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roshreviews's review
slow-paced
2.5
In a Nutshell: An anthology of horror stories, spanning multiple time periods, places, and creatures. Quite a mixed batch.
"In death - No! Even in the grave, all is not lost." - Edgar Allan Poe
This collection of twenty stories begins with the above quote and an editor’s note, the latter of which raised my expectations quite high. Why>? Because it made clear that the authors had been given only one condition: no Scooby Doo endings. The ghosts had to be actual ghosts and not humans in white sheets. Other than this, anything was okay.
It is this free-spirited approach that results in the biggest plus point of the collection: the variety. The stories cover many time periods and locations, and include ghosts of various kinds, ranging from kind-hearted to funny to the more common spooky.
At the same time, the variety also proves to work against the anthology. Though the writing is good in most of the tales, they don’t deliver the creeps. I admit that this requirement will be highly dependent on the reader’s expectation from a horror anthology. When I pick up horror, I expect nail-biting situations, and underlying atmosphere of suspense, and a steady buildup to a spectacular finish. Most of the stories did not meet this expectation. And as all my friends here know, I have declared myself to be a scaredy-cat more than once. So if I can read a horror collection without getting a single nightmare, the collection definitely doesn't work.
Of the twenty stories, the only ones that stood out to me were:
👻 ‘The Final Experiment of Eugene Appleton’ by Allan Burd – A predictable ending but the buildup was still excellent. One of the few true horror stories in this book.
👻 ‘I Am Helen Anne Gunthe’ by Caroline Flarity – Loved the concept. Wish there had been more clarity about the transition from woman to hag.
👻 ‘What's Your Secret?’ by Trevor Firetog – Again, the secret is quite easy to guess once you reach the halfway mark, but the unique situation made this a good one for me.
👻 ‘In the Machine’ by Meghan Arcuri – One of the most entertaining stories in the collection, but ironically, it isn’t scary at all. Contains the common ‘ghost in the machine’ trope, but the identity of the ghost made it fun.
👻 ‘Taps’ by Patrick Freivald – Among the best stories in terms of overall impact. Wonderful buildup and a great climax.
Nothing else was that memorable to me. Either they didn’t feel like horror or they dragged too much. A couple were too gory for my liking.
Recommended only to those horror short fiction lovers who focus more on diverse ghostly tales than sinister chills.
2.55 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each of the stories.
My thanks to eSpec Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Even in the Grave”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
"In death - No! Even in the grave, all is not lost." - Edgar Allan Poe
This collection of twenty stories begins with the above quote and an editor’s note, the latter of which raised my expectations quite high. Why>? Because it made clear that the authors had been given only one condition: no Scooby Doo endings. The ghosts had to be actual ghosts and not humans in white sheets. Other than this, anything was okay.
It is this free-spirited approach that results in the biggest plus point of the collection: the variety. The stories cover many time periods and locations, and include ghosts of various kinds, ranging from kind-hearted to funny to the more common spooky.
At the same time, the variety also proves to work against the anthology. Though the writing is good in most of the tales, they don’t deliver the creeps. I admit that this requirement will be highly dependent on the reader’s expectation from a horror anthology. When I pick up horror, I expect nail-biting situations, and underlying atmosphere of suspense, and a steady buildup to a spectacular finish. Most of the stories did not meet this expectation. And as all my friends here know, I have declared myself to be a scaredy-cat more than once. So if I can read a horror collection without getting a single nightmare, the collection definitely doesn't work.
Of the twenty stories, the only ones that stood out to me were:
👻 ‘The Final Experiment of Eugene Appleton’ by Allan Burd – A predictable ending but the buildup was still excellent. One of the few true horror stories in this book.
👻 ‘I Am Helen Anne Gunthe’ by Caroline Flarity – Loved the concept. Wish there had been more clarity about the transition from woman to hag.
👻 ‘What's Your Secret?’ by Trevor Firetog – Again, the secret is quite easy to guess once you reach the halfway mark, but the unique situation made this a good one for me.
👻 ‘In the Machine’ by Meghan Arcuri – One of the most entertaining stories in the collection, but ironically, it isn’t scary at all. Contains the common ‘ghost in the machine’ trope, but the identity of the ghost made it fun.
👻 ‘Taps’ by Patrick Freivald – Among the best stories in terms of overall impact. Wonderful buildup and a great climax.
Nothing else was that memorable to me. Either they didn’t feel like horror or they dragged too much. A couple were too gory for my liking.
Recommended only to those horror short fiction lovers who focus more on diverse ghostly tales than sinister chills.
2.55 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each of the stories.
My thanks to eSpec Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Even in the Grave”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
sharron_joy_reads's review
4.0
Do you believe in ghosts? I love a ghost story and am a huge fan of Edwardian and Victorian gothic horror or tales of unease as they were known, EF Benson, Edith Nesbitt, Sheridan Le Fanu and MR James to name a few, the signalman by Charles Dickins is still my favourite ghost story. None of these ghost stories are as good but they are enjoyable nonetheless.
This is a collection of ghost stories set in various places, locations and times with friendly and really not at all friendly ghosts. Some of the stories are very modern in venue and some seem of another time but all in a way are traditional ghost stories some with an interesting twist.
Like all short story collections some stories work better than others but this was an easy read on cold dark autumn evening.
