ericarobyn's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Terror in the Trench: An Anthology of Aquatic Horror edited by Jay Alexander is a collection of chilling tales all centered around the horrors that await below the surface of the waters.
All proceeds from the sale of this book were supped to go to the Shark Trust, but unfortunately, the publisher seems to have disappeared so I can’t confirm whether or not that happened. The three books in the series seem to have been pulled from online retailers as well.
Shout out to the publisher for including a general content warning at the start of the book, referencing more detailed warnings at the back for anyone who would like to check them out. This was handled wonderfully!
This collection was fun! I have always been drawn to ocean horror being someone who grew up on an island where I saw the ocean every day, so was wicked excited to give this one a read!
There were quite a few tales that I absolutely loved. My favorites from the collection included:
- Distress Call by Laurel Hightower
- Project Whale Song by Kay Hanifen
- The Angler and the Raven by Joshua Marsella
- Deep Purple by Thomas Gloom
- Julia by Andrew Cull
- The Last Dive by Catarina Prata
Per usual, here are my thoughts on each tale:
Distress Call by Laurel Hightower –
Going after her boss who failed to return after checking out a submarine that had resurfaced, this woman is cautious but determined to get him back on board their ship. But little does she know, she’s not alone in the submarine.
I first read this tale in Laurel’s short story collection, Every Woman Knows This. It was even more chilling the second time knowing what was going to happen, but not being sure when.
Project Whale Song by Kay Hanifen –
Displayed as an incident report, we follow the transmissions from a scientific vessel that begin with a mayday and only get more desperate.
I’m not sure what was more terrifying here, the content of the transmissions themselves or the reaction to the case at the end of the incident report.
The Angler and the Raven by Joshua Marsella –
Self-isolating to live a simple life after a tragic incident he still mourns, this man goes out for his usual fishing trip. Little does he know, this will be his last one.
The slow burn beginning here was done so well! By the time the terror kicked in, I was so invested in seeing what would happen.
Deep Purple by Thomas Gloom –
Sent down to investigate a cruise ship, this dive team feels that something is odd before they even hit the water. Of course, they were right to be worried.
The thought of having to investigate a cruise ship underwater is absolutely terrifying to me. I went on one during my class trip and got lost every single day we were on it. I can’t imagine trying to navigate in the water and darkness.
Melancholic Blue by Mocha Pennington –
While on a fancy yacht, this woman has had enough of her abusive husband. She snaps and kills him. Or so she thinks…
The “What are you” scene was so good!
Deepwater Siren by Nicola Kapron –
Going down into Challenger Deep, this sub-operator is distracted by lights. Diving much faster than he should, he soon loses control.
This is such an unsettling tale. The thought of trying to go that deep under the water absolutely terrifies me. And what he finds… Yikes!
Escargot, Except It’s You by Nikki R. Leigh –
Determined to get a rumored deep sea snail in order to up her cooking game, this woman has been plotting for years. Today, she thinks she will get her way no matter what needs to be done.
Wow, what a terrible person this character was! I was rooting for them to fail, but I couldn’t help but be curious to see how their plan would play out if they were successful.
Werewolves and Tentacles by Spencer Hamilton –
Mourning the loss of a loved one, the sister and the boyfriend struggle to keep their grief together while sticking to their mission. But these two have other things they’re struggling to keep in check as well. Letting them loose would be disastrous.
I never thought I’d need a werewolf ocean horror tale in my brain, but here we are. This was SO good. I was so anxious each step of the way and I loved that it started with a scene of terror before stepping back to show us how we ended up there.
Unfathomable by Matthew Stevens –
Diving into a cave underwater in a sub, the comlink cuts out immediately leaving this man alone. His goal is to explore the uncharted cave and he hopes to make new discoveries along the way. But is he ready for what he’s about to see?
Going underwater in a sub is terrifying enough to me… but then to take the sun into an unknown cave system? I was so claustrophobic reading this one!
Light The Way by Megan Kiekel Anderson –
Calling out the monsters humans are, these beings from below are finally sick of watching what humanity is doing to the oceans. They now rise up.
What a chilling short tale packed with brutal truths.
Julia by Andrew Cull –
When a sound recording from the sea is sent to this grieving man, he goes out with a crew to investigate. He says he doesn’t know what’s out there, but as we get flashbacks to his past and travel further into the straight they’re searching in, it becomes clear that he may not have been truthful in saying that.
My gosh, the flashbacks were gut-wrenching. Paired with the mystery and intensity of the current timeline, this story was impossible to put down!
The Last Dive by Catarina Prata –
While on a risky dove, this woman’s light starts to act up. Her diving partner isn’t phased as his curiosity is more interested in a blue light he can see. Soon, there is more anger than just a glitching light.
The author really puts you into this character’s flippers! I caught myself holding my breath a lot while reading this one!
Pressure Differentials by Hannah Hulbert –
Deep under the sea, this crew is focused on repairing oil equipment. Explaining the isolation of the job and all its risk, the one risk they didn’t plan for was a visitor.
This story had me ready to jump out of my skin. I was so ready for a jump scare or something terrible to happen with each step the tale took.
The Many Ghosts of the Deep by Craig Wallwork –
When a plane crash lands in the ocean, these people are shocked to learn that getting out of the plane may put them in a more dangerous position than staying inside…
Jeez, this one is terrifying. Straight out of my nightmares! But what a powerful tale of motherhood too!
The End of the Line by Jack Harding –
Out fishing, this old man struggles to remember. Soon, he’s unsure what year it is and why he’s out there.
This poor man. The dementia element really makes this a tale that can be seen in a few different lights.
My Favorite Passages from Terror in the Trench –
Only minutes ago, the crystal-clear water of the Caribbean and the colours of vibrant ocean life surrounded me. Now, it’s as if I have sealed myself in my own coffin.
— Unfathomable by Matthew Stevens
— Unfathomable by Matthew Stevens
If you want to save the starving children, you can forget it. If you want to throw millions of dollars at Mars or the Mariana Trench, well, there’s a billionaire for that.
— Julia by Andrew Cull
— Julia by Andrew Cull
As the light came back, it had vanished and I could see a problem, spreading into the thick water, almost as dark as the ocean in the deep. Blood.
— The Last Dive by Catarina Prata
— The Last Dive by Catarina Prata
My Final Thoughts on Terror in the Trench –
Overall this is a fun collection of tales! I had so much fun reading most of the tales and it was great to see some familiar names as well as some new-to-me authors! I really enjoyed the collection overall, even if a few of the tales didn’t hit the mark for me.
This is a great read for fans of ocean horror!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
johnlynchbooks's review
4.0
Dead Sea press kicks off a series of charity anthologies with Terror in the Trench. Anthologies can be a bit of a mixed bag, but I was excited for this one because of the theme. I think that despite the beauty and wonder of the ocean, it is also a horrible, unknowable place. Familiar names in this anthology led me to believe that it was in good hands, and I must say, it did not disappoint.
My favorite stories here were
Distress Call by Laurel Hightower
The angler and the raven by Josh Marsella
Julia by Andy Cull
The end of the line by Jack Harding
definitely check this one out, all proceeds go to the shark trust.
My favorite stories here were
Distress Call by Laurel Hightower
The angler and the raven by Josh Marsella
Julia by Andy Cull
The end of the line by Jack Harding
definitely check this one out, all proceeds go to the shark trust.
davemusson85's review
4.0
The ocean is four things; big, wet, beautiful, and terrifying. This first collection from Dead Sea Press - which is also raising money for the Shark Trust along the way - captures all of those things wonderfully, and is another example of just how much incredible indie horror talent there is to discover.
As with any anthology, not everything here did the business for me - although I will say that this one’s hit rate was impressively high. From Laurel Hightower’s messed up ghost ship/creepy mermaid mashup Distress Call at the start, to Jack Harding’s downbeat ending of The End of The Line, there is a lot to love here.
My favourites were Melancholic Blue by Mocha Pennington, which was beautifully written, chilling, and haunting, and Julia by Andrew Cull, which was simply excellent - really assured and accomplished writing and a story that gets more disturbing as it goes on.
However, I also want to shout out some others that I enjoyed: Thomas Gloom’s Deep Purple was super creative, likewise Escargot Except It’s You by Nikki R Leigh. Spencer Hamilton’s decision to put a werewolf at the bottom of the sea was wonderful, The Many Ghosts of the Deep by Craig Wallwork was devastating and terrific, while Joshua Marsella’s The Angler and the Raven had the single best gross-out of the entire collection.
In short, this is a fantastic anthology that is well worth your time, and is the first of many charity collections from this new imprint. If the rest are as strong as this, we’re in for a treat!
As with any anthology, not everything here did the business for me - although I will say that this one’s hit rate was impressively high. From Laurel Hightower’s messed up ghost ship/creepy mermaid mashup Distress Call at the start, to Jack Harding’s downbeat ending of The End of The Line, there is a lot to love here.
My favourites were Melancholic Blue by Mocha Pennington, which was beautifully written, chilling, and haunting, and Julia by Andrew Cull, which was simply excellent - really assured and accomplished writing and a story that gets more disturbing as it goes on.
