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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
A couple good ones, one I skipped entirely, and most of them I was disinterested in.
I liked the ones by Rebecca Roan horse, Violet Allen, Nicole Sconiers, and Terence Taylor
I liked the ones by Rebecca Roan horse, Violet Allen, Nicole Sconiers, and Terence Taylor
Average rating: 3.03 ★
As most anthologies this was a mixed bag; some stories I actively disliked, some I really enjoyed and most landed somewhere in the middle. I also realised at some point that my taste might be very basic when it comes to horror – apparently I don’t like it when a story veers into very weird and/or experimental territory.
Initially I tried jotting down my thoughts after finishing each story, but I quickly realised that I kept repeating myself. More often than not it boiled down to some variation of “cool idea, but it was too short and/or the ending let it down” or “I don’t think I get it”. There were a few standouts though, which I feel should be highlighted. These were:
Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse – ★★★¾☆
⇨ Roanhorse’s writing is ridiculously compelling. Combine that with a cool concept and some nice character voices, and you’ve got yourself one of the best stories of the collection.
The Rider by Tananarive Due – ★★★★☆
⇨ Given the low wordcount, I was very impressed by how much the characters leapt of the page and how tangible the atmosphere felt. Maybe this is a sign that I should pick up something by Tananarive Due in the future.
A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree by Nicole D. Sconiers – ★★★¾☆
⇨ It feels a bit weird to call this fun, but that’s what I felt – I had a lot of fun listening to this.
Your Happy Place by Terence Taylor – ★★★¾☆
⇨ Holy Black Mirror, that ending. This or The Rider is my favourite of the collection.
As most anthologies this was a mixed bag; some stories I actively disliked, some I really enjoyed and most landed somewhere in the middle. I also realised at some point that my taste might be very basic when it comes to horror – apparently I don’t like it when a story veers into very weird and/or experimental territory.
Initially I tried jotting down my thoughts after finishing each story, but I quickly realised that I kept repeating myself. More often than not it boiled down to some variation of “cool idea, but it was too short and/or the ending let it down” or “I don’t think I get it”. There were a few standouts though, which I feel should be highlighted. These were:
Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse – ★★★¾☆
⇨ Roanhorse’s writing is ridiculously compelling. Combine that with a cool concept and some nice character voices, and you’ve got yourself one of the best stories of the collection.
The Rider by Tananarive Due – ★★★★☆
⇨ Given the low wordcount, I was very impressed by how much the characters leapt of the page and how tangible the atmosphere felt. Maybe this is a sign that I should pick up something by Tananarive Due in the future.
A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree by Nicole D. Sconiers – ★★★¾☆
⇨ It feels a bit weird to call this fun, but that’s what I felt – I had a lot of fun listening to this.
Your Happy Place by Terence Taylor – ★★★¾☆
⇨ Holy Black Mirror, that ending. This or The Rider is my favourite of the collection.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
N. K. Jemisin: Reckless Eyeballing | 4/5
Rebecca Roanhorse: Eye & Tooth | 4.5/5
Cadwell Turnbull: Wandering Devil | 4/5
Lesley Nneka Arimah: Invasion of The Baby Snatchers | 1/5
Violet Allen: The Other One | 5/5
Rrin E. Adams: Lasirèn | 2/5
Tananarive Due: The Rider | 4.5/5
Justin C. Key: The Aesthete | 2/5
Ezra Claytan Daniels: Pressure | 3/5
Nnedi Okorafor: Dark Home | 5/5
L. D. Lewis: Flicker | 4/5
Nalo Hopkinson: The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of The World | 3/5
Maurice Broaddus: The Norwood Trouble | 4/5
Rion Amilcar Scott: A Grief of The Dead | 3.5/5
Nicole D. Sconiers: A Bird Sings by The Etching Tree | 1/5
Chesya Burke: An American Fable | 4/5
Terence Taylor: Your Happy Place | 5/5
P. Djèlí Clark: Hide & Seek | 4/5
Tochi Onyebuchi: Origin Story | 1/5
Rebecca Roanhorse: Eye & Tooth | 4.5/5
Cadwell Turnbull: Wandering Devil | 4/5
Lesley Nneka Arimah: Invasion of The Baby Snatchers | 1/5
Violet Allen: The Other One | 5/5
Rrin E. Adams: Lasirèn | 2/5
Tananarive Due: The Rider | 4.5/5
Justin C. Key: The Aesthete | 2/5
Ezra Claytan Daniels: Pressure | 3/5
Nnedi Okorafor: Dark Home | 5/5
L. D. Lewis: Flicker | 4/5
Nalo Hopkinson: The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of The World | 3/5
Maurice Broaddus: The Norwood Trouble | 4/5
Rion Amilcar Scott: A Grief of The Dead | 3.5/5
Nicole D. Sconiers: A Bird Sings by The Etching Tree | 1/5
Chesya Burke: An American Fable | 4/5
Terence Taylor: Your Happy Place | 5/5
P. Djèlí Clark: Hide & Seek | 4/5
Tochi Onyebuchi: Origin Story | 1/5
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Short stories by different authors is always going to be hit and miss for readers. There are some genuinely creepy stories in this anthology, some veer on the sci fi side on the horror spectrum and some on the supernatural. For fans of horror, you will find sufficient stories to grab your attention.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was really cool to see the different authors and their styles. Some of my favorite are Lasiren, an American fable, your happy place, hide and seek. Just to name a few
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes