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13 Drops of Blood
13 Drops Of Blood is the first collection from one of the more exciting new voices in horror, James Roy Daley. A man of many disciplines (novelist, editor, musician), this book features tales which run the gamut of style and subject; in other words, the stories are as eclectic as their author. What does not waver throughout the collection is Daley's undeniable craftsmanship as a storyteller.
158 pages, Nook
First published October 29, 2010
11 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
James Roy Daley
28 books14 followersJAMES ROY DALEY is a writer, editor, and musician. He studied film at the Toronto Film School, music at Humber College, and English at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Terror Town, Into Hell, 13 Drops of Blood, Zombie Kong, and The Dead Parade. In 2009 he founded Books of the Dead Press, where he enjoyed immediate success working with many of the biggest names in horror. He edited anthologies such as Zombie Kong - Anthology, Best New Vampire Tales, Classic Vampire Tales, and the Best New Zombie Tales series.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 22, 2012
Not a home run, but definitely an extra base hit...
OK, not sure why I used a baseball analogy for the title of this review. "13 Drops of Blood" has nothing to do with the great American pastime. Must just be that time of year.
This collection of short stories is my first exposure to James Roy Daley. I wasn't sure I was going to like this since it's one step above being self-published (James owns the publishing company, Books of the Dead Press) and I did find a few errors, that a better proofreading should have caught. But, that aside, I was very impressed with the work.
Nearly, every story was a hit (more baseball) with me. James set the tone with "The Exhibition". I found myself immersed in pure horror. The story was gruesome. It was extreme. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you love blood and guts, this one is for you. There were a number of truly original ideas in this book, plus Zombies, werewolves and vampires. I particularly liked "Summer of 1816". A blend of fact and fiction on how Mary Shelly might have come to write "Frankenstein". Certainly worth your time, especially if you like your horror with a bit of an edge. Available in Paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com.
OK, not sure why I used a baseball analogy for the title of this review. "13 Drops of Blood" has nothing to do with the great American pastime. Must just be that time of year.
This collection of short stories is my first exposure to James Roy Daley. I wasn't sure I was going to like this since it's one step above being self-published (James owns the publishing company, Books of the Dead Press) and I did find a few errors, that a better proofreading should have caught. But, that aside, I was very impressed with the work.
Nearly, every story was a hit (more baseball) with me. James set the tone with "The Exhibition". I found myself immersed in pure horror. The story was gruesome. It was extreme. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you love blood and guts, this one is for you. There were a number of truly original ideas in this book, plus Zombies, werewolves and vampires. I particularly liked "Summer of 1816". A blend of fact and fiction on how Mary Shelly might have come to write "Frankenstein". Certainly worth your time, especially if you like your horror with a bit of an edge. Available in Paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com.
January 25, 2016
I always hate it when I don't like a book because I feel like I'm being hateful to the author and someone else might really like it. But every once in awhile, I just can't find enough good about a book that can rescue it from "I didn't like it". Although this book is titled "13 Drops of Blood", there was enough blood and guts to have had it titled 13 Gallons of Blood. Some of the stories didn't even mention blood but those that did took quite the perverse pleasure in it. One of the stories was an absolute new high for bathroom humor--I never knew there were so many terms for a "turd"--UGH! I just think this guy must go by Stephen King's rule of going for the gross out if nothing else comes to mind. I will admit that 2 of the stories in this collection were worth reading (in my opinion) so if you have this as a freebie on your Kindle read "Summer of 1816" and "The Relation Ship". Out of the 13 short stories, these are the only 2 that I enjoyed.
March 28, 2019
Interesting
There was a hint of horror, but some parts were actually kind of funny. That might just be me though.
There was a hint of horror, but some parts were actually kind of funny. That might just be me though.
May 11, 2020
Not bad, but I am not really a fan of short stories. Some are better than others.
January 18, 2013
Gory and graphic, Daley's writing takes the reader into his world of intense horror with the thirteen stories contained within these pages.
This collection offers something for everyone, as the author covers different themes with his stories, including horror, monsters, zombies, sci-fi/fantasy and dark humour. While every story may not appeal to all readers, 13 Drops Of Blood offers a broad selection of stories and every one should be able to find one (or more) they like.
