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amethystbookwyrm's review
3.0
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks to Netgalley and Prime Books for giving me this book to review.
This book is an 18 story anthology of weird and macabre tales revolving around the foremost night of the dead and the paranormal, All Hallows Eve, Halloween.
The Halloween Men by Maria V Snyder
Ever since the Halloween Men arrived, nobody is allowed to leave personal homes without wearing a mask, all except on one day a year, Halloween. Nella works in her father’s mask shop, and is experimenting with making her own designs, however, the Halloween Men do not approve of her designs, and so she has to make them in secret. I really enjoyed this book, especially seeing Nella grow and evolve, which is a considerable feat in less than 30 pages. Maria V Snyder has shown that she can write a short story as well as she can write a novel, as this story drags you in, and I like it if she decided to write any more books set in this universe
We, the Fortunate Bereaved by Brian Hodge
Once a year in the village of Dunhaven, on Halloween, one spirit is allowed back from the underworld, one spirit who has died in the last year since Halloween. Drew, Bailey’s late husband, and Cody’s father, died from a congenital heart condition 8 months ago, and Bailey is hoping, for Cody’s sake, that Drew is the one brought back this year. This short story examines the relationship which both adults and children have with death, and how both look at it. I enjoyed this story and you can tell that the author of this short story is a crime novelist as there is a twist in the tale which will surprise most.
For the Removal of Unwanted Guests by A. C. Wise
Michael has just moved into his new house, when a witch arrives and invites herself to live in his loft, because apparently the house needs a witch in it. This story is quite good, and makes you think about the relationships which we have with other people. My favourite character has to be Spencer, the witch’s cat, because even though she doesn’t say a word, she speaks volumes.
Long Way Home: A Pine Deep Story by Jonathan Maberry
After serving a term in Afghanistan, and being heavily injured, Donny is returning home to the town of Pine Deep, which a few years ago was involved in a large paranormal disturbance. On his way back, near town, he meets Jim, who Donny thought had died. I liked this story even though I have not read the series, and I am considering reading the Pine Deep series.
Trick or Treat by Nancy Kilpatrick
Malina was raised by her mother, a dark witch, and is trying to be an earth witch, and cast off the traditions and superstitions. However, on Mischief Night the town’s children smash her car windows, will she return to what she knows, or will she stay on the path of good? This story reads like a continuation of a series, and that left me feeling a bit confused.
I also enjoyed the other stories in this anthology, however some were very confusing as they were obviously part of an existing series. I enjoyed this anthology of Halloween stories, and would recommend Halloween to anyone who enjoys books written by any of the authors of any of the short stories in this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Prime Books for giving me this book to review.
This book is an 18 story anthology of weird and macabre tales revolving around the foremost night of the dead and the paranormal, All Hallows Eve, Halloween.
The Halloween Men by Maria V Snyder
Ever since the Halloween Men arrived, nobody is allowed to leave personal homes without wearing a mask, all except on one day a year, Halloween. Nella works in her father’s mask shop, and is experimenting with making her own designs, however, the Halloween Men do not approve of her designs, and so she has to make them in secret. I really enjoyed this book, especially seeing Nella grow and evolve, which is a considerable feat in less than 30 pages. Maria V Snyder has shown that she can write a short story as well as she can write a novel, as this story drags you in, and I like it if she decided to write any more books set in this universe
We, the Fortunate Bereaved by Brian Hodge
Once a year in the village of Dunhaven, on Halloween, one spirit is allowed back from the underworld, one spirit who has died in the last year since Halloween. Drew, Bailey’s late husband, and Cody’s father, died from a congenital heart condition 8 months ago, and Bailey is hoping, for Cody’s sake, that Drew is the one brought back this year. This short story examines the relationship which both adults and children have with death, and how both look at it. I enjoyed this story and you can tell that the author of this short story is a crime novelist as there is a twist in the tale which will surprise most.
For the Removal of Unwanted Guests by A. C. Wise
Michael has just moved into his new house, when a witch arrives and invites herself to live in his loft, because apparently the house needs a witch in it. This story is quite good, and makes you think about the relationships which we have with other people. My favourite character has to be Spencer, the witch’s cat, because even though she doesn’t say a word, she speaks volumes.
Long Way Home: A Pine Deep Story by Jonathan Maberry
After serving a term in Afghanistan, and being heavily injured, Donny is returning home to the town of Pine Deep, which a few years ago was involved in a large paranormal disturbance. On his way back, near town, he meets Jim, who Donny thought had died. I liked this story even though I have not read the series, and I am considering reading the Pine Deep series.
Trick or Treat by Nancy Kilpatrick
Malina was raised by her mother, a dark witch, and is trying to be an earth witch, and cast off the traditions and superstitions. However, on Mischief Night the town’s children smash her car windows, will she return to what she knows, or will she stay on the path of good? This story reads like a continuation of a series, and that left me feeling a bit confused.
I also enjoyed the other stories in this anthology, however some were very confusing as they were obviously part of an existing series. I enjoyed this anthology of Halloween stories, and would recommend Halloween to anyone who enjoys books written by any of the authors of any of the short stories in this book.
mxsallybend's review
3.0
Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre wasn't a wholly successful anthology for me, with stories definitely heavy on the skip-it (as opposed to read-it) side, but still worth reading for the favorite author high-points. I think Paula Guran strayed a bit too far from the traditional exploration of Halloween for my tastes, but I can't fault her for trying to do something different.
The first four stories in the anthology did nothing for me - although The Mummy's Heart by Norman Partridge had its moments - and had me seriously considering whether to keep reading, or just skim ahead to the authors that interested me. Fortunately, Lesser Fires by Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem was solid, and pretty much what I had hoped to see from them.
As for Long Way Home: A Pine Deep Story by Jonathan Maberry, it's been a while since I've read any Maberry - the last Pine Deep novel, in fact - so it was nice to reconnect with a story that perfectly captured the thrills and chills of that trilogy . . . and which convinced me to keep reading.
After another skip-it that had me doubting that decision, The Halloween Men by Maria V. Snyder turned out to be the only story in the collection that genuinely surprised me with its approach to the season. Having Halloween be the one day of the year were we don't wear masks was a neat idea, but it's Snyder's execution that makes the story work so well.
Pumpkin Head Escapes by Lawrence Connolly was a great follow-up, a surprisingly strong tale that didn't play out quite as I expected, but was followed by several more stories of the skip-it variety before getting to Quadruple Whammy by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, which was not at all what I expected from her, but thoroughly enjoyable and a story that convinced me, once again, to keep reading.
We, the Fortunate Bereaved by Brian Hodge and Trick or Treat by Nancy Kilpatrick were two stories I had high hopes for going into the anthology, and I'm glad to say they delivered, while All Souls Day by Barbara Roden was an interesting enough tale, but a little weak for the penultimate tale.
Fortunately, And When You Called Us We Came To You by John Shirley proved to be a fantastic end to the anthology. If it doesn't have you humming the Silver Shamrock song from Halloween III under your breath as the spirits of the ancestors wreak havoc upon a slave labor Halloween mask mask factory . . . well, you're just not my kind of trick-or-treat partner.
All-in-all, not nearly as creepy or as scary as I had hoped, with a few too many stories trying to be 'cute' or 'clever' in tying themselves to the holiday, but Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre still had its moments.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
The first four stories in the anthology did nothing for me - although The Mummy's Heart by Norman Partridge had its moments - and had me seriously considering whether to keep reading, or just skim ahead to the authors that interested me. Fortunately, Lesser Fires by Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem was solid, and pretty much what I had hoped to see from them.
As for Long Way Home: A Pine Deep Story by Jonathan Maberry, it's been a while since I've read any Maberry - the last Pine Deep novel, in fact - so it was nice to reconnect with a story that perfectly captured the thrills and chills of that trilogy . . . and which convinced me to keep reading.
After another skip-it that had me doubting that decision, The Halloween Men by Maria V. Snyder turned out to be the only story in the collection that genuinely surprised me with its approach to the season. Having Halloween be the one day of the year were we don't wear masks was a neat idea, but it's Snyder's execution that makes the story work so well.
Pumpkin Head Escapes by Lawrence Connolly was a great follow-up, a surprisingly strong tale that didn't play out quite as I expected, but was followed by several more stories of the skip-it variety before getting to Quadruple Whammy by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, which was not at all what I expected from her, but thoroughly enjoyable and a story that convinced me, once again, to keep reading.
