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gnashchick's review
4.0
This book arrived just in time for Halloween, full of vampires, lovers, and other monsters. Horror is my favorite genre, and I was excited to see this anthology that celebrates Black horror writers. Growing up, I saw a handful of vampires and monsters like Blade, Blacula, and The Candyman, but those stories were all filtered through the white lens of Hollywood. This book is different, and yes, revolutionary.
As with any anthology, not all of the stories were to my taste, but I found so very many that were. My can't-miss, put-it-on-my-Stoker-list stories are: "The Dance" by L. Marie Wood combined music, desire, and betrayal into a story that just sings through me. I can't say that the monster is a classic vampire but she's certainly vampiric. It reminded me of the club scene of the late 80's, and how it was possible to fall in love on the dance floor. Another that rose to the top of my list was "Diary of a Mad Black Vampire" by Dicey Grenor. Again, it's an erotic infatuation between women, one an ancient vampire, the other a beguiling woman. (There may be a theme to my favorites...)
I did find several stories without a satisfactory ending. A few felt like an excerpt of a larger work, but overall, the depth and breadth of the Vampire Noire theme was a joy to read.
As with any anthology, not all of the stories were to my taste, but I found so very many that were. My can't-miss, put-it-on-my-Stoker-list stories are: "The Dance" by L. Marie Wood combined music, desire, and betrayal into a story that just sings through me. I can't say that the monster is a classic vampire but she's certainly vampiric. It reminded me of the club scene of the late 80's, and how it was possible to fall in love on the dance floor. Another that rose to the top of my list was "Diary of a Mad Black Vampire" by Dicey Grenor. Again, it's an erotic infatuation between women, one an ancient vampire, the other a beguiling woman. (There may be a theme to my favorites...)
I did find several stories without a satisfactory ending. A few felt like an excerpt of a larger work, but overall, the depth and breadth of the Vampire Noire theme was a joy to read.
fullybookedwithdanielle's review
5.0
This was a wonderful anthology of short stories! I've read a few this year, and this may be my favourite so far. I read it in the spirit of Halloween, and I am so happy I did as it's the perfect read for it. The anthology focuses solely on vampire tales from across the African diaspora. The anthology is split into three sections: UK/America, Africa and Future. I found this to be a nice touch and I like that it organised the tales according to diaspora/ theme as this wasn't something I had previously considered in the sense of how different story plots would be affected according to where they are geographically in the world, as well as time wise (although looking back, of course it would be).
The stories were all so richly imagined, with some tales revolving around a killer vampire elephant, as well as another about a murderous disco vampire siren killer (one of my favourite stories!). Each story was so unique and although I didn't enjoy every single one, I appreciated the imagination in each story.
I loved that every single main character was black, as this isn't something that I have frequently encountered with regards to vampires. It was certainly very refreshing to read. My favourite section was the Future section, as although I'm not a massive fan of science fiction, I thought the stories in this section were the most captivating and enthralling to read.
My only criticisms were that I thought some of the stories ended unnecessarily abruptly. It seemed rushed and slightly lazy of some of the writers, particularly since the stories were really engaging prior to that. This isn't really a criticism but a lot of the stories I really wanted to read so much more about! It's not that these ones ended abruptly, just that the stories were so brilliant that I wanted it to be a full blown story.
I would say if you're looking to diversify your bookshelf and you love anything to do with sci fi or fantasy, 100% this is the book for you. Also, the front cover? Possibly my favourite of the year.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The stories were all so richly imagined, with some tales revolving around a killer vampire elephant, as well as another about a murderous disco vampire siren killer (one of my favourite stories!). Each story was so unique and although I didn't enjoy every single one, I appreciated the imagination in each story.
I loved that every single main character was black, as this isn't something that I have frequently encountered with regards to vampires. It was certainly very refreshing to read. My favourite section was the Future section, as although I'm not a massive fan of science fiction, I thought the stories in this section were the most captivating and enthralling to read.
My only criticisms were that I thought some of the stories ended unnecessarily abruptly. It seemed rushed and slightly lazy of some of the writers, particularly since the stories were really engaging prior to that. This isn't really a criticism but a lot of the stories I really wanted to read so much more about! It's not that these ones ended abruptly, just that the stories were so brilliant that I wanted it to be a full blown story.
I would say if you're looking to diversify your bookshelf and you love anything to do with sci fi or fantasy, 100% this is the book for you. Also, the front cover? Possibly my favourite of the year.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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