Daley's excellent ability to describe the scene draws the reader into the story as even the minor details of the story are brought to life on the page.
Daley's writing is sure to strike a chord in horror aficionados everywhere.
Some of the stories that deserve additional mention are: The Exhibition, Baby, Jonathan Vs The Perfect Ten and Humpy and Shrivels.
Here's a quick description of the stories contained in this collection.
The Exhibition: Scott Beach is a horror fanatic, he and his wife Penny have paid 200$ for tickets to a one night only, horror show. The exhibition was designed to scare people, but as Scott and Penny move through the strange rooms, they start to realize the show is not at all what they expected it to be.
The Confession: George Lewis is being held for questioning. Police officers, Martin and McKean, aren't sure what to make of the supernatural events George relates to them in his story.
Baby: Richard has a secret only his best friend Steven knows about. Not even Richard's wife, Jennifer, is privy to the information. When Jennifer announces her pregnancy, Richard realizes he's running out of time to share his secret with her.
A Ghost In My Room: When visited by the ghost of his wife, who's still alive, the main character must decide what to he's supposed to do with the information he's been given.
Jonathan Vs The Perfect Ten: Jonathan Weakly owns a zoo, but not just any zoo. The animals contained within are genetically bred to mammoth proportions. When the town becomes split on whether or not the zoo should stay, Jonathan and the town mayor come up with a solution.
The Hanging Tree: The Hanging Tree carries with it a legend and for that reason, hasn't been used in a long while. When Mort is charged with shooting the sheriff, Doc and Red have opposing views to where Mort should be hung. Do they use the town square or ignore the legend and use the Hanging Tree?
Thoughts Of The Dead: David Kyle McClure is dead, but he still has a story to tell. Held in a room by the military, he explains how he went from family man to one of the walking dead.
Summer Of 1816: This story takes the reader into a world based on facts and offers a tale of how Mary Shelley may have come up with the idea of her famous novel, Frankenstein.
Fallen: Alex Greenly is trapped on the roof of a building. As the living dead close in, he comes to the realization that he's left with very few options.
The Relation Ship: A boy leaves his friends behind to travel the ocean with a woman named Lilith on a ship built from love. As years pass, the boy comes to realize nothing is what it seems.
Suffer Shirley Gunn: Shirley Gunn's dog, Blueberry, has something important to tell her. Shirley isn't prepared to hear her dog talk, nor is she ready for the message Blueberry ha to deliver.
Humpy And Shrivels: A dark, comedic tale about two men, Gusto and Hubert. Both men suffer from their own physical deformity, until one night when they encounter a monster in a graveyard who changes everything.
Curse Of The Blind Eel: Jonathan and William are on a mission to destroy the Count, an age old vampire. The brothers have a solid plan, that is until William's bowels get in the way.
Four of out Five Stars
***13 Drops of Blood is recommended as Mandytory reading***
Purchase your own copy of 13 Drops of Blood Paperback Here and EBook Here.
This collection offers something for everyone, as the author covers different themes with his stories, including horror, monsters, zombies, sci-fi/fantasy and dark humour. While every story may not appeal to all readers, 13 Drops Of Blood offers a broad selection of stories and every one should be able to find one (or more) they like.
Daley's excellent ability to describe the scene draws the reader into the story as even the minor details of the story are brought to life on the page.
Daley's writing is sure to strike a chord in horror aficionados everywhere.
Some of the stories that deserve additional mention are: The Exhibition, Baby, Jonathan Vs The Perfect Ten and Humpy and Shrivels.
Here's a quick description of the stories contained in this collection.
The Exhibition: Scott Beach is a horror fanatic, he and his wife Penny have paid 200$ for tickets to a one night only, horror show. The exhibition was designed to scare people, but as Scott and Penny move through the strange rooms, they start to realize the show is not at all what they expected it to be.
The Confession: George Lewis is being held for questioning. Police officers, Martin and McKean, aren't sure what to make of the supernatural events George relates to them in his story.
Baby: Richard has a secret only his best friend Steven knows about. Not even Richard's wife, Jennifer, is privy to the information. When Jennifer announces her pregnancy, Richard realizes he's running out of time to share his secret with her.
A Ghost In My Room: When visited by the ghost of his wife, who's still alive, the main character must decide what to he's supposed to do with the information he's been given.
Jonathan Vs The Perfect Ten: Jonathan Weakly owns a zoo, but not just any zoo. The animals contained within are genetically bred to mammoth proportions. When the town becomes split on whether or not the zoo should stay, Jonathan and the town mayor come up with a solution.
The Hanging Tree: The Hanging Tree carries with it a legend and for that reason, hasn't been used in a long while. When Mort is charged with shooting the sheriff, Doc and Red have opposing views to where Mort should be hung. Do they use the town square or ignore the legend and use the Hanging Tree?
Thoughts Of The Dead: David Kyle McClure is dead, but he still has a story to tell. Held in a room by the military, he explains how he went from family man to one of the walking dead.
Summer Of 1816: This story takes the reader into a world based on facts and offers a tale of how Mary Shelley may have come up with the idea of her famous novel, Frankenstein.
Fallen: Alex Greenly is trapped on the roof of a building. As the living dead close in, he comes to the realization that he's left with very few options.
The Relation Ship: A boy leaves his friends behind to travel the ocean with a woman named Lilith on a ship built from love. As years pass, the boy comes to realize nothing is what it seems.
Suffer Shirley Gunn: Shirley Gunn's dog, Blueberry, has something important to tell her. Shirley isn't prepared to hear her dog talk, nor is she ready for the message Blueberry ha to deliver.
Humpy And Shrivels: A dark, comedic tale about two men, Gusto and Hubert. Both men suffer from their own physical deformity, until one night when they encounter a monster in a graveyard who changes everything.
Curse Of The Blind Eel: Jonathan and William are on a mission to destroy the Count, an age old vampire. The brothers have a solid plan, that is until William's bowels get in the way.
Four of out Five Stars
***13 Drops of Blood is recommended as Mandytory reading***
Purchase your own copy of 13 Drops of Blood Paperback Here and EBook Here.
July 10, 2011
13 Drops of Blood / 2940011997488
"13 Drops of Blood" is a collection of short horror stories from indie author James Daley. I picked up the collection during an online sale and while they didn't turn out to be completely my cup of tea, I want to acknowledge talent where it is due.
The short stories contained in this collection are a combination mish-mash of straight-up horror and fantasy horror -- the reader will follow various characters through worlds with supernatural elements and worlds that are simply much like ours, but with quite terrible people in it. The horror on display is very visceral, immediate, and realistic without relying on gratuitous "gross-out" details. The author writes with a very clean, stark style and has a special kind of minimalist talent -- this is the sort of writing that looks easy to accomplish but is actually quite difficult to pull off. The stories themselves are in some cases very short indeed, but the impact of the story stays with you, and the opening tale in particular is quite haunting.
Given all this writing talent on display, I'm not certain why "13 Drops of Blood" didn't please me more as a horror fan. The horror details are wonderfully laid out and quite creepy, but often the element of suspense is missing from the tales -- any "twist" at the end is usually telegraphed well in advance, and there's not really a suspense element to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. (This may be extremely subjective; my husband insists that I've just experienced too much horror fiction at this point and that finding the tales predictable is my own fault, not the author's. That may well be the case.)
Another flaw is that some of these tales, delightful though they are, suffer from fridge logic -- it's impossible to read several of the tales without later thinking, "Wait. What??" Without spoiling too much, it seems like many of the "twists" would only really work in a short story format and a longer story would have to answer an inevitable slew of questions that would probably un-work the entire tale; it's the classic problem of a really cool setting or twist that can't realistically be set up in a full setting, I think.
If you like horror tales and don't mind too much if you can "guess the twist" before the end, "13 Drops of Blood" is a really good example of clean, visceral horror in a tasty short story format, and if you have an eReader, you really cannot beat the price here. This collection is well worth a look if you want a creepy collection to while away a night. In the end, the collection didn't please me so much because I really crave the suspense more than the horror, however, I think the writing here is incredibly talented and will probably hit the spot perfectly for many horror fans.
~ Ana Mardoll
"13 Drops of Blood" is a collection of short horror stories from indie author James Daley. I picked up the collection during an online sale and while they didn't turn out to be completely my cup of tea, I want to acknowledge talent where it is due.
The short stories contained in this collection are a combination mish-mash of straight-up horror and fantasy horror -- the reader will follow various characters through worlds with supernatural elements and worlds that are simply much like ours, but with quite terrible people in it. The horror on display is very visceral, immediate, and realistic without relying on gratuitous "gross-out" details. The author writes with a very clean, stark style and has a special kind of minimalist talent -- this is the sort of writing that looks easy to accomplish but is actually quite difficult to pull off. The stories themselves are in some cases very short indeed, but the impact of the story stays with you, and the opening tale in particular is quite haunting.
Given all this writing talent on display, I'm not certain why "13 Drops of Blood" didn't please me more as a horror fan. The horror details are wonderfully laid out and quite creepy, but often the element of suspense is missing from the tales -- any "twist" at the end is usually telegraphed well in advance, and there's not really a suspense element to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. (This may be extremely subjective; my husband insists that I've just experienced too much horror fiction at this point and that finding the tales predictable is my own fault, not the author's. That may well be the case.)
Another flaw is that some of these tales, delightful though they are, suffer from fridge logic -- it's impossible to read several of the tales without later thinking, "Wait. What??" Without spoiling too much, it seems like many of the "twists" would only really work in a short story format and a longer story would have to answer an inevitable slew of questions that would probably un-work the entire tale; it's the classic problem of a really cool setting or twist that can't realistically be set up in a full setting, I think.
If you like horror tales and don't mind too much if you can "guess the twist" before the end, "13 Drops of Blood" is a really good example of clean, visceral horror in a tasty short story format, and if you have an eReader, you really cannot beat the price here. This collection is well worth a look if you want a creepy collection to while away a night. In the end, the collection didn't please me so much because I really crave the suspense more than the horror, however, I think the writing here is incredibly talented and will probably hit the spot perfectly for many horror fans.
~ Ana Mardoll
October 28, 2013
This is yet another book of horror shorts that I have found on Amazon (and for those interested in reading it, it is free).
If you're reading this on your Kindle, please make sure that you go back to the cover so that you don't miss his letter that begins with "Dear literate horror fan." Definitely worth a read.
The Exhibition - A creepy, scary and messed up story. One of my favorites in this book.
The Confession - Another very good story that left me thinking WOW at the end.
Baby - Oh my God love love love! Another favorite in this book. This story will definitely make me rethink having children haha.
Jonathan vs The Perfect Ten - Wow. Kind of reminds me of an old black-and-white horror movie actually.
Zombies: The Hanging Tree - My thoughts at the end of this one: "Well, that's a good argument to get rid of the death penalty hahaha."
Thoughts of the Dead: Hahaha hilarious.
Summer of 1816 - A very interesting story centering on Mary Shelley and her creation of the Frankenstein story.
Fallen: Interesting look at the thoughts of zombies.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: The Relation Ship: An interesting and rather sad look at relationships.
If he had stopped there, this book would have gotten a 5 and it took everything in me not to give it a 3. After thinking about it for a few days, I realized that it would not be fair to lower the number of stars that far based on the last two or three stories. I'm just not a fan of toilet humor and these last two were just dumb and a sad ending to such a great beginning.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes interesting because the first stories are really impressive and you may not feel the same way that I do about the last ones.
If you're reading this on your Kindle, please make sure that you go back to the cover so that you don't miss his letter that begins with "Dear literate horror fan." Definitely worth a read.
The Exhibition - A creepy, scary and messed up story. One of my favorites in this book.
The Confession - Another very good story that left me thinking WOW at the end.
Baby - Oh my God love love love! Another favorite in this book. This story will definitely make me rethink having children haha.
Jonathan vs The Perfect Ten - Wow. Kind of reminds me of an old black-and-white horror movie actually.
Zombies: The Hanging Tree - My thoughts at the end of this one: "Well, that's a good argument to get rid of the death penalty hahaha."
Thoughts of the Dead: Hahaha hilarious.
Summer of 1816 - A very interesting story centering on Mary Shelley and her creation of the Frankenstein story.
Fallen: Interesting look at the thoughts of zombies.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: The Relation Ship: An interesting and rather sad look at relationships.
