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Vice & Virtue: Havok Season Eight
HUMANITY’S BEST AND WORST ACROSS FIVE GENRES
Experience the courage it takes to face down the ogre who is literally eating his way through your town. Sneak out at night with a prince who risks royal backlash to help those in need. Shiver on a snowy doorstep until Christmas kindness warms a frigid and calculating heart. But the stories aren’t always that sweet.
Life is no cake walk–unless you’re literally a sentient baked good with a private investigator’s license. Selfishness leaves a sour taste in your mouth, laziness leads to a lost boss battle, and blind jealousy may make it difficult to restore the ex-boyfriend you turned into a mushroom. Even diligence can be overdone to the point of setting a berserker water monster loose on your friends. Still, as the Typo Alliance says, mistakes are proof of humanity.
Forty-eight unforgettable tales written for fans of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and humor by new and established authors. After this roller coaster ride of the human experience we hope you walk away with fresh hope–or a new favorite author.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
“This was incredible! Had me on the edge of my seat all through it. Great conclusion!” ~ Arlan Gerig on “Thirteen Minutes to Kill”
“Shrek vibes! This is such a fun story.” ~ Evaschon98 on “The Frontier’s No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man”
“Love this sort of mashup between A Christmas Carol and The Screwtape Letters. Lovely and heartwarming!” ~ Isabella Roh on “A Christmas Equation”
“This dragon story was pure flash fiction magic! What a fun-loving grump of a main character. High marks.” ~ JJ Brinski on “Dragons Are Not Heroes”
Experience the courage it takes to face down the ogre who is literally eating his way through your town. Sneak out at night with a prince who risks royal backlash to help those in need. Shiver on a snowy doorstep until Christmas kindness warms a frigid and calculating heart. But the stories aren’t always that sweet.
Life is no cake walk–unless you’re literally a sentient baked good with a private investigator’s license. Selfishness leaves a sour taste in your mouth, laziness leads to a lost boss battle, and blind jealousy may make it difficult to restore the ex-boyfriend you turned into a mushroom. Even diligence can be overdone to the point of setting a berserker water monster loose on your friends. Still, as the Typo Alliance says, mistakes are proof of humanity.
Forty-eight unforgettable tales written for fans of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and humor by new and established authors. After this roller coaster ride of the human experience we hope you walk away with fresh hope–or a new favorite author.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
“This was incredible! Had me on the edge of my seat all through it. Great conclusion!” ~ Arlan Gerig on “Thirteen Minutes to Kill”
“Shrek vibes! This is such a fun story.” ~ Evaschon98 on “The Frontier’s No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man”
“Love this sort of mashup between A Christmas Carol and The Screwtape Letters. Lovely and heartwarming!” ~ Isabella Roh on “A Christmas Equation”
“This dragon story was pure flash fiction magic! What a fun-loving grump of a main character. High marks.” ~ JJ Brinski on “Dragons Are Not Heroes”
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2023
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 8, 2023
Another fantastic Havok anthology! The theme lends itself to some great stories showing both humanity's vices and depravity, and virtues and dignity (as one might figure from the title Vice and Virtue).
I loved the extra glimpse into the world of The Children of the Consortium series in Cathy McCrumb's story, "Inversion." If you haven't read her series yet, add it to your TBR. 😉
Victoria Robert's Typo Alliance stories are amazing--it's easy to see why "Proofreader" won the Editors' Choice award.
Some of my other favorite stories in the anthology are:
-"The Frontier's No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man" by Austin Grisham
-"Mute-iny" by Palama Love
-"The Risk of Life" by Jenneth Leed
-"Sweets and Soured" by Emily Barnett
Though all of the stories featured are great. If you're a fan of flash fiction, don't miss Havok's latest anthology.
*I am honored to have two stories featured in this anthology, "Cadenza" and "A Poisonous Beauty."*
I loved the extra glimpse into the world of The Children of the Consortium series in Cathy McCrumb's story, "Inversion." If you haven't read her series yet, add it to your TBR. 😉
Victoria Robert's Typo Alliance stories are amazing--it's easy to see why "Proofreader" won the Editors' Choice award.
Some of my other favorite stories in the anthology are:
-"The Frontier's No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man" by Austin Grisham
-"Mute-iny" by Palama Love
-"The Risk of Life" by Jenneth Leed
-"Sweets and Soured" by Emily Barnett
Though all of the stories featured are great. If you're a fan of flash fiction, don't miss Havok's latest anthology.