This is a collection of ghost stories set in various places, locations and times with friendly and really not at all friendly ghosts. Some of the stories are very modern in venue and some seem of another time but all in a way are traditional ghost stories some with an interesting twist.
Like all short story collections some stories work better than others but this was an easy read on cold dark autumn evening.
annarella's review
4.0
It's an anthology of ghost story, a mixed bag as some stories are better than other but always gripping and well plotted.
I appreciated it and discovered some interesting authors.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
I appreciated it and discovered some interesting authors.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
srivalli's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.25
3.2 Stars
One Liner: Great variety but mixed results
Even in the Grave is a collection of short stories with a common theme- ghosts. The author’s note at the beginning sets the tone and provides information about how the editors came up with the idea for the book.
The stories belong to a range of genres and settings- futuristic to historical, contemporary to dystopian, and more. We also have a plethora of ghosts- helpful, friendly, creepy, vengeful, and terrifying.
Some stories are a little shorter than others, but they all seem to be within a specific word count. That makes the collection more compact in terms of pacing. A few stories were brilliant, and a couple of them were meh! Some had great potential but didn’t wow me much.
As with every anthology, every reader will have their favorites, hits and misses. Here’s what I liked the best (4-5 stars)
In the Machine: How does an old dead woman communicate with her granddaughter using a computer? Easily the best and least scary ghost story in the book. It was so cute!
Taps: What happens when a ghost communicates with a drummer from high school? Compact and well done, with a good dose of drama.
The Bells: Not all debts are money, and no one can escape their past, especially if the ghosts are determined to have their way. This one ups the impact as the story progresses, and the end is too good.
Moshigawa’s Homecoming: A Japanese historical retelling. Takes time to set the stage but delivers a worthy climax.
These were good but not great (3-4 stars):
House of Cracks: An injured army vet with PTSD tries to move on and start fresh. The ghosts from the past have a role to play. The only thing this didn’t go to the first category was the somewhat bland (detached) POV.
Fetch: Moves between past and present in a historical setting. Who does like a vengeful ghost story? Felt a bit too long.
After Trevor Vanished: Forgetting your first love is not easy, definitely not when it ends in tragedy. Good plot, but the ending felt rushed.
The Spectacles: The spectacles can help solve a past crime but remember that ghosts always know more than humans. Well-written and has a good twist. But feels diluted at the end.
Bruised and Battered Nevermore: Restless ghost, rented apartment, and the quest for truth. An entertaining ghost story.
Rawhide Rex: The title is self-explanatory. A good ending to the collection. I liked it more for the innovative concept.
**
I realized that the more I read about the past, the more it triggers me. The Source of Fr Santiago de Guerra de Vargas Monstrous Crimes is about the Spanish conquest of the Maya, with descriptions of heathens being tortured and killed in hundreds to accept the True God and spread peace and light. The story is gory, too, though it won’t trigger the intended target audience.
To summarize, Even in the Grave would work much better if you spread it over a few days. It wasn’t wonderful, but I wasn’t bored either. There’s no denying the variety of stories in this collection. None of the stories feel repetitive or similar despite having a common theme.
Thank you, NetGalley, eSpec Books, and NeoParadoxa, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
sarahwriteaway's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers programme is exchange for an honest review.
This anthology has the variety of a paranormal pick'n'mix - there is something for everyone here, everyone who likes ghosts anyway. There are threatening ghosts, helpful ghosts, non-human ghosts, ghosts who don't know they are ghosts: in summary, pretty much every ghost you can imagine.
As is usually the case with anthologies, there were some stories that spoke to me more than others. Here are are few of my favourites:
House of Cracks: A traumatised veteran haunted by both the ghosts of her past and the spirits trapped in a spooky deathtrap of a tenement building.
Old Spirits and Fine Tobacco: This is all about the atmosphere, which soaks into you like the spirits and scents in the title.
Moshigawa's Homecoming: A tragic ethereal tale set in historical Japan.
Schrodinger's Ghost: A tale with very dark themes that keeps you guessing until the end
Rawhide Rex: This story is very cool, but to say why would be a spoiler...
A few stories went a bit over my head. For example, I could see the hint of a great premise in 'Insubstantial' but I just got too confused to truly enjoy it. Still, I'd recommend to all ghost story lovers - read this and find out what flavour of ghost suits you best.
This anthology has the variety of a paranormal pick'n'mix - there is something for everyone here, everyone who likes ghosts anyway. There are threatening ghosts, helpful ghosts, non-human ghosts, ghosts who don't know they are ghosts: in summary, pretty much every ghost you can imagine.
As is usually the case with anthologies, there were some stories that spoke to me more than others. Here are are few of my favourites:
House of Cracks: A traumatised veteran haunted by both the ghosts of her past and the spirits trapped in a spooky deathtrap of a tenement building.
Old Spirits and Fine Tobacco: This is all about the atmosphere, which soaks into you like the spirits and scents in the title.
Moshigawa's Homecoming: A tragic ethereal tale set in historical Japan.
Schrodinger's Ghost: A tale with very dark themes that keeps you guessing until the end
Rawhide Rex: This story is very cool, but to say why would be a spoiler...
A few stories went a bit over my head. For example, I could see the hint of a great premise in 'Insubstantial' but I just got too confused to truly enjoy it. Still, I'd recommend to all ghost story lovers - read this and find out what flavour of ghost suits you best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Child abuse and Animal death
More...