Reviews

Howls from the Dark Ages: An Anthology of Medieval Horror by P.L. McMillan, Solomon Forse

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kieuu's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

some of it was a real drag but there were some real treasures in this collection. shoutout to sainte foy

brents's review

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4.0

Really good short story collection. Horror works better in the short story format than other genres and almost all of these are creepy and unsettling as hell (literally in some cases). Only one or two stories didn't work for me out of quite a sizeable collection. The second to last story involving the translation of an arcane heretical text was extremely creepy and messed up. I need more medieval horror in my life.

caidyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A pretty solid collection. Some were better than others, but none really stood out to me at the same time.

bookwyrm55's review

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5.0

This was a pleasant diversion from other books I've read recently. It felt like the theme, which all 18 authors took very seriously, fit perfectly with the various styles and themes. No shining armor or damsels saved by princely heroes. These stories are dark, evocative, and well-meshed. One thing I am particularly pleased to see is a book where the editing is immaculate. It's hard enough to do that when the language is modern.

Standout stories for me include Hailey Piper's darkly carnal "In Thrall to This Good Earth," where a haunted cry leads three hunters to a jutting stone and goes in very unexpected directions. "Schizarre," by Bridget D. Brave - a very symbolic story of two monks, love, lust and loss, "The Fourth Scene," by Brian Evenson, which is a very Dark Ages style tale that would have fit right into Arthurian legends, and the ending poem, "The Lai of the Danse Macabre," which is likely the most ambitious work in the book and handled with style, bringing a voice that might well have come from another time and place to modern pages.

Dark relationships, murder, petulant gods, Howls from the Dark Ages has all of that and more. Very highly recommended.

bmacenlightened's review

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5.0

A fantastic anthology focused on a setting that I would love to see revisited in horror in long form now considering how solid the short form has been. No low points and most of the stories were pretty stand out. Highly recommended.