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jugglingpup's review
5.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program.
I won this in a raffle on Goodreads years ago. I was so pumped for it, but then I moved at least once. It kept getting pushed further and further back on my to-read list. Then I finally started reading it last March, then put it down again for months. Every time I picked it up I loved it so much, but then I put it down and forgot it existed.
The stories are so amazing. There were very few that didn’t capture me with the very first sentence. The few that didn’t, usually ended up hooking me by the end. The stories range from magic to monsters to more subtle horrors. It was never exactly what I thought it was going to be. One of them was about the horrors of not being able to see yourself in yourself any more and not having control of your body/life. Even when I thought I knew where the story was going, I was generally wrong. These horror stories were true horror. They were scary, tense, and exactly what I think of when I think horror. They rank as some of the best horror that I have read. This is what I want when I read horror.
I am not a poetry fan though. I don’t understand poetry, so I didn’t enjoy any of those sections. It felt like it was thrown in to me, because poetry is just this whole other world. Thankfully the anthology was mostly stories. There was one poem near the end about abuse and families that I liked. It felt more like a short story than a poem.
My main issue with the anthology is it is an anthology, which I knew going in. It being an anthology was why I was able to put it down for weeks to months at a time without even thinking about it. The story I had read was done. I can’t hold this against the book however, because when I picked it back up I was enthralled again.
If you are looking for good horror, then this is for you. It will be my go-to recommendation for people trying to read good horror or for people who say they don’t like horror, because they are stuck in that main stream horror trap where everything is terribly overwritten and sexist. This should be the standard for horror.
I got a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program.
I won this in a raffle on Goodreads years ago. I was so pumped for it, but then I moved at least once. It kept getting pushed further and further back on my to-read list. Then I finally started reading it last March, then put it down again for months. Every time I picked it up I loved it so much, but then I put it down and forgot it existed.
The stories are so amazing. There were very few that didn’t capture me with the very first sentence. The few that didn’t, usually ended up hooking me by the end. The stories range from magic to monsters to more subtle horrors. It was never exactly what I thought it was going to be. One of them was about the horrors of not being able to see yourself in yourself any more and not having control of your body/life. Even when I thought I knew where the story was going, I was generally wrong. These horror stories were true horror. They were scary, tense, and exactly what I think of when I think horror. They rank as some of the best horror that I have read. This is what I want when I read horror.
I am not a poetry fan though. I don’t understand poetry, so I didn’t enjoy any of those sections. It felt like it was thrown in to me, because poetry is just this whole other world. Thankfully the anthology was mostly stories. There was one poem near the end about abuse and families that I liked. It felt more like a short story than a poem.
My main issue with the anthology is it is an anthology, which I knew going in. It being an anthology was why I was able to put it down for weeks to months at a time without even thinking about it. The story I had read was done. I can’t hold this against the book however, because when I picked it back up I was enthralled again.
If you are looking for good horror, then this is for you. It will be my go-to recommendation for people trying to read good horror or for people who say they don’t like horror, because they are stuck in that main stream horror trap where everything is terribly overwritten and sexist. This should be the standard for horror.
sumayyah_t's review against another edition
5.0
We are Sycorax's Daughters
Sycorax's Daughters are us. We are the saviors, the monsters, the witches, the the magic personified. Billed as horror, some stories fall under the speculative umbrella, and leave the reader with thoughts to ponder. Others leave the reader inexplicably chilled and turning on every light possible. Poetry is interspersed and offers views on love, death, and redemption.
Sycorax's Daughters are us. We are the saviors, the monsters, the witches, the the magic personified. Billed as horror, some stories fall under the speculative umbrella, and leave the reader with thoughts to ponder. Others leave the reader inexplicably chilled and turning on every light possible. Poetry is interspersed and offers views on love, death, and redemption.
klibri's review against another edition
2.5
"Summer Skin" by Zin E. Rocklyn ★★★½
"Taking the Good" by Dana Mcknight ★★★½
"Foundling" by Tenea D. Johnson ★★★½
"Taking the Good" by Dana Mcknight ★★★½
"Foundling" by Tenea D. Johnson ★★★½
zekereadseverything's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This is an anthology of horror-themed works (short stories and poems) by African American women. I liked the variety of themes in the various works, and the focus in the stories on Black women as focal characters. The stories vary widely in tone and subject matter so I think there is something for everyone, but I personally found the strong religious bent of some of the stories kind of off-putting.
Favourites: Tree of the Forest Seven Bells Turns the World Round Midnight by Sheree Renée Thomas, Kim by Nicole D. Sconiers, The Mankana-kil by L. Penelope.
Favourites: Tree of the Forest Seven Bells Turns the World Round Midnight by Sheree Renée Thomas, Kim by Nicole D. Sconiers, The Mankana-kil by L. Penelope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Bullying
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infertility, and Infidelity
caitlin_waddick's review
5.0
This book was a fun read. Black womxn writers. Black womxn characters.
Fabulous breadth of content:
Science fiction. Fantasy. Horror. Comedy. Mystery. Ghost stories. Caribbean mythology. Succubus. Monsters. Shapeshifters. Trolls. The paranormal. Mermaids. Varmpires. American slavery. Torture. Hell. Hallucination. Bad technology of our future or our parallel future. Down by the Bayou. Seeing auras. Voodoo/hoodoo. People of varying social classes. The only dyke bar still open. ... Lacking only werewolves. So, as long as you aren't, like, "Werewolves or bust," you''ll find fun herein!
The writing quality varies widely, and I liked it.
Fabulous breadth of content:
Science fiction. Fantasy. Horror. Comedy. Mystery. Ghost stories. Caribbean mythology. Succubus. Monsters. Shapeshifters. Trolls. The paranormal. Mermaids. Varmpires. American slavery. Torture. Hell. Hallucination. Bad technology of our future or our parallel future. Down by the Bayou. Seeing auras. Voodoo/hoodoo. People of varying social classes. The only dyke bar still open. ... Lacking only werewolves. So, as long as you aren't, like, "Werewolves or bust," you''ll find fun herein!
The writing quality varies widely, and I liked it.
planetwhileaway's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A collection of short horror written by Black women. Other than a few duds, these stories were incredible. Some fun (Ma Laja, Born Again), some unsettling (Kim, The Ever After), and some heartbreaking (Letty, Mama), these stories offer a fresh and much-needed perspective on the horror genre. Unfortunately, many of these fantastic authors have not written anything outside of this collection. I hope that changes!
evavroslin's review
5.0
This is one of the highest quality anthologies I have read this year--highlighting the short stories and poems of Black women writers. Similarly to "Dark Mojo: Conjure Stories," this is an anthology with an unparalleled quality and features some of the most impactful and hard-hitting fiction I've read in a very long time. This should be on everyone's radar and definitely deserves some recognition come award season.
jjmbookstam92's review
3.0
I loved this book in concept but in practise I was dissappointed overall. It's usually hit and miss for me with short story bundles, same with this one. A lot of the more interesting ones ended abruptly without any purpose in either narrative tension or symbolism. The editing process has also fallen short quite a few times. With obvious typing and grammatical errors that have no basis in the style of the writer.
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