*I am honored to have two stories featured in this anthology, "Cadenza" and "A Poisonous Beauty."*
April 29, 2023
Absolutely loved Cathy Mccrumb's short story and a couple of the others too but ultimately felt that most of the stories didn't have enough context and felt rushed.
May 4, 2023
One of the things I enjoy most about Havok's anthologies is the chance to peek into so many worlds and meet so many fabulous characters. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I'd root for a piece of cake as a private investigator ("Hard Baked Detective and the Sot Sibling" by Mark Szasz), or a gingerbread man saving a town from a hungry ogre ("The Frontier's No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man" by Austin Grisham). But those stories were so fun, I have read and re-read them and even read them aloud to family members.
Victoria Robert's well-deserved Editors' Choice Award-winning story "Proofreader" and the related story "Structural Edits" put such a fun science fiction spin on the publishing industry and editing. Her Typo Alliance world feels so real, I can't help but hope she'll turn it into a full novel.
And that's one of the other joys about Havok's flash fiction. Each story is a complete miniature story arc (somebody catches the bad guy, solves the mystery, escapes a near-death situation, etc), which leaves me satisfied... and yet so very short that they also leave me hungry for more and thinking about the story for a while afterward (sometimes a LONG while).
I will never forget the story "Life Cycle 63" from the first Havok anthology, "Rebirth". The science fiction high-stakes scenario was a heart-pounding thrill ride, and the self-sacrifice of the protagonist so agonizing! "Vice & Virtue" (this anthology) has another story that gives me those same life-and-death sci-fi vibes. If you pick up this book, definitely check out "Thirteen Minutes to Kill" by Taylor Rae.
It's hard to review this book without telling you what I loved about EVERY SINGLE STORY, because they really each have fabulous characteristics (and characters!).
"To Tame a Wild Mustache" by Rosemary E. Johnson tickled my funny bone so much with its depiction of mustache hunting in Africa.
"Inversion" by Cathy McCrumb offered a wonderful peek at a side character's backstory from her Children of the Consortium book series.
"Fear of Furniture" by James Scott Bell has his signature touch of action + humor + irony, all woven together with his mastery of dialogue. I won't be looking at the psychotherapy office decor the same way for a long time.
Both Super Gus stories by John Leatherman remind me of all the things I love about cheesy superhero cartoons.
The Siren's Song by Ronnel Kay Gibson sucked me in with the dread siren ocean vibes I expected, and then turned my expectations on their ears.
"The New Girl" by Gretchen E.K. Engel and "Branchweaver's Difference" by Bonnie Maisen both did a fabulous job with stories in the high school slice-of-life genre (one with a touch of magic as a bonus).
Whoops, I told you I might end up listing them all if I wasn't careful. This ISN'T all of them, but it's a lot, so I'll stop there and just say... there's a lot to enjoy between the covers of this book, and it has a great re-readability profile. A keeper for my bookshelf, to be sure!
Victoria Robert's well-deserved Editors' Choice Award-winning story "Proofreader" and the related story "Structural Edits" put such a fun science fiction spin on the publishing industry and editing. Her Typo Alliance world feels so real, I can't help but hope she'll turn it into a full novel.
And that's one of the other joys about Havok's flash fiction. Each story is a complete miniature story arc (somebody catches the bad guy, solves the mystery, escapes a near-death situation, etc), which leaves me satisfied... and yet so very short that they also leave me hungry for more and thinking about the story for a while afterward (sometimes a LONG while).
I will never forget the story "Life Cycle 63" from the first Havok anthology, "Rebirth". The science fiction high-stakes scenario was a heart-pounding thrill ride, and the self-sacrifice of the protagonist so agonizing! "Vice & Virtue" (this anthology) has another story that gives me those same life-and-death sci-fi vibes. If you pick up this book, definitely check out "Thirteen Minutes to Kill" by Taylor Rae.
It's hard to review this book without telling you what I loved about EVERY SINGLE STORY, because they really each have fabulous characteristics (and characters!).
"To Tame a Wild Mustache" by Rosemary E. Johnson tickled my funny bone so much with its depiction of mustache hunting in Africa.
"Inversion" by Cathy McCrumb offered a wonderful peek at a side character's backstory from her Children of the Consortium book series.
"Fear of Furniture" by James Scott Bell has his signature touch of action + humor + irony, all woven together with his mastery of dialogue. I won't be looking at the psychotherapy office decor the same way for a long time.
Both Super Gus stories by John Leatherman remind me of all the things I love about cheesy superhero cartoons.
The Siren's Song by Ronnel Kay Gibson sucked me in with the dread siren ocean vibes I expected, and then turned my expectations on their ears.
