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alandd's review
4.0
A good blend of horror, love, and eroticism. There were several good ideas and others that didn't resonate with me, but it was a great reading nonetheless. Favorite stories: Scarecrow and Razor Cut; perfect just as they are. I also liked The Mariachi, but I enjoy darker readings. Fans of queer horror will fall in love with this anthology!
namelesssam_'s review
2.0
I did enjoy this book but just partly.
I found the ideas behind each short story very unique and original, I found the atmosphere in each one very creepy and it made me feel doomed and trapped from the very beginning.
Unfortunately, what I found by the end of the story was just sappy tragic love story ending with one or more dead. I felt like the purpose of this book wasn't scaring the reader, nor making it feel lost and unsettled, but more like it's in a condition of deep despair.
I got to the point in which I started to feel sorry for the characters and their fate that was somehow predictable, and this somehow erased the fear that I was starting to feel at the beginning of each of them.
It did though bring some creepy elements like the wax statues (I admit I had to skim-read through that story mostly because I have a proper phobia and I was starting to feel a bit sick) and the scarecrow that was hella creepy and gruesome. It kind of scared me the story where a guy is serenading outside a house and I appreciated a lot the story that opens the whole collection as well as the one about Michael and Adam.
But unfortunately as solid as the stories were, I couldn't hold on to the creepy element of the collection. I just felt sorry for the characters at some point and just didn't really know what to make of that feeling until the very end.
Also, I expected a little more diversity rather than the same pattern regarding the relationships between each character in each story.
Kind of a let down, but still a solid starting point for the atmosphere. I think if the author had written short novellas and developed the plots a little more, then I would've felt a little different about this book.
I found the ideas behind each short story very unique and original, I found the atmosphere in each one very creepy and it made me feel doomed and trapped from the very beginning.
Unfortunately, what I found by the end of the story was just sappy tragic love story ending with one or more dead. I felt like the purpose of this book wasn't scaring the reader, nor making it feel lost and unsettled, but more like it's in a condition of deep despair.
I got to the point in which I started to feel sorry for the characters and their fate that was somehow predictable, and this somehow erased the fear that I was starting to feel at the beginning of each of them.
It did though bring some creepy elements like the wax statues (I admit I had to skim-read through that story mostly because I have a proper phobia and I was starting to feel a bit sick) and the scarecrow that was hella creepy and gruesome. It kind of scared me the story where a guy is serenading outside a house and I appreciated a lot the story that opens the whole collection as well as the one about Michael and Adam.
But unfortunately as solid as the stories were, I couldn't hold on to the creepy element of the collection. I just felt sorry for the characters at some point and just didn't really know what to make of that feeling until the very end.
Also, I expected a little more diversity rather than the same pattern regarding the relationships between each character in each story.
Kind of a let down, but still a solid starting point for the atmosphere. I think if the author had written short novellas and developed the plots a little more, then I would've felt a little different about this book.
unwrappingwords's review
3.0
Cirque des Freaks and Other Tales of Horror is described as a collection of horror stories, ‘sure to frighten’. A few reviewers commented that they felt underwhelmed, perhaps a little let down by the book’s contents. Unfortunately, I have to agree with them. The book is marketed as LGBTQ+ Horror, but would have perhaps been better as Fantasy. It’s specifically dark fantasy, with the focus in the stories on M/M pairings, with some supernatural elements. To me, a lot of the main, POV characters read as too similar to one another, with little to distinguish between them or, in some cases, the actual plots.
Many revolve around ‘doomed love’, whether it’s falling for a supernatural monster, or a lover being whisked away by a ghost. Some stories are honestly entertaining, but these are let down by those around it. The first story in the collection, “A Masked Camaraderie” is set in the early 30s, and feels very strongly influenced by Hemmingway and Fitzgerald, with a starkness to the prose and the kind of setting and gatherings both men wrote about.
“Razor Cut” is a story that stands out for its unique feeling and gory imagery, when a man’s obsession and lust get the better of him. But other tales in this collection feel too much like what’s come before in the genre. The title story, “Cirque des Freaks”, reads like a strange homage to Freaks and American Horror Story: Freakshow, which sounds weird in that Freakshow itself plays homage in ways to the 1932 film. This story in particular also veers into territory that can be deemed offensive, with a slur used often in the story, aimed at people with dwarfism. “Wax Entrapment” isn’t even a homage, but plucks the plot right from the 1988 film Waxwork.
Lopez is clearly a talented writer, but I think these stories could have done with slightly more focus on the actual characters, rather than just the events. When there are moments of decent characterisation, they work really well, and when we get a slightly deeper glimpse into relationships, it’s effective. But the stories are too fast paced with too much crammed in, too many of the same ideas, and often read as a list of events rather than actual tales.
Many revolve around ‘doomed love’, whether it’s falling for a supernatural monster, or a lover being whisked away by a ghost. Some stories are honestly entertaining, but these are let down by those around it. The first story in the collection, “A Masked Camaraderie” is set in the early 30s, and feels very strongly influenced by Hemmingway and Fitzgerald, with a starkness to the prose and the kind of setting and gatherings both men wrote about.
“Razor Cut” is a story that stands out for its unique feeling and gory imagery, when a man’s obsession and lust get the better of him. But other tales in this collection feel too much like what’s come before in the genre. The title story, “Cirque des Freaks”, reads like a strange homage to Freaks and American Horror Story: Freakshow, which sounds weird in that Freakshow itself plays homage in ways to the 1932 film. This story in particular also veers into territory that can be deemed offensive, with a slur used often in the story, aimed at people with dwarfism. “Wax Entrapment” isn’t even a homage, but plucks the plot right from the 1988 film Waxwork.
Lopez is clearly a talented writer, but I think these stories could have done with slightly more focus on the actual characters, rather than just the events. When there are moments of decent characterisation, they work really well, and when we get a slightly deeper glimpse into relationships, it’s effective. But the stories are too fast paced with too much crammed in, too many of the same ideas, and often read as a list of events rather than actual tales.
dannireadsallthetime's review
2.0
I received this copy from Netgally for an honest review thank you.
This story presents itself as a novella of short horror stories set to frighten you. This didn't really frighten to me. All the stories were similar in their story telling which made it predictable. It is also under the LGBTQ genre, but I found these stories made it too obvious to the readers, that yes, the characters are gay.
The stories are very short, so it was easy and quick to read. Most of the stories I didn't like, they just didn't draw me in or fill me with any kind of chills. There were a few I did like, which were:
A masked camaraderie
The mariachi's serenade
Scarecrow
They didn't really scare me, but these 3 stood out to me as being the creepiest tales out of them all. I have heard good things about this author, I haven't read any of his other books, but I would give them a go in the future. This one just didn't deliver all the promises I thought it would.
This story presents itself as a novella of short horror stories set to frighten you. This didn't really frighten to me. All the stories were similar in their story telling which made it predictable. It is also under the LGBTQ genre, but I found these stories made it too obvious to the readers, that yes, the characters are gay.
The stories are very short, so it was easy and quick to read. Most of the stories I didn't like, they just didn't draw me in or fill me with any kind of chills. There were a few I did like, which were:
A masked camaraderie
The mariachi's serenade
Scarecrow
They didn't really scare me, but these 3 stood out to me as being the creepiest tales out of them all. I have heard good things about this author, I haven't read any of his other books, but I would give them a go in the future. This one just didn't deliver all the promises I thought it would.
raychelbennet's review
2.0
I really, really wanted to like this collection. It ticked a lot of my boxes for me: horror, queer characters, and fantastic elements. But unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with this. It didn't fit any of my expectations and I was left feeling...unfulfilled. Granted, the queer characters were nearly exclusively gay men and I do not fit into that box. I do not understand those relationships and aspects of queer culture, so maybe that's where it fell short for me. I might not be the intended audience, and that is completely 100% okay.
