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Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'
Howls from the Dark Ages: An Anthology of Medieval Horror by P.L. McMillan, Solomon Forse
2 reviews
sheriffrockyraccoon's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this collection! I had read Between Two Fires and loved it, so when I saw Christopher Buehlman had written the foreword, I trusted it would be interesting.
What I liked most about this collection was that it extended beyond the traditional European Medieval culture and engaged with other stories around the world. This gave a better idea of what the world was like then, and expanded what it means for a story to take place in the “Medieval” era. I especially enjoyed “The Forgotten Valley” by C.B. Jones, as I’m always looking for more North American Indigenous literature. My other favorites included “Schizzare” and “The Lai of the Danse Macabre”.
I finished this book in a little over a day, it was nice to be able to digest many stories at once (although I do feel some were better formed than others). It’s definitely great if you’re looking for a fast or non-committal read.
What I liked most about this collection was that it extended beyond the traditional European Medieval culture and engaged with other stories around the world. This gave a better idea of what the world was like then, and expanded what it means for a story to take place in the “Medieval” era. I especially enjoyed “The Forgotten Valley” by C.B. Jones, as I’m always looking for more North American Indigenous literature. My other favorites included “Schizzare” and “The Lai of the Danse Macabre”.
I finished this book in a little over a day, it was nice to be able to digest many stories at once (although I do feel some were better formed than others). It’s definitely great if you’re looking for a fast or non-committal read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Death, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Child death, Blood, Excrement, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Murder, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Misogyny, Torture, Cursing, Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Vomit
rachelunabridged's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
~ ~ ~
I absolutely loved everything about this anthology! I haven't read very many medieval horror stories before, but I'm now realizing what I've been missing. Every story in this collection was such a solid pick, and I thought the overall framing was really fun. Having each story introduced in connection to a museum piece was neato; I enjoyed trying to predict how each piece would factor into the upcoming story.
As for the stories themselves, I found every one of them to be interesting and horrific in their own way. Most of them are very similar thematically since they take place in the same time period and reflect the historical context of the time, but each story played out so different from the last, it never came across as predictable or boring. I was also really pleased to see some stories take place in non-European cultures!
Some of the stories that stuck out to me the most were Angelus (Philippa Evans), Brother Cornelius (Peter Ong Cook), Deus Vult (Ethan Yoder), The Lady of Leer Castle (Christopher O'Halloran), Schizzare (Bridget D. Brave), and A Dark Quadrivium (David Worn). But again, they were all fantastic stories.
If you enjoy historical horror of any kind, I would definitely recommend this book. There are touches of various subgenres among the stories, from religious and cosmic horror to body horror to supernatural horror, even some comedy at times! I truly think there's something in this collection for everyone.
~ ~ ~
I absolutely loved everything about this anthology! I haven't read very many medieval horror stories before, but I'm now realizing what I've been missing. Every story in this collection was such a solid pick, and I thought the overall framing was really fun. Having each story introduced in connection to a museum piece was neato; I enjoyed trying to predict how each piece would factor into the upcoming story.
As for the stories themselves, I found every one of them to be interesting and horrific in their own way. Most of them are very similar thematically since they take place in the same time period and reflect the historical context of the time, but each story played out so different from the last, it never came across as predictable or boring. I was also really pleased to see some stories take place in non-European cultures!
Some of the stories that stuck out to me the most were Angelus (Philippa Evans), Brother Cornelius (Peter Ong Cook), Deus Vult (Ethan Yoder), The Lady of Leer Castle (Christopher O'Halloran), Schizzare (Bridget D. Brave), and A Dark Quadrivium (David Worn). But again, they were all fantastic stories.
If you enjoy historical horror of any kind, I would definitely recommend this book. There are touches of various subgenres among the stories, from religious and cosmic horror to body horror to supernatural horror, even some comedy at times! I truly think there's something in this collection for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Religious bigotry, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Blood, and Child death
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