodiless by Faith Pierce
3. Minor Malfunction by KC Grifant
4.The Incident On Asteroid 4 Pandora by Stevie Kopas
5. The Lady Crow by Lucy Rose
6. The Recliner by Marsheila Rockwell
7. Call of the Tide by Demi-Louise Blackburn
8. Date Night Ablaze by Rowan Hill
9. Shell by Barrington Smith-Seetachitt
10. From Scratch by Sonora Taylor
11. Invasive Species by Dawn DeBraal
12. Josephine by Michelle Renee Lane
13. Lure by Catherine McCarthy
14. The Thrill of the Hunt by Villimey Mist
15. Sings of the Suburbs by Ashley Burns
16. Rippers by Ellie Douglas
17. Liked by Mocha Pennington
18. The Lady of the House by Yolanda Sfetsos
19. Should Have Gone to Vegas by Janine Pipe
20. Atla's Journey by Carmen Baca
21. Nightcrawler by Usashi Sen Basu
22. Little Sally Ann by Shawnna Deresch
23. Bramblewood by Meg Hafdahl
24. Cold Comfort by Amy Grech
25. Kiss by R.A. Busby
26. The Last Thread by Paula R.C. Readman
27. The Letter by Lydia Prime
28. Piano Keys and Sugar by Hadassah Shiradski
29. Dear Meat by J Snow
30. The One That Got Away by Rebecca Rowland
I really enjoyed reading this compilation of short stories. New voices of women authors to keep a look out for in the future. Their style of writing clearly shined through. Really great stories and lots of fun to read!
A huge thank you to Janine Pipe and Kandisha Press for sending me a complimentary copy for an honest review.
eerieyore's review
3.0
Kandisha's whole motivation for publishing this kind of anthology is to put a spotlight on women in horror, which is a fine goal, and worthy of praise. There are a few authors which I may not have encountered, were it not for this volume (and the one that preceded it), and for that I'm very thankful. There are also stories included in here which boggle my mind. The tone of them all ranges from confusingly haphazard and seemingly unfinished to confident, assured and polished.
This is an anthology of thirty stories, all loosely grouped around a central theme of "the one that got away." And when I say loosely, I mean ... very loosely. Some of the stories included only refer to the theme once, or tack it on in a final line, as though the story was previously written and then submitted with a minor adjustment, just to be considered for selection. Some of them require great stretches of imagination to link to the overarching theme. Many of these stories are also very, very long. Two of them in particular are split into numbered sections or headed with "chapter titles," and some of them are well over 5,000 words.
Kandisha Press is doing great things for women in horror, and beyond that, for independent writers, by creating this anthologized showcase, but if you're looking for a selectively edited anthology, this is not it. In essence, this is a potpourri of writing - there's something for everyone, though for some, it may take a bit of mining. There's gore and violence, there's nuanced takes on fractured psychology, there are period pieces, there's erotica, there's sci-fi and dark fantasy... There's also extremely explicit descriptions of sex, in some of the stories, and some of it feels a bit gratuitous.
I'd also like to make mention of the fact that there is a lot of stereotypical masculine behavior in these pages. Perhaps this is backlash for the fact that men have written women stereotypically for nigh-on since the Epic of Gilgamesh, but the proliferation of stereotypes doesn't do anything to help strengthen a story - in fact, it rather weakens it, in my opinion. There are, of course, exceptions, as in some horror movies, where one sets up a group of unlikeable people to die hideous deaths (so that the audience can rejoice in their moral superiority) and one could certainly argue that is the case for some of these stories. But I think it's worth nothing that there is a good amount of male characters who are just cruel bastards for no real reason other than to serve as the object of a supernatural revenge.
I read every story, and the following five are the ones which really stood out to me:
Call of the Tide, by Demi-Louise Blackburn - This seems to be the first one that really seems to consider the overarching theme of “The One That Got Away”… and then subverts it, all in service to a story that is genuinely creepy and soaked in dread. This story is more like a watercolor than it is an acrylic, daubing and washing with both the passage of time and the subject of adultery in nuanced, emotional ways. I felt empathy for both of these characters, and whereas I’m not sure that their fates were entirely earned, the title points us to the reason why: sometimes the call, be it of the tide or the hope of love, is just too strong. The last line is thrilling, and you don’t see any of it coming. Reminded me of a lot of Adam Nevill’s work, especially The Reddening.
