mad_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
TALES FROM VALLEYVIEW CEMETERY is a collection of interconnected stories where all variety of ghosts and ghoulies come out to play. For the most part, the cemetery is the glue that binds these tales with place as protagonist.
These stories run the gamut of what-happened-in-the-cemetery possibilities running from basic ghost, to demonic ritual, to full-fledged demon.
One thing that I noticed is that most of the stories end very abruptly. That can be quite jarring, not to mention unsatisfying. Short stories can leave you speculating on what more may have happened, but these end like a song cut short or music that fails to trail off.
The writing and editing are quite good, so if you enjoy a good ghost story and would like to see what other bad things can happen in a small town cemetery, I suggest a visit to the Valleyview Cemetery sometime soon.
These stories run the gamut of what-happened-in-the-cemetery possibilities running from basic ghost, to demonic ritual, to full-fledged demon.
One thing that I noticed is that most of the stories end very abruptly. That can be quite jarring, not to mention unsatisfying. Short stories can leave you speculating on what more may have happened, but these end like a song cut short or music that fails to trail off.
The writing and editing are quite good, so if you enjoy a good ghost story and would like to see what other bad things can happen in a small town cemetery, I suggest a visit to the Valleyview Cemetery sometime soon.
inkyinsanity's review against another edition
3.0
No spoilers.
I picked this up from the authors at a local comic con. It seemed interesting and I like ghost stories, so I gave it a try.
There are seventeen stories and three apendices, which are mini sequals to some of the stories. Most of them were interesting but didn’t catch my attention. The writing is bland and I couldn’t relate to or understand most of the characters, but I definitely see potential for later books as the authors become more experienced.
The stories and characters occasionally get brief mentions in the other stories, but there’s barely any bleed over, so you can read them in any order.
Angel Music
Two stars
A woman sees two blind girls playing in a cemetery and hears captivating music in the chapel. I don’t have much to say about this one because it was boring.
Married, Buried
Two stars
A pair of adulterers meet in the cemetery. This one had a typo that mixed up the men’s names and confused me for a moment. It was also boring and the cheaters were ridiculously stupid.
Other Voices, Other Tombs
Four stars
The first story in here that I really liked. A single father hears voices on his baby monitor and is compelled to investigate his family history. The writing was still bland but I understood the character. This twist actually made me twitch like a horror story should.
The Caretaker
Four stars
I didn’t like the beginning but liked the ending. A grieving teenager finds refuge in the cemetery and meets the caretaker.
A Matter of Course
Two stars
A jogger sees people’s names on headstones before their deaths. Intriguing idea but more bland writing and boring character.
All Hallow’s Eve
Three stars
An arguing couple enter the corn maze at a local fair. I hated the characters and was quite (sadistically) pleased with the ending.
Knocking Back
Three stars
A group of teenagers test a myth about knocking at a cemetery mausoleum. The characters were bland but the story was cool and creepy. Good ending.
Out to Lunch
Three stars
A gluttonous man hides in the cemetery to eat lunch. I felt really bad for this character but still found the writing boring.
Scry the Crow
One star
A worried mother sends a PI to find her missing son. This one only makes sense in context of a few of the other stories. I didn’t like it. Stuff wasn’t explained and I only figured out what was going on after I finished all the stories.
Vermin
Three stars
Three gravediggers find themselves in trouble from the local wildlife. I like animals and diseases and gore and that’s three stars right there. Otherwise, more boring characters and bland writing.
Dead Can Dance
Three stars
A goth teenager finds refuge from school bullies among the graves. Another bland character but I liked the ending.
Easy Prey
Four stars
‘Tommy’ stalks a rich couple on their daily walk and decides to take action. The character was insane and psychotic and thus less bland, and I loved the twist.
Randall’s Complex
Three stars
A nervous man visits his mother’s grave every month. The character was bland but so pathetic I still felt bad for him.
Moira’s Homecoming
Two stars
A recently married couple visit the wife’s mother to give birth. Good beginning, poor ending. I really wanted to like this one, and it just got the kind of weird I don’t like.
One Foot in the Grave
Five stars
A nursing home resident suspects the orderlies when his friends keep dying. This one was so good. I liked the character, the story was interesting, and the twist was good.
After the Game
Four stars
A teenage baseball player cuts through the cemetery after a bad loss. I don’t care about baseball but I like zombies.
