verkisto's review
I read the first three stories in this collection, and I'm done. They're terrible. There's too much telling and not enough showing, and the stories -- for all that they're supposed to be horror -- are emotionless. Instead of telling us what's happening to the characters as if we're observers, the authors should pay attention to what they're feeling. Don't tell us they're scared; show us through the way they feel their pulse in their head, or see their eyes widen or their hands shake, or hear their ragged breath.
I wish I could remember how I came to pick up this collection. I owe someone a noogie.
I wish I could remember how I came to pick up this collection. I owe someone a noogie.
theartolater's review
4.0
I read this closer to Halloween (I'm...a little behind), and this collection of short tales by Brhel and Sullivan evoke a lot of solid nostalgia. Much like their collection Marvelry's Curiosity Shop, Cemetery Gates is absolutely a love letter to campfire tales and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark alike.
Plenty of short tales throughout this play up classic horror tropes, from situations in cars to familiar assailants, but what makes this work is the pacing, which provides a very specific tone while still tossing in some surprises and not taking too long. The result is a number of bite-sized horror treats that strike an equal balance between fun and creepy.
What's worth noting beyond the basic enjoyable nature of these stories is the way Brhel and Sullivan are improving as storytellers from their earlier work. Even if this wasn't a solid read, I'm definitely looking forward to whatever it is that comes next.
Plenty of short tales throughout this play up classic horror tropes, from situations in cars to familiar assailants, but what makes this work is the pacing, which provides a very specific tone while still tossing in some surprises and not taking too long. The result is a number of bite-sized horror treats that strike an equal balance between fun and creepy.
What's worth noting beyond the basic enjoyable nature of these stories is the way Brhel and Sullivan are improving as storytellers from their earlier work. Even if this wasn't a solid read, I'm definitely looking forward to whatever it is that comes next.
jessicamap's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
I’m a big fan of short stories. I love when authors can pack a punch or leave a lasting impression in a small amount of pages. AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a collection of 16 short horror stories and I really enjoyed them. There’s a variety of themes including urban legends, prison escapees, witchcraft, and even some creepypastas (which I’ve been on a kick of lately – thanks Slender Man).
There were some standouts for me but the commonality across the collection was the solid writing. The authors did a good job of setting the scene and the characters without having to go into too much detail, I mean some of these stories are 10 pages long. I was very impressed with that because there are short stories where you feel like you got little to no information on the main character, which is why I understand how some readers aren’t fans of short stories.
Some of the stories felt entirely possible – those are the scary stories that creep me out the most. I mean, sure, we all love the monster stories and the ones filled with ghosts and evil spirits, but there’s something that amps up the scary factor when it could be a real life scenario. The first one reminded me of the urban legend with the clown statue in the house that creeped out the babysitter.
Overall, if you want some quick horror stories to continue the Halloween spirit, then I would highly recommend picking this one up! There are a variety of themes and scenarios, so there are stories for all types of horror fans! I’ve heard great things about Volume 1, so I’ll have to go back and find that one to compare.
I’m a big fan of short stories. I love when authors can pack a punch or leave a lasting impression in a small amount of pages. AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a collection of 16 short horror stories and I really enjoyed them. There’s a variety of themes including urban legends, prison escapees, witchcraft, and even some creepypastas (which I’ve been on a kick of lately – thanks Slender Man).
There were some standouts for me but the commonality across the collection was the solid writing. The authors did a good job of setting the scene and the characters without having to go into too much detail, I mean some of these stories are 10 pages long. I was very impressed with that because there are short stories where you feel like you got little to no information on the main character, which is why I understand how some readers aren’t fans of short stories.
Some of the stories felt entirely possible – those are the scary stories that creep me out the most. I mean, sure, we all love the monster stories and the ones filled with ghosts and evil spirits, but there’s something that amps up the scary factor when it could be a real life scenario. The first one reminded me of the urban legend with the clown statue in the house that creeped out the babysitter.
Overall, if you want some quick horror stories to continue the Halloween spirit, then I would highly recommend picking this one up! There are a variety of themes and scenarios, so there are stories for all types of horror fans! I’ve heard great things about Volume 1, so I’ll have to go back and find that one to compare.
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
3.5 stars!
At The Cemetery Gates: Year One is a collection of 14 short stories. Most of them feature cemeteries-if not actually set there, they're at least mentioned.
My favorite story of the bunch was An Epistle From the Dead which was a macabre tidbit with a touch of poignancy to it that really brought the story home.
Pictures of a Perpetual Subject was also a poignant tale with a haunting outcome that I won't soon forget.
The remaining stories were all good, but not outstanding. These are the types of tales to be told around a campfire at night or at a sleepover. In fact, I think they're perfect for those types of scenarios. Seasoned horror fans used to hard-core scares might come away slightly disappointed, but I believe the average horror reader would find these tales satisfying.