Shell, by Barrington Smith-Seetachitt - This story surprised me. The idea, the setup, the characters, all flowed together with a really well-dripped suspense. The dramatic device used towards the end, for the reveal, didn’t work as well as I wanted it to, and I feel like the transition there could have been a bit smoother, but the story itself is enough to carry this through, despite that small hiccup. It caught me in a surprisingly vulnerable place – that eerie zone where nostalgia and be-careful-what-you-wish for intersect. This author is new to me, but I will be looking for more of their work after reading this.
From Scratch, by Sonora Taylor - Sonora’s entry in the last Kandisha anthology, The Clockmaker, was one of the ones that really stayed with me after I finished the volume, so I was excited to get to this story. I was not let down. This story is playful with its language, delighting in using culinary metaphor and analogy to evoke the horrific, and the imagery alone is worth the visit. Tightly written and glazed with mordant humor, the story is set up like a five-course meal – each course is a snapshot of a life lived in the shackles of suppressing an innate (albeit anti-social) appetite. Each morsel is more intense than the one prior – and like the best meal, it leaves you wanting more of its uniquely crafted flavor.
Lure, by Catherine McCarthy - “Lure” is stylized and sophisticated, with lush language and a hinted-at backstory that isn’t dropped on the reader all at once but fed out cannily, rather like…well, the line on a fishing reel. This story is written in the second-person – a divisive styling, but one that I personally love – and also composed largely of fragments, like a constant tremor is underlying the prose. As a result, the reader is subjected to an uncanny sense of instability, as though the ground could give way beneath your feet at any moment. This then does double-duty, as it mimics the erratic thought process of the protagonist, and provides a really clever immersive effect that reminded me a lot of some of Tana French’s writing. The ending felt like it could have been a little more resonant, though – I feel like the reader is given clues to one mystery, but then the story suddenly becomes about another. There’s a piece missing, but I’m not sure where or what it is. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed it – especially the descriptions of the surrounding nature, and the way it evolves to mirror the protagonist’s deepening unease.
Kiss, by R.A. Busby - I first discovered this author in the last volume, with her stunningly creepy and remarkably assured story about trypophobia, "Holes." It was easily the strongest story in the entire anthology, standing out far and away from all the rest. "Kiss" shows me that the author is incredibly versatile (and certainly does her research - the period details are phenomenal!) - putting a disturbing story of cosmic horror in a tale-told flashback framing device that feels natural and even heightens the dramatic tension as the story unwinds. It instantly rings the old Edgar Allan Poe bell, flirts with the tone of Hawthorne and Lovecraft, and yet is uniquely its own piece. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that it literally gave me goosebumps when I finished. There's something, too, about the metaphor of addiction, beneath the cosmic horror, and (perhaps appropriately) I've got a craving to read it again...and anything else Busby's written.
For these five stories alone (and of course, to support an independent press with a hard-working editor), I'd say this anthology is worth reading. With so many to choose from, you may find something within that fits your predilection - and even if you only find one new writer or story that you love, this particular anthology's goal has been accomplished.
This is an anthology of thirty stories, all loosely grouped around a central theme of "the one that got away." And when I say loosely, I mean ... very loosely. Some of the stories included only refer to the theme once, or tack it on in a final line, as though the story was previously written and then submitted with a minor adjustment, just to be considered for selection. Some of them require great stretches of imagination to link to the overarching theme. Many of these stories are also very, very long. Two of them in particular are split into numbered sections or headed with "chapter titles," and some of them are well over 5,000 words.
Kandisha Press is doing great things for women in horror, and beyond that, for independent writers, by creating this anthologized showcase, but if you're looking for a selectively edited anthology, this is not it. In essence, this is a potpourri of writing - there's something for everyone, though for some, it may take a bit of mining. There's gore and violence, there's nuanced takes on fractured psychology, there are period pieces, there's erotica, there's sci-fi and dark fantasy... There's also extremely explicit descriptions of sex, in some of the stories, and some of it feels a bit gratuitous.
I'd also like to make mention of the fact that there is a lot of stereotypical masculine behavior in these pages. Perhaps this is backlash for the fact that men have written women stereotypically for nigh-on since the Epic of Gilgamesh, but the proliferation of stereotypes doesn't do anything to help strengthen a story - in fact, it rather weakens it, in my opinion. There are, of course, exceptions, as in some horror movies, where one sets up a group of unlikeable people to die hideous deaths (so that the audience can rejoice in their moral superiority) and one could certainly argue that is the case for some of these stories. But I think it's worth nothing that there is a good amount of male characters who are just cruel bastards for no real reason other than to serve as the object of a supernatural revenge.
