Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Death'
His Hideous Heart: 13 of Edgar Allan Poe's Most Unsettling Tales Reimagined by Dahlia Adler
7 reviews
el_wheel's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
She Rode a Horse of Fire: ⭐️⭐️ 1/2
I wish she'd done more to make the story her own. It really just felt like reading the original again in a different font.
It's Carnival!: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good writing, I enjoyed it as a retelling, but I really wanted more of their relationship, so I really understood why she did what she did. Like, don't get me wrong, female rage can be great story material, but I felt like there had to be more to it than just teasing and name calling.
Night-Tide: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful and haunting, there's not much else to say.
The Glittering Death: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a true crime lover, this one really got under my skin. The detail was there, the writing was really good and it gave me some really nice thriller vibes that I enjoyed a lot.
A Drop of Stolen Ink: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really wanted this in longer form, I enjoyed it a lot and just want a whole series based on these ideas, honestly.
Happy Days, Sweetheart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started off a little slow and unengaging, but I really like where it ended up going, and the ending really felt like the proper one for this story. I enjoyed the descriptions, and I enjoyed the complexity of the narrator and the relationship.
The Raven (Remix): ⭐️
It was just lacking. It wasn't a real retelling, and honestly, it feels like a cop-out. Especially after how well "Annabel Lee" was handled and changed into a whole, beautiful story.
Changeling: ⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I just feel like there wasn't a lot of characterization or substance to it.
The Oval Filter: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good writing, I loved the twist, and I couldn't stop reading it. It's just a good story and good use of the inspiration.
Red: ⭐️ 1/2
The writing is nice. The descriptions are beautiful, but the story itself doesn't have much to say. I wanted more everything. More characterization, more plot, more substance. It just felt like nothing much happened except descriptions. I got the idea of the story, sure, but I just wanted more to hold on to than flowery language. There's just so much I feel like could've been added here to give the story more meat.
Lygia: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good. The writing was good. It was compelling. I was just a little confused by the ending. My assumption initially was that Roberta changed her own appearance, but the last paragraph makes me think the narrator was simply hallucinating? I'm not entirely sure. I wish I knew where the "here" she was brought to was, so I had a better idea of how this story is meant to be interpreted, especially considering it's never actually mentioned that she's brought anywhere before that very last paragraph. I suppose it just felt like a last-minute twist that didn't fit into the rest of the story. Besides that, it was a good retelling, and I enjoyed reading it. I liked the lesbian lovers twist, and I felt bad for Roberta.
The Fall of the Bank of Usher: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I enjoyed this a lot. It was well written, I enjoyed the characters, and I liked the twist on the original story. It was a good retelling. I enjoyed the scify elements the story brought, and the ending was satisfying. It didn't go how I imagined it would when I started the story, but in a very good way.
The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so good. It was incredibly well written and very engaging. Once I started it, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading. The ending was incredibly satisfying, but I was still disappointed to be done with it already. I enjoyed the characters, and I also really enjoyed the style in which it was written. It was a wonderful take on the original work as well.
The total score is an (averaged) 3.7, rounded/bumped up to a 4.25 to give some extra credit to the fact that I really enjoyed at least half of the stories in this collection. My favorite is hard to pin but I think really has to go to either The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay or Night-Tide
I wish she'd done more to make the story her own. It really just felt like reading the original again in a different font.
It's Carnival!: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good writing, I enjoyed it as a retelling, but I really wanted more of their relationship, so I really understood why she did what she did. Like, don't get me wrong, female rage can be great story material, but I felt like there had to be more to it than just teasing and name calling.
Night-Tide: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful and haunting, there's not much else to say.
The Glittering Death: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a true crime lover, this one really got under my skin. The detail was there, the writing was really good and it gave me some really nice thriller vibes that I enjoyed a lot.
A Drop of Stolen Ink: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really wanted this in longer form, I enjoyed it a lot and just want a whole series based on these ideas, honestly.
Happy Days, Sweetheart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started off a little slow and unengaging, but I really like where it ended up going, and the ending really felt like the proper one for this story. I enjoyed the descriptions, and I enjoyed the complexity of the narrator and the relationship.
The Raven (Remix): ⭐️
It was just lacking. It wasn't a real retelling, and honestly, it feels like a cop-out. Especially after how well "Annabel Lee" was handled and changed into a whole, beautiful story.
