readbydusk's review
5.0
This is a superb anthology featuring a wide range of horror including psychological, blood and gore, hauntings, and unknown terrors. The authors included are diverse and provide a variety of stories. I liked that each story is not too long but perfectly encapsulated in a few short pages. I don’t often read anthologies as I find them difficult to digest because of the different levels of writing and storytelling. But here there is not a single dud, and the writing is outstanding throughout. Reading this book made me feel like I never knew where the next scare is coming, and I loved it!
Hard to pick a favourite but I really liked “Roxy” by Viktoria Faust which has an ending I didn’t see coming, “Lily’s Kids” by Florence Ann Marlowe which has creepy children (I love them!) and “Old Gods” by Sue Bentley which is just beautifully bleak. Other notable picks are "The Debt" (John Haas), "The Barber" (A.P. Sessler), "The First Circle" (Sue Eaton), "Suds and Monsters" (Christopher Stanley) and "Curious, If Anything" (C.C. Adams).
If you’re looking for an anthology with excellent horror short stories by authors you may not have read before I totally recommend this. Just in time for Halloween!
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
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Hard to pick a favourite but I really liked “Roxy” by Viktoria Faust which has an ending I didn’t see coming, “Lily’s Kids” by Florence Ann Marlowe which has creepy children (I love them!) and “Old Gods” by Sue Bentley which is just beautifully bleak. Other notable picks are "The Debt" (John Haas), "The Barber" (A.P. Sessler), "The First Circle" (Sue Eaton), "Suds and Monsters" (Christopher Stanley) and "Curious, If Anything" (C.C. Adams).
If you’re looking for an anthology with excellent horror short stories by authors you may not have read before I totally recommend this. Just in time for Halloween!
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.
book blog | twitter | instagram
wellwortharead's review
4.0
Within these pages, you will find ghostly apparitions, sinister secrets, grisly murders, gruesome hobbies, and debilitating loss. All of the authors are new to me, and although every story may not have been my cup of tea, each brings something unique to the table.
This was an eclectic mix of tales that ranged from dark humor, to the more heart pounding horror and everything in between. My favorites in this anthology were "Suds and Monsters" by Christopher Stanley which is a timeless darkly comedic tale of hapless stepchild and spiteful stepmother. "The Haunting of April Heights" by Tricia Lowther is a more straight forward horror complete with bumps in the night after a young woman moves into a gloomy apartment with a somber past. "Murderabilia" by Adam Meyer is a slow decent into ghoulish obsession as a collector loses control of his hobby. "The First Circle" by Sue Eaton is creepy fun from start to finish and as someone who watches a lot of old TV the first thing I thought of was an episode of the old Dick Van Dyke Show titled It May Look Like A Walnut and I am sure a lot of you young people are scratching your head wondering what I am talking about but seriously look it up, it's free on YouTube. "Luna Too" by Jess Doyle finds a happy family on holiday who discover more than they expected inside their vacation rental.
"A Little Death" by Ryan Harville is both heart breaking and horrifying. I didn't think anything could be worse for a young man than to lose his wife and baby in the same day. I was wrong.
"Lily's Kids" by Florence Ann Marlowe begins innocently enough as young Jimmy Wades and his little sister Katie make the acquaintance of some unusual children... but this is a meeting they will soon regret.
These for me were the 5 star reads in this anthology.
I received an advance copy for review.
This was an eclectic mix of tales that ranged from dark humor, to the more heart pounding horror and everything in between. My favorites in this anthology were "Suds and Monsters" by Christopher Stanley which is a timeless darkly comedic tale of hapless stepchild and spiteful stepmother. "The Haunting of April Heights" by Tricia Lowther is a more straight forward horror complete with bumps in the night after a young woman moves into a gloomy apartment with a somber past. "Murderabilia" by Adam Meyer is a slow decent into ghoulish obsession as a collector loses control of his hobby. "The First Circle" by Sue Eaton is creepy fun from start to finish and as someone who watches a lot of old TV the first thing I thought of was an episode of the old Dick Van Dyke Show titled It May Look Like A Walnut and I am sure a lot of you young people are scratching your head wondering what I am talking about but seriously look it up, it's free on YouTube. "Luna Too" by Jess Doyle finds a happy family on holiday who discover more than they expected inside their vacation rental.
"A Little Death" by Ryan Harville is both heart breaking and horrifying. I didn't think anything could be worse for a young man than to lose his wife and baby in the same day. I was wrong.
"Lily's Kids" by Florence Ann Marlowe begins innocently enough as young Jimmy Wades and his little sister Katie make the acquaintance of some unusual children... but this is a meeting they will soon regret.
These for me were the 5 star reads in this anthology.
I received an advance copy for review.
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