I read every story, and the following five are the ones which really stood out to me:
Call of the Tide, by Demi-Louise Blackburn - This seems to be the first one that really seems to consider the overarching theme of “The One That Got Away”… and then subverts it, all in service to a story that is genuinely creepy and soaked in dread. This story is more like a watercolor than it is an acrylic, daubing and washing with both the passage of time and the subject of adultery in nuanced, emotional ways. I felt empathy for both of these characters, and whereas I’m not sure that their fates were entirely earned, the title points us to the reason why: sometimes the call, be it of the tide or the hope of love, is just too strong. The last line is thrilling, and you don’t see any of it coming. Reminded me of a lot of Adam Nevill’s work, especially The Reddening.
Shell, by Barrington Smith-Seetachitt - This story surprised me. The idea, the setup, the characters, all flowed together with a really well-dripped suspense. The dramatic device used towards the end, for the reveal, didn’t work as well as I wanted it to, and I feel like the transition there could have been a bit smoother, but the story itself is enough to carry this through, despite that small hiccup. It caught me in a surprisingly vulnerable place – that eerie zone where nostalgia and be-careful-what-you-wish for intersect. This author is new to me, but I will be looking for more of their work after reading this.
From Scratch, by Sonora Taylor - Sonora’s entry in the last Kandisha anthology, The Clockmaker, was one of the ones that really stayed with me after I finished the volume, so I was excited to get to this story. I was not let down. This story is playful with its language, delighting in using culinary metaphor and analogy to evoke the horrific, and the imagery alone is worth the visit. Tightly written and glazed with mordant humor, the story is set up like a five-course meal – each course is a snapshot of a life lived in the shackles of suppressing an innate (albeit anti-social) appetite. Each morsel is more intense than the one prior – and like the best meal, it leaves you wanting more of its uniquely crafted flavor.
Lure, by Catherine McCarthy - “Lure” is stylized and sophisticated, with lush language and a hinted-at backstory that isn’t dropped on the reader all at once but fed out cannily, rather like…well, the line on a fishing reel. This story is written in the second-person – a divisive styling, but one that I personally love – and also composed largely of fragments, like a constant tremor is underlying the prose. As a result, the reader is subjected to an uncanny sense of instability, as though the ground could give way beneath your feet at any moment. This then does double-duty, as it mimics the erratic thought process of the protagonist, and provides a really clever immersive effect that reminded me a lot of some of Tana French’s writing. The ending felt like it could have been a little more resonant, though – I feel like the reader is given clues to one mystery, but then the story suddenly becomes about another. There’s a piece missing, but I’m not sure where or what it is. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed it – especially the descriptions of the surrounding nature, and the way it evolves to mirror the protagonist’s deepening unease.
Kiss, by R.A. Busby - I first discovered this author in the last volume, with her stunningly creepy and remarkably assured story about trypophobia, "Holes." It was easily the strongest story in the entire anthology, standing out far and away from all the rest. "Kiss" shows me that the author is incredibly versatile (and certainly does her research - the period details are phenomenal!) - putting a disturbing story of cosmic horror in a tale-told flashback framing device that feels natural and even heightens the dramatic tension as the story unwinds. It instantly rings the old Edgar Allan Poe bell, flirts with the tone of Hawthorne and Lovecraft, and yet is uniquely its own piece. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that it literally gave me goosebumps when I finished. There's something, too, about the metaphor of addiction, beneath the cosmic horror, and (perhaps appropriately) I've got a craving to read it again...and anything else Busby's written.
For these five stories alone (and of course, to support an independent press with a hard-working editor), I'd say this anthology is worth reading. With so many to choose from, you may find something within that fits your predilection - and even if you only find one new writer or story that you love, this particular anthology's goal has been accomplished.
raechel's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I won an ebook copy through a contest online.
This is a great mix of horror stories! There's a real gamut of variety in horror, including some sci-fi horror, erotic horror, Lovecraftian-themed, haunted house, psychological, and more! My biggest criticism is that 30 stories is a lot for an anthology, I think it could have been trimmed down a bit. I don't read a lot of anthologies because I typically want more out of them. But this was still a great anthology featuring a ton of awesome authors!
Heavy Metal Coffin - a very cool look at relationships, obsession, and passions.
Bodiless - this reminded me a bit of a Shirley Jackson story, I really liked it.
Minor Malfunction - a cool slightly sci-fi transhuman story.