We, the Fortunate Bereaved by Brian Hodge and Trick or Treat by Nancy Kilpatrick were two stories I had high hopes for going into the anthology, and I'm glad to say they delivered, while All Souls Day by Barbara Roden was an interesting enough tale, but a little weak for the penultimate tale.
Fortunately, And When You Called Us We Came To You by John Shirley proved to be a fantastic end to the anthology. If it doesn't have you humming the Silver Shamrock song from Halloween III under your breath as the spirits of the ancestors wreak havoc upon a slave labor Halloween mask mask factory . . . well, you're just not my kind of trick-or-treat partner.
All-in-all, not nearly as creepy or as scary as I had hoped, with a few too many stories trying to be 'cute' or 'clever' in tying themselves to the holiday, but Halloween: Magic, Mystery, and the Macabre still had its moments.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
mjtucker's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
ladyofways's review
3.0
After three years in a row trying to read through this anthology before Halloween came and went, I finally finished it! Huzzah!
It’s a pretty standard anthology, cashing in on the holiday. The editing was fine overall; decent spread of stories, fairly well-ordered. (Although a TON of distracting typos, like several per story. More than I would expect in a professionally published work.)
Most of the stories were pretty good! I especially liked the straightforward, spooky ones. Some of my favorites:
Conversations in a Dead Language - From the POV of an evil, pedophile postman and his interactions with two trick-or-treating siblings over a series of years. He of course gets his just desserts by the end.
Monsters - Nothing supernatural, just a gentle examination of childhood, accidents, and what makes a monster.
The Halloween Man - Maybe my favorite; an urban legend ghost story and the girl who believes it. Felt the most realistic, and it’s kept unclear whether the monster is actually after Katie or just in her head.
On the Reef - Lovecraft riff, with a fish cult and horrible rituals enacted by secret masked cultists.
Memories - The creature stealing peoples’ existence was awesome! And the idea of a story where the main horrific action is two old ladies, best friends, chatting on the phone and spying on the neighborhood.
Mask Game - The reveal of everyone’s hidden secrets, leading to the biggest reveal, was very well done. Plus the indication that Neva is some kind of entity outside reality?
Man-Size in Marble - Nesbit writes this character so well; hyper-male, condescending, aristocratic, but also well-meaning, gentle, and artistic. It’s a very British story, and I loved the description and the voice.
The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last - More murderers as main characters, which seems par for the course in this book!
On A Dark October - Pretty blatant parable for white people (men) sacrificing Black people (the “other”) to ensure their own success and stability. I loved the small details, like “their young, attractive wives and ... their prosperous businesses”. Seemed particularly timely, for all that it was written in the 80s, and I completely get why people would think it “too dark” for a horror story.
The Vow on Halloween - Interesting editorial point, that the authorship of this one was a little muddy. I liked the simplicity; woman can’t escape her fiancé, even in death!, and the older, antique feel of the writing.
I noticed the repetition of public domain ones, probably added in to fill gaps: The Young Tamlane (Sir Walter Scott), Hallowe’en in a Suburb (Lovecraft), Ulalume (Poe). Then of course the book seemed to be hinged around the Bradbury story, The October Game, which is suitably creepy. I maybe could’ve done without The November Game, but it’s just fine for a follow-up.
There was an odd vein of “masculine” versus “feminine” stories throughout. The masculine ones (Three Doors, Riding Bitch, Hornets, Pumpkin Night) are all written by men so far as I could tell and all about men who lose their wife/girlfriend and are angsty about it. The two “feminine” ones (By the Book, Night Out), both written by women, feature wives who are more than their unappreciative, oblivious husbands and children realize and who seize opportunities to escape the drudgery of housewifery. I’m tempted to add Auntie Elspeth’s Halloween Story to the “feminine” list, for a uniquely spinstery main character.
There were also several stories that got so caught up in their own ~drama~ and ~imagery~ that it was hard to tell what they were even about or why I should care. Riding Bitch and Three Doors fall into this category, as did the two (or eleven, since one was ten snippets) Steve Rasnic Tem ones. With several, I liked the main image or character, but the plot was dumb or nonexistent (One Thin Dime, Pranks, Memories of El Dia De Los Muertos, Sugar Skulls). A couple others were novellas (Pork Pie Hat, Tesselations), and it took so freaking long to get through them that their spookiness was kind of cancelled out by the end.
Anyway, there are a *lot* of stories in this book (33!), so I feel it was worth my time and got me in the seasonal mood. 🎃
It’s a pretty standard anthology, cashing in on the holiday. The editing was fine overall; decent spread of stories, fairly well-ordered. (Although a TON of distracting typos, like several per story. More than I would expect in a professionally published work.)
Most of the stories were pretty good! I especially liked the straightforward, spooky ones. Some of my favorites:
Conversations in a Dead Language - From the POV of an evil, pedophile postman and his interactions with two trick-or-treating siblings over a series of years. He of course gets his just desserts by the end.
Monsters - Nothing supernatural, just a gentle examination of childhood, accidents, and what makes a monster.
The Halloween Man - Maybe my favorite; an urban legend ghost story and the girl who believes it. Felt the most realistic, and it’s kept unclear whether the monster is actually after Katie or just in her head.
On the Reef - Lovecraft riff, with a fish cult and horrible rituals enacted by secret masked cultists.
Memories - The creature stealing peoples’ existence was awesome! And the idea of a story where the main horrific action is two old ladies, best friends, chatting on the phone and spying on the neighborhood.
Mask Game - The reveal of everyone’s hidden secrets, leading to the biggest reveal, was very well done. Plus the indication that Neva is some kind of entity outside reality?
Man-Size in Marble - Nesbit writes this character so well; hyper-male, condescending, aristocratic, but also well-meaning, gentle, and artistic. It’s a very British story, and I loved the description and the voice.
The Great Pumpkin Arrives at Last - More murderers as main characters, which seems par for the course in this book!
On A Dark October - Pretty blatant parable for white people (men) sacrificing Black people (the “other”) to ensure their own success and stability. I loved the small details, like “their young, attractive wives and ... their prosperous businesses”. Seemed particularly timely, for all that it was written in the 80s, and I completely get why people would think it “too dark” for a horror story.
The Vow on Halloween - Interesting editorial point, that the authorship of this one was a little muddy. I liked the simplicity; woman can’t escape her fiancé, even in death!, and the older, antique feel of the writing.
I noticed the repetition of public domain ones, probably added in to fill gaps: The Young Tamlane (Sir Walter Scott), Hallowe’en in a Suburb (Lovecraft), Ulalume (Poe). Then of course the book seemed to be hinged around the Bradbury story, The October Game, which is suitably creepy. I maybe could’ve done without The November Game, but it’s just fine for a follow-up.
There was an odd vein of “masculine” versus “feminine” stories throughout. The masculine ones (Three Doors, Riding Bitch, Hornets, Pumpkin Night) are all written by men so far as I could tell and all about men who lose their wife/girlfriend and are angsty about it. The two “feminine” ones (By the Book, Night Out), both written by women, feature wives who are more than their unappreciative, oblivious husbands and children realize and who seize opportunities to escape the drudgery of housewifery. I’m tempted to add Auntie Elspeth’s Halloween Story to the “feminine” list, for a uniquely spinstery main character.
There were also several stories that got so caught up in their own ~drama~ and ~imagery~ that it was hard to tell what they were even about or why I should care. Riding Bitch and Three Doors fall into this category, as did the two (or eleven, since one was ten snippets) Steve Rasnic Tem ones. With several, I liked the main image or character, but the plot was dumb or nonexistent (One Thin Dime, Pranks, Memories of El Dia De Los Muertos, Sugar Skulls). A couple others were novellas (Pork Pie Hat, Tesselations), and it took so freaking long to get through them that their spookiness was kind of cancelled out by the end.
Anyway, there are a *lot* of stories in this book (33!), so I feel it was worth my time and got me in the seasonal mood. 🎃
johannah's review
5.0
Excellent anthology with few weak stories. All of these stories are about Halloween or set on Halloween. Some are scary stories. Others are quieter. Some of the quietest are the scariest. I found myself caught up in almost every story in the book - which is rare for an anthology. Note: I read the ebook, which lacks the Bradbury story that the print edition has.
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