Today this book is free! At The Cemetery Gates: Year One
Recommended!
*Horror After Dark was provided a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*
At The Cemetery Gates: Year One is a collection of 14 short stories. Most of them feature cemeteries-if not actually set there, they're at least mentioned.
My favorite story of the bunch was An Epistle From the Dead which was a macabre tidbit with a touch of poignancy to it that really brought the story home.
Pictures of a Perpetual Subject was also a poignant tale with a haunting outcome that I won't soon forget.
The remaining stories were all good, but not outstanding. These are the types of tales to be told around a campfire at night or at a sleepover. In fact, I think they're perfect for those types of scenarios. Seasoned horror fans used to hard-core scares might come away slightly disappointed, but I believe the average horror reader would find these tales satisfying.
Today this book is free! At The Cemetery Gates: Year One
Recommended!
*Horror After Dark was provided a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is it!*
joecam79's review
4.0
First of all, I'd like to thank John Brhel (co-author with Joseph Sullivan of this anthology) for sending me an electronic copy for review purposes.
"At the Cemetery Gates" is a collection of short, punchy horror tales. A unifying thread is provided by the small-town setting common to most of the stories, with the cemetery of the title hovering in the background like a haunting presence. The featured stories have a modern feel to them, although "The Girl with the Crooked Tooth" is an homage to Poe, and there are a couple of other tales dealing with death and obsession of which the old master would surely approve. I felt however that the strongest influence behind these tales comes from contemporary popular culture and TV shows. In fact, the authors themselves state in the introduction that the stories reinterpret urban myths and folklore. And so, besides hauntings of a more traditional type, we also come across weird angels, time travelling, a haunted time-lapse photo, government conspiracies, poisonous plants, werewolf-like monsters and masked serial killers.
The stories are not pretentious at all and, rather than adopting a "literary" approach, the authors prefer to concentrate on providing a satisfying narrative, more often than not with a twist in the tail/tale. Some of the stories are more ambitious in that they manage to portray interesting characters despite their brevity (for instance, I liked the interaction between the two brothers in "Delaying Decay").
Rather different from the rest of the stories is is "The Call is Coming from Inside the House". This is a Gothic pastiche with recognizable tropes of the genre (rambling mansion, black magic, a vulnerable young woman and even a lascivious monk) - its brief sections could well be expanded into a sort of modern-day Gothic spoof.
If you want your horror entertaining, this collection is well worth a read.
"At the Cemetery Gates" is a collection of short, punchy horror tales. A unifying thread is provided by the small-town setting common to most of the stories, with the cemetery of the title hovering in the background like a haunting presence. The featured stories have a modern feel to them, although "The Girl with the Crooked Tooth" is an homage to Poe, and there are a couple of other tales dealing with death and obsession of which the old master would surely approve. I felt however that the strongest influence behind these tales comes from contemporary popular culture and TV shows. In fact, the authors themselves state in the introduction that the stories reinterpret urban myths and folklore. And so, besides hauntings of a more traditional type, we also come across weird angels, time travelling, a haunted time-lapse photo, government conspiracies, poisonous plants, werewolf-like monsters and masked serial killers.
The stories are not pretentious at all and, rather than adopting a "literary" approach, the authors prefer to concentrate on providing a satisfying narrative, more often than not with a twist in the tail/tale. Some of the stories are more ambitious in that they manage to portray interesting characters despite their brevity (for instance, I liked the interaction between the two brothers in "Delaying Decay").
Rather different from the rest of the stories is is "The Call is Coming from Inside the House". This is a Gothic pastiche with recognizable tropes of the genre (rambling mansion, black magic, a vulnerable young woman and even a lascivious monk) - its brief sections could well be expanded into a sort of modern-day Gothic spoof.
If you want your horror entertaining, this collection is well worth a read.
eyed's review
5.0
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
This is an excellent collection of short stories, some of which were quite creepy. I loved the feel of the book as a whole, it reminded of when I used to read "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" as a kid. The entire collection is written very well and kept me trying to figure out how each story would end. I enjoyed all the stories but my favorites were "The Burial Vault" and "Pictures of a Perpetual Subject".
They were the creepiest in my opinion and the twists at the end were phenomenal.
This was good enough that I am planning to buy a print copy to add to my library. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys scary stories.
This is an excellent collection of short stories, some of which were quite creepy. I loved the feel of the book as a whole, it reminded of when I used to read "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" as a kid. The entire collection is written very well and kept me trying to figure out how each story would end. I enjoyed all the stories but my favorites were "The Burial Vault" and "Pictures of a Perpetual Subject".
They were the creepiest in my opinion and the twists at the end were phenomenal.
This was good enough that I am planning to buy a print copy to add to my library. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys scary stories.
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