pidgevorg's review against another edition
4.0
Nice variety of stories, some amazing, some not so much. But overall, it was a great way to find new amazing authors that I haven't heard of before, and the good stories more than made up for the not-so-good ones. Individual story ratings:
Bryannah and the Magic Negro - 5
Appreciation - 5
Death Lines - 4
The Lost Ones - 3
Dark Moon's Curse - 4
Tango of a Telltale Heart - 4
Here Kitty - 4
Labor Pains - 4
Return to Me - 5
Sisters - 1
Black and Deadly - 3
Left Hand Torment - 3
Trisha and Peter - 3
The Killer Queen - 3
Alternative - 4
Blood Magnolia - 2
The Prize Winner - 4
Sweet Justice - 5
Bryannah and the Magic Negro - 5
Appreciation - 5
Death Lines - 4
The Lost Ones - 3
Dark Moon's Curse - 4
Tango of a Telltale Heart - 4
Here Kitty - 4
Labor Pains - 4
Return to Me - 5
Sisters - 1
Black and Deadly - 3
Left Hand Torment - 3
Trisha and Peter - 3
The Killer Queen - 3
Alternative - 4
Blood Magnolia - 2
The Prize Winner - 4
Sweet Justice - 5
oddly's review against another edition
4.0
An anthology of horror stories written by Black women, this is a wonderful collection that has introduced me to a bunch of new ladies of horror fiction! I can't wait to find more works from these authors.
There is a lot to love about this anthology. First, I loved the wide range of stories. There are familiar tropes like werewolves or vampires—though all done with a unique twist—and also stories more strange and unclassifiable. I'm particularly haunted by one about an undefinable being that decorporealizes and engulfs someone ("Appreciation" by Mina Polina).
I also loved how the characters in these stories are complex, often edging on morally ambiguous. What at first glance might appear benevolent behavior could be masking a darker intent. And often there are ways to look at both sides of the coin.
The stories also center around Blackness and specifically Black women, which feels especially important in horror as far too often Black characters have been relegated to "that unnamed character who dies first." Not so in these stories!
I truly enjoyed every story, but here were a few of my favorites:
"Here Kitty!" by LH Moore: In which a good samaritan tries to help her elderly neighbor find her cat and finds something else entirely.
"Labor Pains" by Kenya Moss-Dyme: In which a husband and wife take a dark and desperate approach to have a child.
"Alternative™" by Tabitha Thompson: In which a woman tries a new kind of birth control only to find out that it doesn't work as advertised.
Definitely recommended!
There is a lot to love about this anthology. First, I loved the wide range of stories. There are familiar tropes like werewolves or vampires—though all done with a unique twist—and also stories more strange and unclassifiable. I'm particularly haunted by one about an undefinable being that decorporealizes and engulfs someone ("Appreciation" by Mina Polina).
I also loved how the characters in these stories are complex, often edging on morally ambiguous. What at first glance might appear benevolent behavior could be masking a darker intent. And often there are ways to look at both sides of the coin.
The stories also center around Blackness and specifically Black women, which feels especially important in horror as far too often Black characters have been relegated to "that unnamed character who dies first." Not so in these stories!
I truly enjoyed every story, but here were a few of my favorites:
"Here Kitty!" by LH Moore: In which a good samaritan tries to help her elderly neighbor find her cat and finds something else entirely.
"Labor Pains" by Kenya Moss-Dyme: In which a husband and wife take a dark and desperate approach to have a child.
"Alternative™" by Tabitha Thompson: In which a woman tries a new kind of birth control only to find out that it doesn't work as advertised.
Definitely recommended!
ezichinny's review against another edition
4.0
Review of Black and Deadly by Dicey Grenor.
This short story featured sisters Badu, Maajida, and Kabira, descendants of the Black Magic Women. The teacher, attorney and nurse were commiserating about the injustices continually perpetuated against their race. The Sisters were so incensed that they decided to ask their ancestors for help in affecting vengeance. Their actions set off a chain of events that will have lasting effects.
This story was very short and writing was smooth. The plot definitely echoed sentiments I felt regarding police brutality. What I loved most was that the story recognized that unintended consequences can result from pure intentions. This novella packed a punch for such a short story and introduces scenarios for the reader to ponder after the story.
Without spoiling the story, fans of The Hate U Give should read this novella.
This short story featured sisters Badu, Maajida, and Kabira, descendants of the Black Magic Women. The teacher, attorney and nurse were commiserating about the injustices continually perpetuated against their race. The Sisters were so incensed that they decided to ask their ancestors for help in affecting vengeance. Their actions set off a chain of events that will have lasting effects.
This story was very short and writing was smooth. The plot definitely echoed sentiments I felt regarding police brutality. What I loved most was that the story recognized that unintended consequences can result from pure intentions. This novella packed a punch for such a short story and introduces scenarios for the reader to ponder after the story.
Without spoiling the story, fans of The Hate U Give should read this novella.
gtea_reader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
exorcismofemilyreed's review against another edition
4.0
"I believe it is important for the self-esteem of a people to be able to envision ourselves as heroes." -Sumiko Saulson
Black Magic Women is an awesome and important anthology edited by Sumiko Saulson - these are all horror stories by black women. I enjoyed this book, and I was introduced to many new authors whose work I had not read before. If you are looking for more diverse horror, I think Black Magic Women is an excellent place to start.
I rated all of the stories in this book between 3-5⭐, so I liked everything that I read. The stories in Black Magic Women were unique and there was a lot of variety across the anthology. As I usually do for anthologies and collections, I will list my top 5 favorites - Top 5 - Here Kitty! - LH Moore, The Killer Queen - Cinsearae S., The Prizewinner - Alledria Hurt, Labor Pains - Kenya Moss-Dyme, and Alternative (TM) - Tabitha Thompson. I found this to be a very entertaining collection as a whole, and some of these stories will definitely stick with me.
I appreciated that women had all sorts of different roles in this anthology - they were heroes, villains, monsters, witches, helpers, sisters, fighters, and so much more. People are layered, and there's more to anyone that what's on the surface. In the intro to Black Magic Women, there is a quote from Kenesha Williams that sums this up much better than I can - "Embracing both sides of someone's humanity, the good and the bad, is to allow them to be fully human." Black Magic Women allows you to see different sides of different women, all with fun spooky background, and I really enjoyed this read. I hope to read more from these women in the future!
Black Magic Women is an awesome and important anthology edited by Sumiko Saulson - these are all horror stories by black women. I enjoyed this book, and I was introduced to many new authors whose work I had not read before. If you are looking for more diverse horror, I think Black Magic Women is an excellent place to start.
I rated all of the stories in this book between 3-5⭐, so I liked everything that I read. The stories in Black Magic Women were unique and there was a lot of variety across the anthology. As I usually do for anthologies and collections, I will list my top 5 favorites - Top 5 - Here Kitty! - LH Moore, The Killer Queen - Cinsearae S., The Prizewinner - Alledria Hurt, Labor Pains - Kenya Moss-Dyme, and Alternative (TM) - Tabitha Thompson. I found this to be a very entertaining collection as a whole, and some of these stories will definitely stick with me.
I appreciated that women had all sorts of different roles in this anthology - they were heroes, villains, monsters, witches, helpers, sisters, fighters, and so much more. People are layered, and there's more to anyone that what's on the surface. In the intro to Black Magic Women, there is a quote from Kenesha Williams that sums this up much better than I can - "Embracing both sides of someone's humanity, the good and the bad, is to allow them to be fully human." Black Magic Women allows you to see different sides of different women, all with fun spooky background, and I really enjoyed this read. I hope to read more from these women in the future!
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