The Incident on Asteroid 4 Pandora - this felt a little heavy-handed in the beginning, but what an ending! I don't read enough sci-fi horror.
The Lady Crow - gave me Tim Burton vibes.
The Recliner - a surprisingly spooky story about an evil chair and a boy trying to save his mom.
Call of the Tide - some Lovecraftian vibes here and a lot of unspoken tension between husband and wife.
Date Night Ablaze - this one was pretty cool, the lead woman is someone I would not want to mess with.
Shell - another Shirley Jackson-esque story, so good!!
From Scratch - not for the squeamish.
Invasive Species - this one reminded me of a B-movie horror film from the 80s in a good way.
Josephine - the erotic horror story of this collection, which surprised me, but I really understood what the author was going for & got serious chills.
Lure - such a fantastic, layered story.
The Thrill of the Hunt - creepy narrator and revenge.
Simba of the Suburbs - kids are just creepy.
Rippers - this one was a little too frantic for my liking, but I liked the story the author was telling.
Liked - honestly one of my personal fears and the author did a great job exploring it.
The Lady of the House - another story that had Burton vibes, I liked the history playing out.
Should Have Gone to Vegas - bizarre but I loved being surprised and horrified.
Atla's Journey - I think the structure of this story could benefit from some work, but witch stories are always interesting!
Nightcrawler - absolutely creeped me out, great pacing!
Little Sally Ann - haunted house AND a creepy kid!
Bramblewood - one of the creepiest stories in this collection!
Cold Comfort - I didn't quite get this one but still an interesting read.
Kiss - So creepy! Reminded me of an old Poe story.
The Last Thread - another sci-fi/horror with a surprising ending!
Piano Keys and Sugar - like a paranormal Hansel and Gretel retelling.
The Letter - Unexpected and left me wanting more!
Dear Meat - ughhhh gross and creepy!
The One That Got Away - one of the two second-person narrations, cool and creepy and low-key threatening.
This is a great mix of horror stories! There's a real gamut of variety in horror, including some sci-fi horror, erotic horror, Lovecraftian-themed, haunted house, psychological, and more! My biggest criticism is that 30 stories is a lot for an anthology, I think it could have been trimmed down a bit. I don't read a lot of anthologies because I typically want more out of them. But this was still a great anthology featuring a ton of awesome authors!
Heavy Metal Coffin - a very cool look at relationships, obsession, and passions.
Bodiless - this reminded me a bit of a Shirley Jackson story, I really liked it.
Minor Malfunction - a cool slightly sci-fi transhuman story.
The Incident on Asteroid 4 Pandora - this felt a little heavy-handed in the beginning, but what an ending! I don't read enough sci-fi horror.
The Lady Crow - gave me Tim Burton vibes.
The Recliner - a surprisingly spooky story about an evil chair and a boy trying to save his mom.
Call of the Tide - some Lovecraftian vibes here and a lot of unspoken tension between husband and wife.
Date Night Ablaze - this one was pretty cool, the lead woman is someone I would not want to mess with.
Shell - another Shirley Jackson-esque story, so good!!
From Scratch - not for the squeamish.
Invasive Species - this one reminded me of a B-movie horror film from the 80s in a good way.
Josephine - the erotic horror story of this collection, which surprised me, but I really understood what the author was going for & got serious chills.
Lure - such a fantastic, layered story.
The Thrill of the Hunt - creepy narrator and revenge.
Simba of the Suburbs - kids are just creepy.
Rippers - this one was a little too frantic for my liking, but I liked the story the author was telling.
Liked - honestly one of my personal fears and the author did a great job exploring it.
The Lady of the House - another story that had Burton vibes, I liked the history playing out.
Should Have Gone to Vegas - bizarre but I loved being surprised and horrified.
Atla's Journey - I think the structure of this story could benefit from some work, but witch stories are always interesting!
Nightcrawler - absolutely creeped me out, great pacing!
Little Sally Ann - haunted house AND a creepy kid!
Bramblewood - one of the creepiest stories in this collection!
Cold Comfort - I didn't quite get this one but still an interesting read.
Kiss - So creepy! Reminded me of an old Poe story.
The Last Thread - another sci-fi/horror with a surprising ending!
Piano Keys and Sugar - like a paranormal Hansel and Gretel retelling.
The Letter - Unexpected and left me wanting more!
Dear Meat - ughhhh gross and creepy!
The One That Got Away - one of the two second-person narrations, cool and creepy and low-key threatening.
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