"The New Girl" by Gretchen E.K. Engel and "Branchweaver's Difference" by Bonnie Maisen both did a fabulous job with stories in the high school slice-of-life genre (one with a touch of magic as a bonus).
Whoops, I told you I might end up listing them all if I wasn't careful. This ISN'T all of them, but it's a lot, so I'll stop there and just say... there's a lot to enjoy between the covers of this book, and it has a great re-readability profile. A keeper for my bookshelf, to be sure!
September 9, 2023
Havok proposed many sub-categories to an overall theme of Vice and Virtue this time around. Cowardice, courage, pride, humility—all are represented here.
The following all deserve recognition for adherence to entertainment, expression, and theme. Thirteen Minutes to Kill (excitingly provided by Taylor Rae), Fear of Furniture (creatively supplied by James Scott Bell), One More Time Around (hauntingly written by K.M. Hasling), A Broken Spirit (movingly served up by Andrew Winch), Incendiary (intriguingly offered by Maia Rebekah), Sweets and Soured (delightfully recorded by Emily Barnett), Storing Up Treasures (grippingly described by Ryan Bush), and A Christmas Equation (festively plotted by Hannah Carter).
The Reader’s Choice Award, Dragons are not Heroes by Emily Barnett, was splendidly told from a haughty dragon’s POV. A Matter of Pride by Hannah Carter nails the theme of pride but also explores this vice’s “other” side. And The Proxy by Caleb A Robinson and its selfless main character grabbed my attention.
Finally, Cadenza by Hailey Huntington, is an accomplishment of flash fiction. An offbeat tale of a pianist haunted by her past is deeply moving.
Overall, in general, the anthology seems stronger in the second half than the first—though a few examples contradict that assertion. The mix-up of speculative to non-speculative fiction was welcome. Everything was polished and well-written—a Havok staple. I believe most people will easily find several stories that they’ll love. Stories that will stick with them long after they embark on their (hopefully) virtuous endeavors of the day.
The following all deserve recognition for adherence to entertainment, expression, and theme. Thirteen Minutes to Kill (excitingly provided by Taylor Rae), Fear of Furniture (creatively supplied by James Scott Bell), One More Time Around (hauntingly written by K.M. Hasling), A Broken Spirit (movingly served up by Andrew Winch), Incendiary (intriguingly offered by Maia Rebekah), Sweets and Soured (delightfully recorded by Emily Barnett), Storing Up Treasures (grippingly described by Ryan Bush), and A Christmas Equation (festively plotted by Hannah Carter).
The Reader’s Choice Award, Dragons are not Heroes by Emily Barnett, was splendidly told from a haughty dragon’s POV. A Matter of Pride by Hannah Carter nails the theme of pride but also explores this vice’s “other” side. And The Proxy by Caleb A Robinson and its selfless main character grabbed my attention.
Finally, Cadenza by Hailey Huntington, is an accomplishment of flash fiction. An offbeat tale of a pianist haunted by her past is deeply moving.
Overall, in general, the anthology seems stronger in the second half than the first—though a few examples contradict that assertion. The mix-up of speculative to non-speculative fiction was welcome. Everything was polished and well-written—a Havok staple. I believe most people will easily find several stories that they’ll love. Stories that will stick with them long after they embark on their (hopefully) virtuous endeavors of the day.
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May 29, 2025Rating: 3 1/2
Decent flash fiction anthology. Nice variety of characters and settings. A few stand-outs that are four-star caliber at least.
The authors are often better at getting into the stories than out of them. So the plots / endings are inferior to the ideas or set-ups. A lot of these would probably be better as longer versions.
Favorites:
"Fear of Furniture" - James Scott Bell
"The Frontier's No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man" - Austin Grisham
"The Good, the Bad, and the Cliche" - Lincoln Reed
"Hard Baked Detective and the Sot Sibling" - Mark Szasz
"One More Time Around" - K.M. Hasling
Note: I bought this book because I had read Hasling's Mars and Mayhem.
Decent flash fiction anthology. Nice variety of characters and settings. A few stand-outs that are four-star caliber at least.
The authors are often better at getting into the stories than out of them. So the plots / endings are inferior to the ideas or set-ups. A lot of these would probably be better as longer versions.
Favorites:
"Fear of Furniture" - James Scott Bell
"The Frontier's No Place for a Soft Gingerbread Man" - Austin Grisham
"The Good, the Bad, and the Cliche" - Lincoln Reed
"Hard Baked Detective and the Sot Sibling" - Mark Szasz
"One More Time Around" - K.M. Hasling
Note: I bought this book because I had read Hasling's Mars and Mayhem.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews