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eg_m's review
4.0
Short story anthologies are tough to rate. Inevitably there are first rate reads mixed in with the only okay. In this case, one DNF where I found the writing style so stiff I couldn't get past the first few pages.
Rather than dwell on the less stellar contributions, this handful of stories lifts Strange Portals well into the 'good read' category.
Not surprisingly, Joleene Naylor, (who never disappoints) has two of the four best of twenty-one shorts. My favorite is Predator , a compelling and chilling tale where a predator stalks a little girl who may not be as helpless as she seems. A close second is Verchiel a tale of a new vampire who might not be the killer he is expected to be.
Roxanne Mathews' Werewolf is a fun twist on a genre that I thought had been fully explored.
Bonnie Mutchler's In the Beginning is a tale of new made vampires, a sadistic master, desperation, unlikely loyalties and odd friendships set in the middle ages.
On the lighter side and worthy of honorable mention are two fantasy pieces, Terry Compton's YA Leprechaun's Gift and Roger Lawrence's slightly disjointed by engaging Artwork.
If you are looking for new fantasy, paranormal or horror authors and stories, this anthology provides a worthy sample.
Rather than dwell on the less stellar contributions, this handful of stories lifts Strange Portals well into the 'good read' category.
Not surprisingly, Joleene Naylor, (who never disappoints) has two of the four best of twenty-one shorts. My favorite is Predator , a compelling and chilling tale where a predator stalks a little girl who may not be as helpless as she seems. A close second is Verchiel a tale of a new vampire who might not be the killer he is expected to be.
Roxanne Mathews' Werewolf is a fun twist on a genre that I thought had been fully explored.
Bonnie Mutchler's In the Beginning is a tale of new made vampires, a sadistic master, desperation, unlikely loyalties and odd friendships set in the middle ages.
On the lighter side and worthy of honorable mention are two fantasy pieces, Terry Compton's YA Leprechaun's Gift and Roger Lawrence's slightly disjointed by engaging Artwork.
If you are looking for new fantasy, paranormal or horror authors and stories, this anthology provides a worthy sample.
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