Changeling: ⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I just feel like there wasn't a lot of characterization or substance to it.
The Oval Filter: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good writing, I loved the twist, and I couldn't stop reading it. It's just a good story and good use of the inspiration.
Red: ⭐️ 1/2
The writing is nice. The descriptions are beautiful, but the story itself doesn't have much to say. I wanted more everything. More characterization, more plot, more substance. It just felt like nothing much happened except descriptions. I got the idea of the story, sure, but I just wanted more to hold on to than flowery language. There's just so much I feel like could've been added here to give the story more meat.
Lygia: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was good. The writing was good. It was compelling. I was just a little confused by the ending. My assumption initially was that Roberta changed her own appearance, but the last paragraph makes me think the narrator was simply hallucinating? I'm not entirely sure. I wish I knew where the "here" she was brought to was, so I had a better idea of how this story is meant to be interpreted, especially considering it's never actually mentioned that she's brought anywhere before that very last paragraph. I suppose it just felt like a last-minute twist that didn't fit into the rest of the story. Besides that, it was a good retelling, and I enjoyed reading it. I liked the lesbian lovers twist, and I felt bad for Roberta.
The Fall of the Bank of Usher: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly, I enjoyed this a lot. It was well written, I enjoyed the characters, and I liked the twist on the original story. It was a good retelling. I enjoyed the scify elements the story brought, and the ending was satisfying. It didn't go how I imagined it would when I started the story, but in a very good way.
The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so good. It was incredibly well written and very engaging. Once I started it, I was hooked, and I couldn't stop reading. The ending was incredibly satisfying, but I was still disappointed to be done with it already. I enjoyed the characters, and I also really enjoyed the style in which it was written. It was a wonderful take on the original work as well.
The total score is an (averaged) 3.7, rounded/bumped up to a 4.25 to give some extra credit to the fact that I really enjoyed at least half of the stories in this collection. My favorite is hard to pin but I think really has to go to either The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay or Night-Tide
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Torture, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Racism, and Transphobia
Minor: Cancer, Bullying, Drug use, and Gore
guessgreenleaf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Torture, Confinement, Murder, and Violence
aqulia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some of the retellings were really good, such as "Night-Tide" by Tessa Gratton, and "The Murders in the Rue Apartelle, Boracay" by Rin Chupeco. I also liked some of Poe's original stories and poems, such as "The Raven", "Hop-Frog" and "The Masque of the Red Death". Other retellings and originals I found blander or confusing, but overall it's a solid book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Grief
Minor: Kidnapping and Torture
melodyseestrees's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Animal death
Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Ableism
chloemakesbooks's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Homophobia, and Torture
the_books_music_life's review
3.75
I wish more authors narrated their stories. It adds a whole new aspect to listening to them cause only the authors know how a certain character sounds and what their feeling the most, so the fact that almost all of the authors narrate their own stories makes me so happy and only adds to my reading/listening experience. You don't need to have read any of Edgar Allan Poe's works but I think it helps to have a good understanding of the stories and what was changed in the retelling. I really loved how all the stories and poems the retellings were based off of where in the back of the book so you could read them before or after you read the retellings.
She Rode a Horse of Fire - Kendara Blake
Inspired by: Metzengerstein
I really enjoyed this story, I love the way she took the original tale and molded into her own. I love Kendara’s writing and this didn’t disappoint. The changes she made were excellent and you honestly couldn't even tell it was a retelling.
--
It’s Carnival! - Tiffany D. Jackson
Inspired by: The Cask of Amontillado
The Jamaican flare she added to the retelling transported you into the story and the lyrical writing kept you there. Her voice when she narrates is musical. Just chiefs kiss.
--
Night-Tide by Tessa Gratton
Inspired by: Annabel Lee
This story stay true to the original of Annabelle Lee, which is my favorite of all of Edgar Allan Poe’s works and I’m glad the author didn’t go to far from the original and instead turned it into a lesbian love story set in a time where that kind of thing was thought of as evil and wicked.
--
The Glittering Death by Caleb Roehrig
Inspired by: The Pit and the Pendulum
I like how the murder mystery-ness of this gives me chills. The fact that this could actually happen to anyone is a frightening thing and the author does an amazing job of depicting that while also staying true to the original story.
--
A Drop of Stolen Ink - Emily Lloyd-Jones
Inspired by: The Purloined Letter
I really really enjoyed this. I have no other words but I really loved this. I can't even describe how much I loved this, I have no words.
--
Happy Days Sweetheart - Stephanie Kuehn
Inspired by: The Tell-Tale Heart
I don’t really have a lot to say about this retelling. It was good and showed how women, especially women of color, are often overlooked and ignored when a man or especially a white man is running against them.
--
The Raven Remix - Amanda Lovelace
Inspired by: The Raven
This was a…very short and unique remix of the classic. I’ve never read black out poetry before so maybe that has something to do with why I didn’t click with it.
--
Changeling - Marieke Nijkamp
Inspired by: Hop-Frog
This retelling had a little too much of a fantasy element for my tastes. It’s not my favorite out of the retellings which is sad because I love fantasy stories.
--
The Oval Filter - Lamar Giles
Inspired by: The Oval Portrait
This was more horror story than I was expecting and I'm here for it. I really liked the angle the author took.
--
Red - Hillary Monahan
Inspired by: The Masque of the Red Death
I was so confused by this whole story. Probably my least favorite of all the retellings. It was just so confusing and had no context about what was going on.
--
Lygia - Dahlia Adler
Inspired by: Ligeia
Another kind of confusing story but one I understand at least a little. The main point of the story is the power of grief and I think the author did really well.
--
The Fall of the Bank of Usher - Fran Wilde
Inspired by: The Fall of the House of Usher
I loved this one. Plain and simple I absolutely loved this. The almost syfi element the story took was so well executed and when it was over I just wanted more, I wanted their backstory and more from the characters.
--
The Murders in the Rue Apartelle Boracay - Rin Chupeco
Inspired by: The Murders in the Rue Morgue
I wasn't expecting the little plot twist at the very end of this, but honestly, with how much true crime videos and stuff I watch I'm ashamed that I didn't figure it out. The transgender approach to the story was something I wasn't expecting but I loved it.
She Rode a Horse of Fire - Kendara Blake
Inspired by: Metzengerstein
I really enjoyed this story, I love the way she took the original tale and molded into her own. I love Kendara’s writing and this didn’t disappoint. The changes she made were excellent and you honestly couldn't even tell it was a retelling.
--
It’s Carnival! - Tiffany D. Jackson
Inspired by: The Cask of Amontillado
The Jamaican flare she added to the retelling transported you into the story and the lyrical writing kept you there. Her voice when she narrates is musical. Just chiefs kiss.
--
Night-Tide by Tessa Gratton
Inspired by: Annabel Lee
This story stay true to the original of Annabelle Lee, which is my favorite of all of Edgar Allan Poe’s works and I’m glad the author didn’t go to far from the original and instead turned it into a lesbian love story set in a time where that kind of thing was thought of as evil and wicked.
--
The Glittering Death by Caleb Roehrig
Inspired by: The Pit and the Pendulum
I like how the murder mystery-ness of this gives me chills. The fact that this could actually happen to anyone is a frightening thing and the author does an amazing job of depicting that while also staying true to the original story.
--
A Drop of Stolen Ink - Emily Lloyd-Jones
Inspired by: The Purloined Letter
I really really enjoyed this. I have no other words but I really loved this. I can't even describe how much I loved this, I have no words.
--
Happy Days Sweetheart - Stephanie Kuehn
Inspired by: The Tell-Tale Heart
I don’t really have a lot to say about this retelling. It was good and showed how women, especially women of color, are often overlooked and ignored when a man or especially a white man is running against them.
--
The Raven Remix - Amanda Lovelace
Inspired by: The Raven
This was a…very short and unique remix of the classic. I’ve never read black out poetry before so maybe that has something to do with why I didn’t click with it.
--
Changeling - Marieke Nijkamp
Inspired by: Hop-Frog
This retelling had a little too much of a fantasy element for my tastes. It’s not my favorite out of the retellings which is sad because I love fantasy stories.
--
The Oval Filter - Lamar Giles
Inspired by: The Oval Portrait
This was more horror story than I was expecting and I'm here for it. I really liked the angle the author took.
--
Red - Hillary Monahan
Inspired by: The Masque of the Red Death
I was so confused by this whole story. Probably my least favorite of all the retellings. It was just so confusing and had no context about what was going on.
--
Lygia - Dahlia Adler
Inspired by: Ligeia
Another kind of confusing story but one I understand at least a little. The main point of the story is the power of grief and I think the author did really well.
--
The Fall of the Bank of Usher - Fran Wilde
Inspired by: The Fall of the House of Usher
I loved this one. Plain and simple I absolutely loved this. The almost syfi element the story took was so well executed and when it was over I just wanted more, I wanted their backstory and more from the characters.
--
The Murders in the Rue Apartelle Boracay - Rin Chupeco
Inspired by: The Murders in the Rue Morgue
I wasn't expecting the little plot twist at the very end of this, but honestly, with how much true crime videos and stuff I watch I'm ashamed that I didn't figure it out. The transgender approach to the story was something I wasn't expecting but I loved it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Animal death
booksthatburn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This anthology is a collection of retellings of stories by Edgar Allen Poe, where the second half of the book holds the original tales. Most of the originals I’d never read before because I don't really care about Poe, so I came in fresh for most of these. In each case I read the retelling and the original to compare them, but you could easily just read the retellings. I tended to better like the ones which were less of a re-skin and a setting update, but were the ones that fundamentally changed some aspect of the narrative, either by gender-swapping, exploring aspects like misogyny and various marginalizations, or changing the ending. That's mainly a reflection on me not specifically caring about Poe and should not be taken as a statement on the quality of the individual retellings, since they weren't all going for the same things (which is good, especially in an anthology).
I'm going to highlight a few of my favorites. The one pretty straightforward retelling which pulled me in even when I wasn't expecting it to was "It's Carnival!" I like the updated setting, and I especially like how the MC’s motives are understandable just based on how the other person acts during the very short timeframe of the story. It also captures that feeling of overkill from the original, that this event is simultaneously horrific and relatable. "She Rode a Horse of Fire" is the only one I read before reading the original, and I like it a lot! The original felt boring and confusing (at least partly because of how I know I missed a bunch of the social context and implications of what happened), but the retelling is really vibrant and engaging, it captures the intriguing parts of the original while feeling like a new story, which is great. I particularly like how the narrator is a character instead of being a passive observer. Lygia is chilling and perfect, it makes all the words fall out of my head and I love it so. I would read a whole series set in the world of "A Drop of Stolen Ink", I love heists and retellings, and a retelling that turns a kind of boring description of an cool exploit into a sci-fi future story about identity, loss, and yearning is just awesome.
Honorable mentions go to "Night-Tide" for sapphic yearning, "The Glittering Death" for its handling of the MC, "Happy Days, Sweetheart" for its calm and calculating heroine, "The Oval Filter" for coolest technological update, "Red" for sheer baddassery, and "The Fall of the Bank of Usher" for making hacking feel like magic and fungus feel like technology.
I'm going to highlight a few of my favorites. The one pretty straightforward retelling which pulled me in even when I wasn't expecting it to was "It's Carnival!" I like the updated setting, and I especially like how the MC’s motives are understandable just based on how the other person acts during the very short timeframe of the story. It also captures that feeling of overkill from the original, that this event is simultaneously horrific and relatable. "She Rode a Horse of Fire" is the only one I read before reading the original, and I like it a lot! The original felt boring and confusing (at least partly because of how I know I missed a bunch of the social context and implications of what happened), but the retelling is really vibrant and engaging, it captures the intriguing parts of the original while feeling like a new story, which is great. I particularly like how the narrator is a character instead of being a passive observer. Lygia is chilling and perfect, it makes all the words fall out of my head and I love it so. I would read a whole series set in the world of "A Drop of Stolen Ink", I love heists and retellings, and a retelling that turns a kind of boring description of an cool exploit into a sci-fi future story about identity, loss, and yearning is just awesome.
Honorable mentions go to "Night-Tide" for sapphic yearning, "The Glittering Death" for its handling of the MC, "Happy Days, Sweetheart" for its calm and calculating heroine, "The Oval Filter" for coolest technological update, "Red" for sheer baddassery, and "The Fall of the Bank of Usher" for making hacking feel like magic and fungus feel like technology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Animal death
Minor: Misogyny, Homophobia, Transphobia, Ableism, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
CW for misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, sexual assault (backstory), domestic violence (backstory), car accident (backstory), vomit, child abuse, kidnapping, torture, violence, assault, animal death, major character death, death.
More...