If he had stopped there, this book would have gotten a 5 and it took everything in me not to give it a 3. After thinking about it for a few days, I realized that it would not be fair to lower the number of stars that far based on the last two or three stories. I'm just not a fan of toilet humor and these last two were just dumb and a sad ending to such a great beginning.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes interesting because the first stories are really impressive and you may not feel the same way that I do about the last ones.
April 30, 2015
This book has 13 short stories centered on the genre of horror. This author is by no means a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz. I was left with the impression that this author has some refining to do to draw in the readers attention. Many of the stories had bad endings and or left the reader thinking what the heck. It was a fast read but not one that I would recommend unless a person had nothing else to read.
April 8, 2015
There were some interesting stories in this collection, not scare the pants off you horror but interesting. I liked the story about the hanging tree and the zombie telling its side of the story. My enjoyment of the book was arrested however, by the potty humored (literally) last story. It was like listening to a class of immature freshman giggling when you instruct them about anything having to do with sex. Although the premise of the vampire story was unique, its delivery turned me off....
November 29, 2016
I would like to thank the author. I have had this book for 4 years, totally forgot it was there. But that aside, I thought it was about time I read it.
Well what do I think of a book that is meant to scare you lol. Some of the stories was good, others was passable. 1 made me feel like I wanted to be sick (no pun intended). Would I read the author's books, I am still undecided as it was a new experience for me.
Well what do I think of a book that is meant to scare you lol. Some of the stories was good, others was passable. 1 made me feel like I wanted to be sick (no pun intended). Would I read the author's books, I am still undecided as it was a new experience for me.
September 24, 2013
A fun collection of horror stories. A few were predictable and a couple of them juvenile, but overall the writer showed a lot of talent and creativity in putting this book together. A most wonderful story of a talking dog was by far my favorite. Sadly, this book needs a good edit ~ too many typos and grammatical errors kept this from a 5-star rating.
October 6, 2014
The Exhibition 4 stars
The Confession 3 stars
Baby 3 stars
A Ghost in My Room 2 stars
Jonathan Vs The Perfect Ten 5 stars
The Hanging Tree 3 stars
Thoughts of the Dead 3 stars
Summer of 1816 4 stars
Fallen 5 stars
The Relation Ship 3 stars
Suffer Shirley Gunn 4 stars
Humpty and Shrivels 5 stars
Curse of the Blind Eel 5 stars
Avg rating 3.77
The Confession 3 stars
Baby 3 stars
A Ghost in My Room 2 stars
Jonathan Vs The Perfect Ten 5 stars
The Hanging Tree 3 stars
Thoughts of the Dead 3 stars
Summer of 1816 4 stars
Fallen 5 stars
The Relation Ship 3 stars
Suffer Shirley Gunn 4 stars
Humpty and Shrivels 5 stars
Curse of the Blind Eel 5 stars
Avg rating 3.77
Currently reading
January 15, 2011I just started reading this amazing collection of horror shorts and can't put it down!
May 12, 2013
A great collection of short horror stories. I don't get scared very easily but some of these characters crept into my dreams, making for some pretty good nightmares!!
Well worth reading!
Well worth reading!
August 18, 2013
Great book disturbering great! Gave me the creeps!
August 25, 2013
Pretty good, until that last one, which was pretty silly and juvenile. Ok, the last 2 were juvenile, but the last one was icky as well. Other than those, good work.
September 5, 2013
Not to bad but some ofd the horror stories were more comedy than horror.
October 9, 2013
I enjoyed a few if the stories in this anthology. Others were just plain weird (and not in a good way).
October 7, 2013
10-6-2013
Review: Read it--don't know why....
Review: Read it--don't know why....
October 4, 2014
Not a bad read. Some of the stories I didn't care for, but overall it was ok.
The first story about a one night horror show was excellent. That was pretty horrifying.
The first story about a one night horror show was excellent. That was pretty horrifying.
October 18, 2014
not a well written book. disappointing. A piece of garbage
April 2, 2016
My third James Roy Daley book and (I just checked) the third 2 star rating. Far too many typos in this book of short stories and while a few were promising most were predictable or kind of silly.
June 19, 2012
Enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews