Reviews

The Pumpkin King and Other Tales of Terror by R. David Fulcher

ravensandlace's review

4.0

Title: The Pumpkin King and Other Tales of Terror

Author: R. David Fulcher

Genre: Horror

Format: ebook

Series: NA

Star Rating: 4 stars

A special thank you goes to Coffee and Thorns for providing me with a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.

tw: death, guns, blood, parental death, sick children, assault, infidelity, toxic relationship, theft murder

When Coffee and Thorn sent out the email, looking for reviewers for this book, I literally read the first sentence of the synopsis, as I mentioned above, and then sent an email back saying yes, sign me up! Something about this book grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. I knew I had to read it and I’m so dang glad I did. As soon as I got the book, I read it in less than two days. I was hooked. I stayed up way too late but it was well worth the tiredness the next day. 

So this book was a collection of short stories or essays, depending on how you look at it. A lot of them were only a couple of pages long but I didn’t mind that at all. If anything, it made me want more. There were quite a few that I could see becoming full-length novels and I sincerely hope the author does turn some of them into novels. Since there were so many, I will talk about a few of my favorites. But I want to emphasize that I really enjoyed this book as a whole. 

Marienburg Castle was about a zombie invasion during World War II. It reminded me of Call of Duty: Black Ops zombie mode. I spent many hours with my brother playing that game and it made me so excited to see what the rest of the book had to offer as this was the first book. The Pumpkin King was about Samhain. The dialogue was cheesy and reminded me of those 80s horror movies, which I love so much and started my love of all things horror. A Matter of Taste was creepy but interesting. I loved the concept of eyes as payment since they see sin. The Night Fighter was about a vampire flying planes, which you don’t read about every day. This one was beautifully written. The Huntress was about Dorian Gray’s descendants. I enjoyed this one a lot since I’m a huge Dorian Gray fan. My only wish was that this one was a little longer but honestly, that is me being picky. The Faeire Lights was about how dangerous faeries can be and it was written like a video game, which I enjoyed being a gamer. 

Overall, I thought this was an exceptional book with very few clunkers. This book revitalized my love for horror and made me excited for the genre again. It reminded me why I love the genre in the first place. I'm excited to go out there and find more works by this author. They truly have a gift for writing horror. 

srivalli's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

3.5

 3.45 stars

One Liner: A decent collection

 I enjoy reading short story collections, so when this horror anthology was available, I wanted to give it a try. The horror levels are moderate and belong to the atmospheric category rather than outright gore. Of course, there are a few gory elements but not so much to make a reader uncomfortable (unless you have zero tolerance for horror). 

The book starts with a eulogy to Poe in a short poem. As I tend to do with anthologies, I’ve written my impressions of the stories soon after I read each one. 

Marienburg Castle: What happens when the survivors of the WWII American Army try to take shelter in an abandoned place? Nothing good for sure! Well, the story is atmospheric but lacks the punch. 3.5 stars 

The Pumpkin King: Ohhh… this is creepy! No detailed gore but enough for us to imagine. Wouldn’t mind if it was longer, but works as it is. 4.2 stars 

Heavenly Strains: Another chilly, creepy, and atmospheric tale. It deals with parental death and grief, which turn into something else. Many unanswered questions, too! 3 stars 

A Matter of Taste: A slightly longer story that follows the well-known trope of wishes and fallen angels. There’s a twist that I expected; a pretty average read. 3 stars 

My Days With Mahalia: A diary entry of a WWII soldier about an aircraft B-17 named Mahalia. 2.5 stars 

A Night Out With Mr. Bones: More like a twisty thriller/ suspense. A bit predictable. 3 stars 

Merry Are We of the Lake: Now, this is good! Atmospheric. Starts slow but ups the stakes gradually and ends on a high. 4.2 stars 

The Night Fighter: What happens when a mysterious man steals a fighter plane to take it on a night ride? Is it a mission? If yes, what? Another atmospheric tale with a couple of twists. 3.5 stars. 

Pumpkin Seed Spit: A middle-grade horror set during Halloween. Creepy and dark for the age group but works well for the adults, too. 3.5 stars 

A Night for Animals: This is nice. Yeah, it has some chills, but the overall vibe is ‘nice’. 3.5 stars 

The Man Next Door: Oh, this is good! A detailed story with a twist at the end. Atmospheric. Not gory or scary. 4 stars 

Extra! Extra!: What happens when a bored journalist gets a frantic call? Well, this has the chills, though it leaves many questions unanswered. 3 stars 

The Flight Dummy: Interesting! I’m now sure the author loves planes. A creepy, scary story with an open ending. 3 stars 

For the Children: Oh! A detailed story with a surprise twist at the end. 4 stars 

The Watcher’s Web: What happens when a robber goes on a heist? Who does he encounter? The story builds and ups the pace as it progresses. Just the right amount of horror and terror. Well done! 4 stars 

Dreaming, The Copper City: A sci-fi horror about a man on the Moon and what happens when he finds a piece of meteor. I think we lost each other somewhere in the last section. 2.5 stars 

The Huntress: Oh, this is good. A short and entertaining piece. Predictable ending, of course, but well-written. 4 stars 

The Faerie Lights: Another short piece. Good premise but needs to be longer to create a stronger impact. 3 stars 

The October Man: Woo! This is so good. The right touch of creepy and horror with a twisted ending. The best of the lot. 4.5 stars 

As you can see, most of the stories fall around the average line, with some above and below it. The writing is easy to read. Some pieces are on the slower side, though none are boring as such. 

To summarize, The Pumpkin King and Other Tales of Terror is a decent collection with diverse topics and themes (aircraft is a recurring element). Anthologies are subjective, so try it based on your preferences. 

My thanks to Coffee and Thorn and the author of eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Violence, Death, and Murder

karlakayjenniges's review

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

"Everything retained the silence after the storm; everything retained the silence of the dead."

The best thing about short stories is the diversity of each plot or character. To create both in just a few short pages and engage the reader is to be commended. 

Each story centered on a mix of horror and sub-genres of horror. These are the types of stories that produce the slow creeping dread, the kind that are atmospheric, and have imagery that settles into the imagination. The kind that are thought provoking, creating those moments when one feels the need to stop and think about what was just being read. 

Hauntings in neighborhoods, deep within the woods, and in places where one wouldn't expect them to be. One must always be wary of what walks among them and what may be hidden. Watching and waiting for their time to shine amongst the living. Tempting and coercing into realms of darkness that change the lives of their prey. Much like the minds of us readers tempted into the pages of horror stories. 

"There was a still woman by a stair railing and a still horror floating in her living room and twenty-seven still spirits by the still waters of a silent lake."