All in all a quick read that should entertain Tales from the Crypt fans and other horror lovers who enjoy cringe- inducing concepts and nasty laughs. For table top roleplayers a couple stories reminded me of things you would find in The World of Darkness.
I grabbed this book for my autumn reads list, hoping to settle in for some cleaver horror shorts. Unfortunately this didn't deliver. There's always that risk when picking up any book, even more so when it comes to indy-works, that the book could have gone another round or three of revision and editing before being released into the wilds and coaxing others to buy it. Signs came early this may be one of those when grammer and spelling errors appeared in the opening pages. I don't have much patience for works, especially as short as this, to contain so many fixable errors, much of which could have easily been corrected with even a cursory edit. If you're going to put your work out there and sell it, at least get this part right. It only went downhill from there as story after story had no substance, stilted dialogue, and 'twists' that seemed to come right out of M. Night Shyamalan's personal journal. Contrived endings employed for shock factor and never hits home. Much of the book reads as middle-grade, but it's not marketed as such. If it had been I might be more forgiving in my review. I would have also passed on the book as it wouldn't have been what I was looking for. I'm usually not so harsh in reviewing a book, especially an indy book, but this one rubbed me wrong. Too many things the author could have spent more time on rather than pushing out incomplete and unpolished work.
Have you ever had that memory of your childhood where you had sleepovers, Little fire pits in the back yard where you and friends sat on a summer night roasting marshmellows making smore's and just generally being a kid? The stories to try and scare one another even having another friend go around to the other side of the tent, or woods, or just sneak up behind other friends while you told the stories and scared them? This is that kind of collection. The book was a wonderful read the stories were short made their point and on a few of them you either laugh, cried, or wanted to scream. I loved the way the author didn't give to much detail and didn't let up with each selection that I passed there was something a little more enjoyable about it. Giving me those little childhood memories that to often than not we forget.
I suggest for those that haven't read this book to pick it up. It's filled with wonderful little clips and some of them will definately make you come back and read it again and again perhaps even share a few of them around a campfire somewhere with your friends and family. I know I did.
This author is very talented and has a unique writing style. Her stories are short but sweet. She is very descriptive and her stories are very captivating. They have deeper messages if you look below the surface. I really wish that some of the stories were longer and went a little more in depth. Overall I loved the majority of the stories, and found the plots and twists rewarding. I am now a fan. However, a few left me saying "what was that all about?" or "Was this a teaser for a longer story or book coming out later?". My least favorites were His Dark Ink, "Fair Warning", "Cockroaches and Peeps" and "Intrusion". My favorites which really freaked me out were "The Message" and "Forever". "What the Fates Decide" was a real cool interpretation of the game of life, and good vs evil. "The Black Keys" and "The Hands of Time" could easily be a script for "The Twighlight Zone". I really like the twist in the story "You Never Know What You Will Find" and the good feelings that I felt when I read "Where We Belong". I really wanted to go there myself! I recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author
Restless Highways is a little scary. I made the mistake at starting at 12:30am Home alone. after the first four stories I had to stop and read something lighter.
One story is about a romance writer who starts to get a idea for a slasher type book and starts writing late at night than realizing what she is writing tears it up and slasher guy comes and murder her because she did not write his story.
a couple goes to garage sale out in the country down a driveway loaded with sale items but no cars or people around. finally owners come out and try to get male to go with him out back to see old cars. Then gets the couple to see stuff inside as they go they shut garage doors. the couple feel uneasy.
also a short story that is a prelude to longer book about a guy who has been wandering for 500 years. His wife keeps being reborn different times but God of death wants her. He protects her now she is reborn again. Good be a good book to read in the future.
I was given this ebook in exchange for honest review.
Great short stories! As promised perfect for “around the campfire”!!! They grabbed you… pulled you in… freaked you out… then left you alone to deal with the consequences! It works! But some just really made me feel more… want more! Which is probably the point, but these are a couple I would LOVE to hear more about= Arrival: with the cage in the lot… perfect beginning… would LOVE the rest! Fair Warning: the girl that ‘knows’ things about the town… why, how and what else does she know?? What happens next or what came before?? I also can’t wait to get and read Weaver of Darkness now that I’ve read the Black Days and White Knights short!!! Fun collection of shorts that make you think a little too much of what may be in the dark, or wonder who, or what, is really making that noise!?!?
*I won a free copy of this e-book in a LibraryThing Member Giveaway*
this is really a great campfire-short-stories book. The author manages to infuse both suspense, thriller and (horror?) in the story. it is well-written and ever-flowing. The readers along with the characters are taken into the fears, shocked, surprised, fright of the characters, because the character views are clearly well-defined making the reader jive into the thoughts of the story. It left me with a fast beat of the heart and the slow realization that the story has ended.. a true work..
Venture once again into the world of darkness with these 23 short stories that are sure to make your heart race. Featuring Black Days And White Knights, a brand new never-seen-before companion story to Weaver of Darkness.
Melissa Webb has put together a cluster of thrilling stories, ranging from suspenseful to horrifying. As a compilation, I felt that some of the stories were short and sweet, with potential to develop into something more. There were other stories, however, I felt were incomplete and lacking in maintaining the reader's attention. Out of all the tales, I liked the unexpected twist-ending of "You Never Know What You'll Find," which I also felt had the most developed characters. I also found "The Message," like several other stories to have a nice touch of dark humor. Finally, I thought that "Forever" was a nice juxtaposition to all the fantasy vampire tales out there these days.
Restless Highways is a short book of short stories. Like most short story compilations, some of the stories are more detailed (or just plain better) than some of the others. However, I do agree with many of the other reviewers that this would be a great campfire story book! One critical comment: I used to love going to garage sales; now, I may never go to another one as long as I live! At least, not unless there are a lot of other folks around! That was my favorite story in the book, and it's worth getting just for that one, in my opinion.
An interesting anthology of stories that range from fearsome to simple tales of life. While covering an incredible amount of topics this book still manages to fit together with not a single tale seeming to not belong.
Rod Serling eat your heart out!! Excellent set of decently disturbing horror stories. Would have fit in any Twilight Zone, The Darkside, or Tales from the Crypt episode. Well done and a nice way to spend an afternoon in the sun.