Separate from that, I also just did not really get the horror. I try to be really open-minded and even though very few things actually scare me, I know that everyone's definition of fear is different. I agree with another reviewer that I think it was marketed as the wrong genre. I think this was more dark fantasy than anything else, and to me, that has a much different connotation than horror.
The two stories I did enjoy were "Loving Death" and the title story, "Cirque des Freaks." "Loving Death" felt fully-realized and had an interesting plot. And I found the premise of "Cirque des Freaks" interesting, but what cemented it as great for me was the ending. I laughed out loud for a solid minute and, while I doubt that was the story's intention, it made it memorable.
Separate from that, I also just did not really get the horror. I try to be really open-minded and even though very few things actually scare me, I know that everyone's definition of fear is different. I agree with another reviewer that I think it was marketed as the wrong genre. I think this was more dark fantasy than anything else, and to me, that has a much different connotation than horror.
The two stories I did enjoy were "Loving Death" and the title story, "Cirque des Freaks." "Loving Death" felt fully-realized and had an interesting plot. And I found the premise of "Cirque des Freaks" interesting, but what cemented it as great for me was the ending. I laughed out loud for a solid minute and, while I doubt that was the story's intention, it made it memorable.
inkslinger's review
4.0
ARC provided by NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books Inc, and Julian Lopez. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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04-19: 'Cirque des Freaks and Other Tales of Horror' is a collection of short stories by Julian Lopez that all delve in and around the dark and mysterious for certain, though I didn't find all of them to read like horror. Perhaps that's just my perspective.
The anthology is fun though, the topics are fairly wide-ranging and there are some gems inside. It felt like a bit of a throwback to classic anthologies like the 'Hot Blood Series,' macabre.. but with plenty of allure.
It definitely starts with a bang. The first story, 'A Masked Camaraderie,' is an intriguing experience set at a masked ball in early 20th century Venice, where a group comes across a set of masks they don for the party that opens them up to unseen things. It's a rich mixture of sensuality and darkness, right out of the gate.. and I feel it really sets the tone for the collection.
'The Mariachi's Serenade,' is a bittersweet tale of love across generations. It has traditional ghost story elements with tragic longing intertwined throughout. What I love about this story and many in the book, is how visual they are. Lopez does a fantastic job of putting you right in the moment, letting you witness the scenes with such clarity.. I was left feeling I could easily commit them to illustrations.
Likewise, as with the imagery.. he does a superb job of translating and conveying the emotions within his stories. He can write the pretty words like you see above, but he isn't so focused on them.. on trying to sound 'artistic'.. that he forgets the impact of simplicity. When he uses those terms, he uses them to his benefit and they stand out because they're infrequent.
There are a ton of really well done tales of irony and comeuppance. 'Queen of Hearts,' about someone rather spiteful and the deal they make that isn't quite what they expected. 'Loving Death,' a rather sweet story about the ferryman. The questions put to him and the result of his truthful answers, reminding me a bit of the fated glance backward in Persephone's story.
I loved 'The Mastaba of Niankhkhnum,' as well. I don't see a lot of stories set in the mythos of ancient Egypt and never one done with such a slow, seductive build. It's darkly rich and beautiful in its way.
My absolute favorite though.. was 'The Archangel's Canvas.' And I can sort of see, abstractly.. how one might interpret it as horror. It just didn't read that way at all to me. It read like a love story, preceded by a fall. There are these ominous warnings, but then.. perhaps because of the influence the main character is under, it just feels like bliss.
There are a couple that are a bit disappointing of course. A freakshow that has been done before, most fantastically in a 1932 black and white film, but again since, a number of times. A museum, that's a more graphic scene oriented version of 1953 cult classic film staring a master of horror. But all in all, it was a wonderful selection of stories and I truly enjoyed reading them.
PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | WATERSTONES
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04-18: Time for a spooky anthology collection.. ooooh.. :D
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