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All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology
Welcome to the Dark.
We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a lot of what they fear—through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.
From haunted, hungry Victorian mansions, temporal monster–infested asylums, and ravaging zombie apocalypses, to southern gothic hoodoo practitioners and cursed patriarchs in search of Black Excellence, All These Sunken Souls features the chilling creations of acclaimed bestsellers and hot new talents.
- - - - -
Contributors
Kalynn Bayron @KalynnBayron
Ashia Monet @AshiaMonet
Liselle Sambury @LiselleSambury
Sami Ellis @themoosef
Joel Rochester @fictionalfates
Joelle Wellington @joelle_welling
Brent C. Lambert @BrentCLambert
Donyae Coles @okokno
Ryan Douglass @ryandouglassw
Circe Moskowitz @circemoskowitz
We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love—and a lot of what they fear—through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.
From haunted, hungry Victorian mansions, temporal monster–infested asylums, and ravaging zombie apocalypses, to southern gothic hoodoo practitioners and cursed patriarchs in search of Black Excellence, All These Sunken Souls features the chilling creations of acclaimed bestsellers and hot new talents.
- - - - -
Contributors
Kalynn Bayron @KalynnBayron
Ashia Monet @AshiaMonet
Liselle Sambury @LiselleSambury
Sami Ellis @themoosef
Joel Rochester @fictionalfates
Joelle Wellington @joelle_welling
Brent C. Lambert @BrentCLambert
Donyae Coles @okokno
Ryan Douglass @ryandouglassw
Circe Moskowitz @circemoskowitz
268 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2023
129 people are currently reading
10875 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
July 12, 2024
this could have slayed sooo hard😭 some of the stories were amazinggg but others not as much. it was okay overall i guess? low key put me in a reading slump tho
July 31, 2023
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I love horror short stories, so I was very excited when I was approved for this ARC! Thanks to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.
“All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology” (2023) is a collection of 10 stories from various authors, edited by Circe Moskowitz. The blurb says that this book “tackles a genre that historically has tokenized and exploited Black characters and opens discussion on how horror translates into the current time we live in”. Amazing!
The first half of the book set a very high bar, as it starts with the most solid stories of this volume. Then I thought it dipped in the middle, as these were my least favourite stories - but it ended with a bang! So I think the order of the stories was a pretty good editorial choice.
There’s something for everyone here: haunted houses, zombie apocalypses, ghosts, monsters… It’s labelled as YA, but some of the stories were plenty gory!
My rating by story:
“Lights” by Kalynn Bayron: 5⭐ A monster eager to feed meets his match when stalking a family. Unexpected and creepy.
“Be not afraid” by Ashia Money: 5⭐ A miraculous entity arrives at a church. This one reminded me of “Midnight Mass”! It deals with racism and Christian hypocrisy.
“All my best friends are dead” by Liselle Sambury: 5⭐ Bloody Mary with a delightful, terrifying twist!
“The teeth come out at night” by Sami Ellis: 4⭐ A student on a tight budget tries to get some money for her college fund by taking something she shouldn’t.
“I love your eyes” by Joel Rochester: 3⭐ Secrets come out when a happy couple celebrates their anniversary in a secluded mansion. This one had an interesting resolution, but the execution fell flat for me because at no point did I buy into the relationship.
“The consumption of Vienna Montrose” by Joelle Wellington: 3⭐ A young woman inherits an old house from her grandmother.
“The landscape of broken things” by Brent Lambert: 3⭐ In this dystopia, the seers that once helped humanity are now treated as a menace, and a teen struggles to save his mother.
“Mother Daughter and the Devil” by Donyae Coles: 3.5⭐ This has such a solid premise about generational trauma, but it was a little too meandering.
“Papa Pearlie” by Ryan Douglass: 3⭐ A young man visits the patriarch of the family and discovers a secret about his handmade dolls.
“No harm done” by Circe Moskowitz: 5⭐ A teenager meets her long-lost twin right as the zombie apocalypse begins. A unique take on this trope!
Overall, I was delighted with this anthology and can’t recommend it enough to any horror fans looking for their next scare!
I love horror short stories, so I was very excited when I was approved for this ARC! Thanks to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.
“All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology” (2023) is a collection of 10 stories from various authors, edited by Circe Moskowitz. The blurb says that this book “tackles a genre that historically has tokenized and exploited Black characters and opens discussion on how horror translates into the current time we live in”. Amazing!
The first half of the book set a very high bar, as it starts with the most solid stories of this volume. Then I thought it dipped in the middle, as these were my least favourite stories - but it ended with a bang! So I think the order of the stories was a pretty good editorial choice.
There’s something for everyone here: haunted houses, zombie apocalypses, ghosts, monsters… It’s labelled as YA, but some of the stories were plenty gory!
My rating by story:
“Lights” by Kalynn Bayron: 5⭐ A monster eager to feed meets his match when stalking a family. Unexpected and creepy.
“Be not afraid” by Ashia Money: 5⭐ A miraculous entity arrives at a church. This one reminded me of “Midnight Mass”! It deals with racism and Christian hypocrisy.
“All my best friends are dead” by Liselle Sambury: 5⭐ Bloody Mary with a delightful, terrifying twist!
“The teeth come out at night” by Sami Ellis: 4⭐ A student on a tight budget tries to get some money for her college fund by taking something she shouldn’t.
“I love your eyes” by Joel Rochester: 3⭐ Secrets come out when a happy couple celebrates their anniversary in a secluded mansion. This one had an interesting resolution, but the execution fell flat for me because at no point did I buy into the relationship.
“The consumption of Vienna Montrose” by Joelle Wellington: 3⭐ A young woman inherits an old house from her grandmother.
“The landscape of broken things” by Brent Lambert: 3⭐ In this dystopia, the seers that once helped humanity are now treated as a menace, and a teen struggles to save his mother.
“Mother Daughter and the Devil” by Donyae Coles: 3.5⭐ This has such a solid premise about generational trauma, but it was a little too meandering.
“Papa Pearlie” by Ryan Douglass: 3⭐ A young man visits the patriarch of the family and discovers a secret about his handmade dolls.
“No harm done” by Circe Moskowitz: 5⭐ A teenager meets her long-lost twin right as the zombie apocalypse begins. A unique take on this trope!
Overall, I was delighted with this anthology and can’t recommend it enough to any horror fans looking for their next scare!
Want to read
January 9, 2022joel (fictionalfates) announced this a while ago but my late ass is extra so i forgot to add it here BUT CONGRATS GUYS THIS SOUNDS AMAZING
August 31, 2023
Wow… Just wow… This was my number 1 most anticipated release of 2023 and it DELIVERED! The creep factor in every story was high and the spooky vibes were immaculate! The stories ranged from suspenseful to eerie to terrifying! Any anthology is going to have hits and misses, but the hits in this collection HIT, and there were way more of them than misses! There were so many amazing stories that it was hard to pick my favorite! We have Southern gothic tales, Bloody Mary vibes, serial killers, and more! Any kind of horror story you’re looking for can be found in this collection! (Except vampires, I would’ve loved some vampires lol) This is a perfect read for Halloween, so make sure you get it on October 17th!
Ratings:
📚Lights by Kalynn Bayron: ⭐️⭐️ (Tw: child abuse)
📚Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚All My Best Friends Are Dead by Liselle Sambury: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚The Teeth Come Out at Night by Sami Ellis: ⭐️ (go ahead and skip this one😬)
📚I love your eyes by Joel Rochester: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (All imma say is… Imagine the splinters🤭😭)
📚The Landscape of Broken Things by Brent Lambert: ⭐️⭐️
📚Mother, Daughter, and the Devil by Donyae Coles: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Papa Pearlie by Ryan Douglass: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Tw: Slavery & homophobia)
📚No Harm Done by Circe Moskowitz: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (My fave story! Tw: homophobia)
Average rating: 3.7 ⭐️’s
Overall rating: 5 ⭐️’s!
Thank you Chicago Review Press/Amberjack Publishing for this arc! All opinions are my own.
Ratings:
📚Lights by Kalynn Bayron: ⭐️⭐️ (Tw: child abuse)
📚Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚All My Best Friends Are Dead by Liselle Sambury: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚The Teeth Come Out at Night by Sami Ellis: ⭐️ (go ahead and skip this one😬)
📚I love your eyes by Joel Rochester: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (All imma say is… Imagine the splinters🤭😭)
📚The Landscape of Broken Things by Brent Lambert: ⭐️⭐️
📚Mother, Daughter, and the Devil by Donyae Coles: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Papa Pearlie by Ryan Douglass: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Tw: Slavery & homophobia)
📚No Harm Done by Circe Moskowitz: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (My fave story! Tw: homophobia)
Average rating: 3.7 ⭐️’s
Overall rating: 5 ⭐️’s!
Thank you Chicago Review Press/Amberjack Publishing for this arc! All opinions are my own.
October 22, 2024
This was a fun collection of short stories. While I had my favorites, each tale brought something different making it easy for everyone to find something they’ll enjoy. From zombies to shadowy monsters and even haunted houses the variety keeps you on your toes. I highly recommend this collection to anyone just beginning their journey into the horror genre!
Lights - 4 stars
Be Not Afraid - 4 stars
All My Best Friends Are Dead - 5 stars
The Teeth Come Out At Night - 2 stars
I Love Your Eyes - 4 stars
The Consumption of Vienna Montrose - 1 stars
The Landscape of Broken Things - 3 stars
Mother, Daughter, and the Devil - DNF
Papa Pearlie - 3 stars
No Harm Done - 3 stars
Lights - 4 stars
Be Not Afraid - 4 stars
All My Best Friends Are Dead - 5 stars
The Teeth Come Out At Night - 2 stars
I Love Your Eyes - 4 stars
The Consumption of Vienna Montrose - 1 stars
The Landscape of Broken Things - 3 stars
Mother, Daughter, and the Devil - DNF
Papa Pearlie - 3 stars
No Harm Done - 3 stars
September 8, 2023
2.5 Stars, rounded down
Rating anthologies is always hard, because there are some real gems in this collection. But for the most part, I found the stories somewhat dull. I really had to drag myself through this collection, which was more disappointing than you could know. Of all the anthologies I've picked up this year, I was most excited for this one. I think it does end on a really strong note, and all of these stories are wildly different than others I've read before. Maybe others will enjoy the collection as a whole more than I did. I really do hope so.
Anyway, my more in-depth review will be live November 3, 2023 at Gateway Reviews. Do stop by to check it out!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Rating anthologies is always hard, because there are some real gems in this collection. But for the most part, I found the stories somewhat dull. I really had to drag myself through this collection, which was more disappointing than you could know. Of all the anthologies I've picked up this year, I was most excited for this one. I think it does end on a really strong note, and all of these stories are wildly different than others I've read before. Maybe others will enjoy the collection as a whole more than I did. I really do hope so.
Anyway, my more in-depth review will be live November 3, 2023 at Gateway Reviews. Do stop by to check it out!
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Read
August 14, 2023Absolute standouts for me were the stories by Ashia Monet (i love fucked up church stories & righteous wrath), Liselle Sambury (i love insane girl group friendships), Joelle Wellington (a girl simply has the right to mutually obsessive kinda sexy madness with a haunted house) and Circe Moskowitz (ouch :( my favourite zombie outbreak story ever. such good character work)
thanks to netgalley for the arc!
thanks to netgalley for the arc!
Read
July 11, 2024I never feel comfortable assigning a star rating to a collaborative short story collection like this. Some I enjoyed more than others, and so it’s hard to attach an overall rating to the entire collection. I will say that the first short story in the collection made it hard to sleep, and that the last one made a huge impression on me as well. I’m not sure I enjoyed the story about teeth very much, though 🙈🤢
April 21, 2024
I think I need to stop reading anthologies. Out of the 10 stories, I enjoyed three. 2.5 rounded down because ultimately, I disliked more of this book than I liked.
July 28, 2023
I will forever be excited about authors from marginalised communities reclaiming the horror genre. The moment I heard tell of a Black horror anthology, coming out this 👻spooky month👻 no less, I just about lost my mind. And that cover absolutely slays!
I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and I think it is perfect for both readers who are new to horror and horror veterans. The stories are chilling and can get unhinged (which is personally very fun), and they span such a wide range of themes and tropes, from action-packed slashers to atmospheric Gothic tales that I think readers new to horror will have so much fun exploring. There are a few stories here that I absolutely want an entire novel of as a fan of Lovecraftian horror and Gothic tales; Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet, The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington and Mother, Daughter, and the Devil by Donyae Coles. My wish is for a new horror reader to dive into this and come out of it being really attached to specific stories and thereby embarking on a journey of finding similar spooky tales.
And oh the heart and soul that are poured into these stories. Are they really fun stories? Yes. Are they also so real and sometimes heartbreaking? Oh yes, using horror as a medium for creating awareness and exploring real world horrors is probably one of my favourite things about art and literature. These stories highlight both daily fears and generational trauma suffered by marginalised, particularly Black and queer communities, and I cannot stress more how important it is that literature like these are encouraged.
Thank you Amberjack Publishing and NetGalley for this digital advanced reader copy, these opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and I think it is perfect for both readers who are new to horror and horror veterans. The stories are chilling and can get unhinged (which is personally very fun), and they span such a wide range of themes and tropes, from action-packed slashers to atmospheric Gothic tales that I think readers new to horror will have so much fun exploring. There are a few stories here that I absolutely want an entire novel of as a fan of Lovecraftian horror and Gothic tales; Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet, The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington and Mother, Daughter, and the Devil by Donyae Coles. My wish is for a new horror reader to dive into this and come out of it being really attached to specific stories and thereby embarking on a journey of finding similar spooky tales.
And oh the heart and soul that are poured into these stories. Are they really fun stories? Yes. Are they also so real and sometimes heartbreaking? Oh yes, using horror as a medium for creating awareness and exploring real world horrors is probably one of my favourite things about art and literature. These stories highlight both daily fears and generational trauma suffered by marginalised, particularly Black and queer communities, and I cannot stress more how important it is that literature like these are encouraged.
Thank you Amberjack Publishing and NetGalley for this digital advanced reader copy, these opinions are my own.
January 28, 2024
So much of my BIPOC reading picks are historical fiction or fantasy so I'm always on the lookout for reads in other genres that will help diversify my reading. I also feel like I've had a short attention span lately, so I've been picking up short story collections and novella's more often. This Black horror anthology was just the ticket for me right now.
This set of stories was less steeped in folklore and more in straight horror. Although I did notice some themes like your typical topple the patriarchy and for some reason teeth... ick! There were a few who turn convention on its head which was really great. While my frequent criticism of short stories is the driving need for more, these were all a really good length. That said, if I had an entire novel of Be Not Afraid (Angel forced to do good - revenge story) or I Love Your Eyes (Frankenstein meets Jeckyl and Hyde) I would love it. Mother, Daughter, and the Devil was a favorite as well but it doesn't need even one more word.
This set of stories was less steeped in folklore and more in straight horror. Although I did notice some themes like your typical topple the patriarchy and for some reason teeth... ick! There were a few who turn convention on its head which was really great. While my frequent criticism of short stories is the driving need for more, these were all a really good length. That said, if I had an entire novel of Be Not Afraid (Angel forced to do good - revenge story) or I Love Your Eyes (Frankenstein meets Jeckyl and Hyde) I would love it. Mother, Daughter, and the Devil was a favorite as well but it doesn't need even one more word.
October 9, 2023
This anthology is just... so cool. Of course, it being an anthology, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but overall, this was so great, and there were so many stories that completely intrigued me and that were so much fun. A lot of them had really interesting twists. I also loved how many of these stories were queer, which is always an added bonus!
November 17, 2023
A wide range of spooky genres and themes. I particularly loved the ones that used horror tropes to explore generational trauma.
An excellent anthology.
An excellent anthology.
October 21, 2024
”Lights” by Kalynn Bayron: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh wow, this was not what I expected when the story started. It starts out with the narrator plotting to kill a family, and the turns it took were really intriguing and unexpected. Very dark!
”Be Not Afraid” by Ashia Monet: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOWZA this was so cool. Strong Midnight Mass vibes. Horrifying. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while!
”All My Best Friends Are Dead” by Liselle Sambury: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This had a fantastic twist, too! What a stellar set of stories so far!
”The Teeth Come Out at Night” by Sami Ellis: ⭐️⭐️
About a girl who babysits and sells the kids’ teeth for money for college. Super weird and confusing and slow paced for a short story.
”I Love Your Eyes” by Joel Rochester: ⭐️⭐️
This one confused me at first because it wasn’t YA—the characters were clearly adults, though it never specified the age. Besides that, it was just a little confusing and unbelievable? Parts of it were predictable and other parts weren’t so much, but this one didn’t really stick the landing for me.
”The Consumption of Vienna Montrose” by Joelle Wellington: ⭐️
I did NOT like this one. I didn’t like the writing style and the story itself was confusing, and then it got into this super weird sexual content that did not fit in a YA story.
”The Landscape of Broken Things” by Brent Lambert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This had an incredibly unique world! It didn’t feel horror but it was a cool fantasy story.
”Mother, Daughter, and the Devil” by Donyae Coles: ⭐️
I’m not sure what I just read? I liked it at first because I liked the writing style, but it was just so sloooooow and I even thought about DNF’ing it. I was also super confused and just not impacted by the story at all.
”Papa Pearlie” by Ryan Douglass: ⭐️⭐️
This was an interesting idea but the execution didn’t fully land for me.
”No Harm Done” by Circe Moskowitz: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh, this was good. Definitely for fans of The Last of Us. Completely unpredictable and gripping the whole way through.
Oh wow, this was not what I expected when the story started. It starts out with the narrator plotting to kill a family, and the turns it took were really intriguing and unexpected. Very dark!
”Be Not Afraid” by Ashia Monet: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOWZA this was so cool. Strong Midnight Mass vibes. Horrifying. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while!
”All My Best Friends Are Dead” by Liselle Sambury: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This had a fantastic twist, too! What a stellar set of stories so far!
”The Teeth Come Out at Night” by Sami Ellis: ⭐️⭐️
About a girl who babysits and sells the kids’ teeth for money for college. Super weird and confusing and slow paced for a short story.
”I Love Your Eyes” by Joel Rochester: ⭐️⭐️
This one confused me at first because it wasn’t YA—the characters were clearly adults, though it never specified the age. Besides that, it was just a little confusing and unbelievable? Parts of it were predictable and other parts weren’t so much, but this one didn’t really stick the landing for me.
”The Consumption of Vienna Montrose” by Joelle Wellington: ⭐️
I did NOT like this one. I didn’t like the writing style and the story itself was confusing, and then it got into this super weird sexual content that did not fit in a YA story.
”The Landscape of Broken Things” by Brent Lambert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This had an incredibly unique world! It didn’t feel horror but it was a cool fantasy story.
”Mother, Daughter, and the Devil” by Donyae Coles: ⭐️
I’m not sure what I just read? I liked it at first because I liked the writing style, but it was just so sloooooow and I even thought about DNF’ing it. I was also super confused and just not impacted by the story at all.
”Papa Pearlie” by Ryan Douglass: ⭐️⭐️
This was an interesting idea but the execution didn’t fully land for me.
”No Harm Done” by Circe Moskowitz: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh, this was good. Definitely for fans of The Last of Us. Completely unpredictable and gripping the whole way through.
March 1, 2024
3.5
slowly catching up with all my anthologies but i loved how spooky and creepy this one was. the stories are all over so it was nice to read an anthology that didn’t feel so similar.
“lights” by kalynn bayron, “all my best friends are dead” by liselle sambury, and “no harm done” by circe moskowitz in particular were the ones i liked the most.
slowly catching up with all my anthologies but i loved how spooky and creepy this one was. the stories are all over so it was nice to read an anthology that didn’t feel so similar.
“lights” by kalynn bayron, “all my best friends are dead” by liselle sambury, and “no harm done” by circe moskowitz in particular were the ones i liked the most.
October 19, 2023
My rating for this anthology is 4.4.
In short, this is a solid anthology of stories that, for the most part, scared me thoroughly. I don't think I'll ever get near a chicken coop again.
See my review below.
All These Sunken Souls
In short, this is a solid anthology of stories that, for the most part, scared me thoroughly. I don't think I'll ever get near a chicken coop again.
See my review below.
All These Sunken Souls
January 31, 2024
Sadly not that memorable. I did enjoy the stories by Ryan Douglass and Liselle Sambury.
December 24, 2024
Like most short story anthologies, this one had quite a few that I really enjoyed, and a couple I liked, but didn't love.
That said, kudos to all of these brilliant writers. I hope you all keep writing!!
That said, kudos to all of these brilliant writers. I hope you all keep writing!!
January 17, 2024
Extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend
July 21, 2023
This anthology is the perfect book too reads while you’re sitting or laying by a camp fire alone or with friends. All ten authors offer you stories that will have you constantly looking over your shoulder or wonder what’s lurking on the next page.
I really enjoyed the book so much . I felt the authors each offered the readers a chance to get to know their writing ,if they weren’t already familiar with them outside of this book. For me I am already familiar and love so many of the authors in this book . So though I knew it would be great based off of that alone, I got to know authors who I had not previously read from. Making me want to go and read other books/stories from these authors. Though I wont say if I like one story more than the other because I think you’ll be hard pressed to do so yourself after reading this book. It’s perfect for the spooky season or anytime you think you want something horror filled to read.
This book has lgbtq representation, zombies, a haunted mansion, demons, ghost, hoo doo,stalker, death, and so much more. I mean what else do you expect from a horror book. If you love black mirror, Jordan Peele, love craft country, or just horror in general I say you’ll love this book as much as I have. The only thing that it was missing for me was more stories .
All opinons are my own and honest. Thank you Netgalley and Amberjack publishing for allowing me to read this ARC. It was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.
I really enjoyed the book so much . I felt the authors each offered the readers a chance to get to know their writing ,if they weren’t already familiar with them outside of this book. For me I am already familiar and love so many of the authors in this book . So though I knew it would be great based off of that alone, I got to know authors who I had not previously read from. Making me want to go and read other books/stories from these authors. Though I wont say if I like one story more than the other because I think you’ll be hard pressed to do so yourself after reading this book. It’s perfect for the spooky season or anytime you think you want something horror filled to read.
This book has lgbtq representation, zombies, a haunted mansion, demons, ghost, hoo doo,stalker, death, and so much more. I mean what else do you expect from a horror book. If you love black mirror, Jordan Peele, love craft country, or just horror in general I say you’ll love this book as much as I have. The only thing that it was missing for me was more stories .
All opinons are my own and honest. Thank you Netgalley and Amberjack publishing for allowing me to read this ARC. It was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.
May 17, 2024
3.5 stars.
This took me much longer to finish than it should have. I'm realizing that I read short stories collections/anthologies very slowly. I think this was an enjoyable collections and there were only two stories that I had a hard time being invested in. My personal favorites I think are, "Be Not Afraid" by Ashia Monet, "All My Best Friends are Dead" by Liselle Sambury, "Mother, Daughter, and the Devil" by Donyae Colesand "No Harm Done" by Circe Moskowitz. I knew a lot of the authors who were involved but I was also introduced to new authors and authors who are debuting this year. I'm interested in checking out their other works.
This took me much longer to finish than it should have. I'm realizing that I read short stories collections/anthologies very slowly. I think this was an enjoyable collections and there were only two stories that I had a hard time being invested in. My personal favorites I think are, "Be Not Afraid" by Ashia Monet, "All My Best Friends are Dead" by Liselle Sambury, "Mother, Daughter, and the Devil" by Donyae Colesand "No Harm Done" by Circe Moskowitz. I knew a lot of the authors who were involved but I was also introduced to new authors and authors who are debuting this year. I'm interested in checking out their other works.
February 18, 2025
I appreciate this book for its spotlight on works by queer black horror authors . but overall it just wasnt for me.
Individual Mini Reviews
Lights: 4⭐️
Be Not Afraid: 4⭐️
All my Best Friends are Dead: 3⭐️. The story isnt exactly original and the alternating between before and after is a bit overused but overall the story is fun so i dont really care too much!
The Teeth Come Out at Night: 2⭐️. I don’t remember it being horrible but just……. like . okay?!!????????
I Love Your Eyes: 1⭐️.
The Consumption of Vienna Montrose: 3⭐️.
The Landscape of Broken Things: 0⭐️. like. was there any planning here at all?(!;!2&:!;&
Mother, Daughter, and the Devil: 5⭐️. wish a lot of stories in this collection were in third person!!!!
Papa Pearlie: 2⭐️. first person, my enemy. also too rushed.
No Harm Done: 3⭐️. that sudden shift got me!!!!! but also…….just didnt really do much with the plot???? but still i was entertained!!!
Individual Mini Reviews
Lights: 4⭐️
Be Not Afraid: 4⭐️
All my Best Friends are Dead: 3⭐️. The story isnt exactly original and the alternating between before and after is a bit overused but overall the story is fun so i dont really care too much!
The Teeth Come Out at Night: 2⭐️. I don’t remember it being horrible but just……. like . okay?!!????????
I Love Your Eyes: 1⭐️.
The Consumption of Vienna Montrose: 3⭐️.
The Landscape of Broken Things: 0⭐️. like. was there any planning here at all?(!;!2&:!;&
Mother, Daughter, and the Devil: 5⭐️. wish a lot of stories in this collection were in third person!!!!
Papa Pearlie: 2⭐️. first person, my enemy. also too rushed.
No Harm Done: 3⭐️. that sudden shift got me!!!!! but also…….just didnt really do much with the plot???? but still i was entertained!!!
November 21, 2023
Bit of a mixed bag.
Some of the smaller stories shined, but other fell flat. Especially when they just end out of absolutely nowhere (as about 2 or 3 of them did).
The standout for me was by Liselle Sambury, which I actually didn't expect to like, but I really did, thanks to a really creepy twist that took me by surprise.
Horror short stories can be a bit of a mixed bag because it can take a while to properly build up the tension necessary to petrify. And this anthology definitely reflected this.
Also, what's the obsession with teeth? I hate it.
Some of the smaller stories shined, but other fell flat. Especially when they just end out of absolutely nowhere (as about 2 or 3 of them did).
The standout for me was by Liselle Sambury, which I actually didn't expect to like, but I really did, thanks to a really creepy twist that took me by surprise.
Horror short stories can be a bit of a mixed bag because it can take a while to properly build up the tension necessary to petrify. And this anthology definitely reflected this.
Also, what's the obsession with teeth? I hate it.
November 26, 2023
As predictable in an anthology, there were some hits and some misses here. I think a few of the stories got a little too esoteric, and I was wondering what exactly was going on. This anthology was bookended by two of my favorite stories, so I was happy to both start and end with stories that I really enjoyed. The final one follows a zombie apocalypse and the first, likely my #1 favorite because it feeds into my greatest fear, is about a family who refuses to go anywhere in their house that the lights don't reach. You probably want to read that one in daylight.
April 29, 2025
All of the stories were base level "good" I wasn't bored with any of them and I liked how horror was depicted in them. However almost all of them I think suffered from not quite being long enough. The shorter stories could have been a little bit more detailed and the longer ones could have been novellas, tho I would also say that about my favorite short stories from this collection, the two stories with teeth and the doll story simply because they drew me in to the point that I wanted to see more of the setting they created.
July 10, 2025
I read and rated All These Sunken Souls an overall 3.5. I had 3 individual favorite stories: All My Best Friends Are Dead by Liselle Sambury, which was no surprise because I love her writing, The Teeth Come Out At Night by Sami Ellis, and No Harm Done by Circe Moskowitz. The rest of the stories were enjoyable, but not as much as I wanted them to be. I loved the hidden messages in them, whether they were about class disparities, race, governmental control, or generational trauma, but sometimes the execution didn’t work for me. However, I think there is something for everyone in this anthology.
Read
August 15, 2023I am not a horror reader at all. horror movies scare me to no end, but I was hoping that an anthology wouldn't be as scary. I was right. The stories are really good, some of them had twists that even I didn't see coming, but I'm ont sure I would classify them all as horror. So if you're hesitating reading this, because you think it'll be too gory, don't worry about it (though some stories are definitely a bit gory)!
October 30, 2023
Overall, strong horror visuals for the horror enthusiast! I see some elements that could point this to being YA, but otherwise you wouldn't even know this is marketed as such. A solid collection of stories with some surprising routes and visuals that I enjoyed. This is now one of my favorite anthologies!
November 19, 2023
Such a well-rounded collection of short stories!
There were so many stories in this collection that I wish were made into full-length novels because I need more answers 😂 but I’ll definitely have my eyes peeled for the future work these authors have in store for us!
Also, Circe really brings this whole series home by finishing off with a short of her own that managed to bring about both holiday spirit and the end of the world as we know it.
There were so many stories in this collection that I wish were made into full-length novels because I need more answers 😂 but I’ll definitely have my eyes peeled for the future work these authors have in store for us!
Also, Circe really brings this whole series home by finishing off with a short of her own that managed to bring about both holiday spirit and the end of the world as we know it.
May 1, 2024
This was a wild ride, to say the least. I adored at least half of these stories, and still enjoyed the ones I didn't like as much. My favorite was, hands down, the final story: "No Harm Done" by Circe Moskowitz. That story especially held my attention the entire time and brought me to tears. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys the horror genre.
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