However, I also want to shout out some others that I enjoyed: Thomas Gloom’s Deep Purple was super creative, likewise Escargot Except It’s You by Nikki R Leigh. Spencer Hamilton’s decision to put a werewolf at the bottom of the sea was wonderful, The Many Ghosts of the Deep by Craig Wallwork was devastating and terrific, while Joshua Marsella’s The Angler and the Raven had the single best gross-out of the entire collection.
In short, this is a fantastic anthology that is well worth your time, and is the first of many charity collections from this new imprint. If the rest are as strong as this, we’re in for a treat!
bobmetal's review
4.0
A really entertaining collection of underwater themed horror
Distress Call - Sophie goes looking for her employer on a recently surfaced lost submarine, she finds more than she expected 5/5
Project Whale Song - An experiment in using a new type of Sonar mapping wakes up something far beneath the ocean 5/5
The Angler and the Raven - A survivor from a cargo ship disaster meets the consequences of his actions 4/5
Deep Purple - A missing cruise ship reappears, does something nasty lurk inside? (yes, the answer is always yes) 5/5
Melancholic Blue - Committing a murder on a yacht leads to unexpected terrors 4/5
Deepwater Siren - Deepsea Submarine sees lights lower than should be possible 4/5
Escargot, Except it's You -An obsession with underwater Snails, leads to death and despair 5/5
Werewolves and Tentacles - Superheroes, Underwater terrors and a Werewolf collide 4/5
Unfathomable - A Scientist with a superiority complex meets his match in an underwater cave 4/5
Light the Way - The anglerfish will have its revenge 3/5
Julia - A strange noise from the depths seems to be calling to man who lost his wife and daughter in boat accident 5/5
The Last Dive - A couple prepare for their final dive together, in more ways than one 3/5
Pressure Differentials - A deep sea drilling expedition meets a underwater terror 3/5
The Many Ghosts of the Deep - A plane crash and a sea serpent, a mother tries to keep her daughter alive. I loved the ambiguity with this one 5/5
The Many Ghosts of the Deep - An old man trying to catch some fish, but things take a turn for the strange in the Lovecraftian tale 5/5
Distress Call - Sophie goes looking for her employer on a recently surfaced lost submarine, she finds more than she expected 5/5
Project Whale Song - An experiment in using a new type of Sonar mapping wakes up something far beneath the ocean 5/5
The Angler and the Raven - A survivor from a cargo ship disaster meets the consequences of his actions 4/5
Deep Purple - A missing cruise ship reappears, does something nasty lurk inside? (yes, the answer is always yes) 5/5
Melancholic Blue - Committing a murder on a yacht leads to unexpected terrors 4/5
Deepwater Siren - Deepsea Submarine sees lights lower than should be possible 4/5
Escargot, Except it's You -An obsession with underwater Snails, leads to death and despair 5/5
Werewolves and Tentacles - Superheroes, Underwater terrors and a Werewolf collide 4/5
Unfathomable - A Scientist with a superiority complex meets his match in an underwater cave 4/5
Light the Way - The anglerfish will have its revenge 3/5
Julia - A strange noise from the depths seems to be calling to man who lost his wife and daughter in boat accident 5/5
The Last Dive - A couple prepare for their final dive together, in more ways than one 3/5
Pressure Differentials - A deep sea drilling expedition meets a underwater terror 3/5
The Many Ghosts of the Deep - A plane crash and a sea serpent, a mother tries to keep her daughter alive. I loved the ambiguity with this one 5/5
The Many Ghosts of the Deep - An old man trying to catch some fish, but things take a turn for the strange in the Lovecraftian tale 5/5
vanquishingvolumes's review
3.0
Great Collection of Aquatic Horror
The deep sea is a perfect setting for horror stories in my opnion. The stretches of dark blue water, the depths to which humans have never plummetted, the mysteries we have never solved, the dead who linger beneath the waves, and the creatures who call this strange dark world their home.
While all stories hit differently (some favorites and others just a fun read), this was a fun anthalogy with a setting I love. Can't wait to read the rest of this series!
The deep sea is a perfect setting for horror stories in my opnion. The stretches of dark blue water, the depths to which humans have never plummetted, the mysteries we have never solved, the dead who linger beneath the waves, and the creatures who call this strange dark world their home.
While all stories hit differently (some favorites and others just a fun read), this was a fun anthalogy with a setting I love. Can't wait to read the rest of this series!
mariexlupin's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
3.75
mark_reads_books's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Finally got around to reading the first book in this anthology series. Fantastic collection of sea themed horror goodness from some great authors including our very own @rocket.man.reads with a stonking story to end the collection with a bang. Support Indie authors and grab yourself a copy.
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