Pact and Principle
Four stars
A ghost asks a psychic to dispose of a demon. Interesting idea, acceptable character, and okay ending. Plus I love Charlie.
Overall, I thought the writing was dull and the characterization needed work, but I enjoyed several of the stories. They’re creepy and gory and I read the book in about an hour. If you want a quick horror read, maybe try this.
I picked this up from the authors at a local comic con. It seemed interesting and I like ghost stories, so I gave it a try.
There are seventeen stories and three apendices, which are mini sequals to some of the stories. Most of them were interesting but didn’t catch my attention. The writing is bland and I couldn’t relate to or understand most of the characters, but I definitely see potential for later books as the authors become more experienced.
The stories and characters occasionally get brief mentions in the other stories, but there’s barely any bleed over, so you can read them in any order.
Angel Music
Two stars
A woman sees two blind girls playing in a cemetery and hears captivating music in the chapel. I don’t have much to say about this one because it was boring.
Married, Buried
Two stars
A pair of adulterers meet in the cemetery. This one had a typo that mixed up the men’s names and confused me for a moment. It was also boring and the cheaters were ridiculously stupid.
Other Voices, Other Tombs
Four stars
The first story in here that I really liked. A single father hears voices on his baby monitor and is compelled to investigate his family history. The writing was still bland but I understood the character. This twist actually made me twitch like a horror story should.
The Caretaker
Four stars
I didn’t like the beginning but liked the ending. A grieving teenager finds refuge in the cemetery and meets the caretaker.
A Matter of Course
Two stars
A jogger sees people’s names on headstones before their deaths. Intriguing idea but more bland writing and boring character.
All Hallow’s Eve
Three stars
An arguing couple enter the corn maze at a local fair. I hated the characters and was quite (sadistically) pleased with the ending.
Knocking Back
Three stars
A group of teenagers test a myth about knocking at a cemetery mausoleum. The characters were bland but the story was cool and creepy. Good ending.
Out to Lunch
Three stars
A gluttonous man hides in the cemetery to eat lunch. I felt really bad for this character but still found the writing boring.
Scry the Crow
One star
A worried mother sends a PI to find her missing son. This one only makes sense in context of a few of the other stories. I didn’t like it. Stuff wasn’t explained and I only figured out what was going on after I finished all the stories.
Vermin
Three stars
Three gravediggers find themselves in trouble from the local wildlife. I like animals and diseases and gore and that’s three stars right there. Otherwise, more boring characters and bland writing.
Dead Can Dance
Three stars
A goth teenager finds refuge from school bullies among the graves. Another bland character but I liked the ending.
Easy Prey
Four stars
‘Tommy’ stalks a rich couple on their daily walk and decides to take action. The character was insane and psychotic and thus less bland, and I loved the twist.
Randall’s Complex
Three stars
A nervous man visits his mother’s grave every month. The character was bland but so pathetic I still felt bad for him.
Moira’s Homecoming
Two stars
A recently married couple visit the wife’s mother to give birth. Good beginning, poor ending. I really wanted to like this one, and it just got the kind of weird I don’t like.
One Foot in the Grave
Five stars
A nursing home resident suspects the orderlies when his friends keep dying. This one was so good. I liked the character, the story was interesting, and the twist was good.
After the Game
Four stars
A teenage baseball player cuts through the cemetery after a bad loss. I don’t care about baseball but I like zombies.
Pact and Principle
Four stars
A ghost asks a psychic to dispose of a demon. Interesting idea, acceptable character, and okay ending. Plus I love Charlie.
Overall, I thought the writing was dull and the characterization needed work, but I enjoyed several of the stories. They’re creepy and gory and I read the book in about an hour. If you want a quick horror read, maybe try this.
eyed's review
3.0
I picked this up after having read Marvelry's Curiosity Shop and At The Cemetery Gates: Year One.
In this collection the stories were all just good. It was a quick read so definitely worth it but only one of the stories really stood out for me and that was "Other Voices, Other Tombs". Something about this particular story was super creepy to me. I would recommend this for anyone who wants a quick entertaining read.
In this collection the stories were all just good. It was a quick read so definitely worth it but only one of the stories really stood out for me and that was "Other Voices, Other Tombs". Something about this particular story was super creepy to me. I would recommend this for anyone who wants a quick entertaining read.
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