taylorhathcock's review
4.0
A collection of suspenseful stories in which 12 authors draw on ancient tales. The stories cover demons living among humans, ghosts lurking in shadows and gods looming above. Each story is sure to inspire some level of fright. The collection is full of superstition, horror and suspense.
The book literally decided to have a prologue that started out creepy and referenced the cover of the book simply to start the creep vibe... Not gonna lie I still have questions about Melissa and her mom. After the introduction that could start a million different horror movies, we start right in on the 12 gruesome stories that follow. And let be just say some of them are straight up gruesome. We have people cutting out an eye, dismembering bodies, stealing identities, messing with ghosts... It is just all around a lot of things YOU SHOULD NOT DO!
Early on in the collection all the stories tied back to superstitions of some sort, but I felt like this faded in some of the later ones (which was kind of sad). However, the creep factor does not let up at all. The vast majority of the stories are incredibly different reflecting the various author styles, but a few tie in well together. I have to admit that some of the stories got a little descriptive in the "ick" factor and were disgusting, but I could not stop reading them! And let me tell you this baby is a chunky one, but it was worth every second.
A number of different mythological ideas and old wives tales are tied into the stories and we even get some IT vibes and a Bigfoot! Oh and cats are clearly evil. Towards the end a few of the stories lost their appeal and felt like they were dragging, which is why I'm only giving this one four stars. I think a couple of the stories didn't really shine the same as say that 2nd to last chapter, which I will eagerly await the movie for. But, if you like spooky stuff, old wives tales, cool takes on superstitions or all of the above check out this book.
sucharita's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
booksandsalt's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
blushinurcheeks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you so much Elle Beaumont and BookSirens for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book! As this is an anthology collection, I will be keeping my review focused on Beaumont’s story (One Last Breath). I did want to make a quick note and say that all of these stories are such a wild ride from start to finish and I throughly enjoyed reading this entire collection.
Now, focusing on One Last Breath.
While I did enjoy the story, the idea, and all the characters, I felt like this one was a little short compared to some of the other works. There was just something about it that seemed like the story was lacking something, to the point that when I finished it, I felt conflicted. I remember thinking “that’s it?” I’m guessing that I would’ve liked the story to be a tad longer so certain parts could be fleshed out more. I think particularly the final battle felt a little rushed to me. But the story idea was very cool. The mystery was very well done. Perhaps after the reveal of the cause of the murders, things ramped up a lot faster than I anticipated. I loved Misty and Iniya and their relationship. Maybe I’m just a sucker for love, but I would’ve loved to have seen them interact a little bit more (I’m a romantic and I love sapphics what can I say?). Overall I think if you’re looking for a quick mystery, One Last Breath is a great one to check out.
Thank you once again to Elle Beaumont and BookSirens!
Now, focusing on One Last Breath.
While I did enjoy the story, the idea, and all the characters, I felt like this one was a little short compared to some of the other works. There was just something about it that seemed like the story was lacking something, to the point that when I finished it, I felt conflicted. I remember thinking “that’s it?” I’m guessing that I would’ve liked the story to be a tad longer so certain parts could be fleshed out more. I think particularly the final battle felt a little rushed to me. But the story idea was very cool. The mystery was very well done. Perhaps after the reveal of the cause of the murders, things ramped up a lot faster than I anticipated. I loved Misty and Iniya and their relationship. Maybe I’m just a sucker for love, but I would’ve loved to have seen them interact a little bit more (I’m a romantic and I love sapphics what can I say?). Overall I think if you’re looking for a quick mystery, One Last Breath is a great one to check out.
Thank you once again to Elle Beaumont and BookSirens!
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