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The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic
Delve into the fascinating world of witchcraft and magic and let this enthralling compilation act as your guide to a realm beyond anything you’ve experienced, as you explore the stunning world of hexes, sorcery, and powerful enchantments.
512 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
28 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
Mike Ashley
278 books130 followersMichael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 13, 2017
Even after finishing this book I cannot discern in much detail as to what are the distinguishing characteristics between dark and light ( the possible antithesis of dark) magic. The stories are of different shades where the magic ranges from overt, visible and dramatic magic to subtle and insanely powerful. Written by a range of talent including some of the heavyweights in the fantasy genre, this is a good collection in which the good ones outweigh the mediocre.
There are 23 stories in all and while I cannot review all of them, here are the ones that really connected with me :
Villagio Sogno by Richard A. Lupoff : A strange and enchanting village where two little girls get trapped in a nightmare show of events. The visuals of this story are fantastic and are reminiscent of old pulps. 3 stars.
The game of magical death by Dough Hornig : There are no humans or entities of the netherworld casting spells in this story but that seat is reserved for a computer. This is an ingenious tale with computer magic. 4 stars.
The Witch’s Bicycle by Tim Pratt : Going back to the first part of the review, if dark magic can be defined as evil (which it really isn’t) then this story fits right like a glove. An immortal evil squirming its way into the lives of three children and their lives makes for a well written story. 4 stars.
The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones : This one is not really magic but has its roots more in the realm of mythology. The author teases a playful and irreverent take on what it means to really break a prophecy. 4 stars.
Timekeeper by John Morressy : Here was one story where magic dwells beneath the surface and barring a couple of scenes it never really becomes directly involved in the story itself. A subtle yet fantastic tale. 4 stars.
The Double Shadow by Clark Ashton Smith : There has to be one tale in such a collection which talks about messing with forces too far beyond one’s control. In the hands of an established writer like Smith, the story takes flight. The visuals here are also splendid. 3 stars.
To become a sorcerer by Darrell Schweitzer : The underlying thread of this story is a bildungsroman but this is wrapped within layers upon layers of fantastic imagery. The young sorcerer grows up in a land populated by crocodile gods, rivers of death, a dark afterlife and many such perils. While the other tales in the collection are short stories, this one is a novella but moves along at a brisk pace. 5 stars.
The Bones of the Earth by Ursula K. Le Guin : This was my favorite story of the whole lot for multiple reasons. Firstly – it was written by Ursula LeGuin, Secondly – the magic is simple, elegant and yet enigmatic and thirdly – nothing is ever fully explained. Like a successful magical trick, it is all show and don’t tell. 5 stars.
The others in the list, including a story by Michael Moorcock (which was good but not great) are ones that did not stay with me. In the course of reading I also did skip over a couple of them.
With the number of good stories in the collection, this is recommended.
There are 23 stories in all and while I cannot review all of them, here are the ones that really connected with me :
Villagio Sogno by Richard A. Lupoff : A strange and enchanting village where two little girls get trapped in a nightmare show of events. The visuals of this story are fantastic and are reminiscent of old pulps. 3 stars.
The game of magical death by Dough Hornig : There are no humans or entities of the netherworld casting spells in this story but that seat is reserved for a computer. This is an ingenious tale with computer magic. 4 stars.
The Witch’s Bicycle by Tim Pratt : Going back to the first part of the review, if dark magic can be defined as evil (which it really isn’t) then this story fits right like a glove. An immortal evil squirming its way into the lives of three children and their lives makes for a well written story. 4 stars.
The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones : This one is not really magic but has its roots more in the realm of mythology. The author teases a playful and irreverent take on what it means to really break a prophecy. 4 stars.
Timekeeper by John Morressy : Here was one story where magic dwells beneath the surface and barring a couple of scenes it never really becomes directly involved in the story itself. A subtle yet fantastic tale. 4 stars.
The Double Shadow by Clark Ashton Smith : There has to be one tale in such a collection which talks about messing with forces too far beyond one’s control. In the hands of an established writer like Smith, the story takes flight. The visuals here are also splendid. 3 stars.
To become a sorcerer by Darrell Schweitzer : The underlying thread of this story is a bildungsroman but this is wrapped within layers upon layers of fantastic imagery. The young sorcerer grows up in a land populated by crocodile gods, rivers of death, a dark afterlife and many such perils. While the other tales in the collection are short stories, this one is a novella but moves along at a brisk pace. 5 stars.
The Bones of the Earth by Ursula K. Le Guin : This was my favorite story of the whole lot for multiple reasons. Firstly – it was written by Ursula LeGuin, Secondly – the magic is simple, elegant and yet enigmatic and thirdly – nothing is ever fully explained. Like a successful magical trick, it is all show and don’t tell. 5 stars.
The others in the list, including a story by Michael Moorcock (which was good but not great) are ones that did not stay with me. In the course of reading I also did skip over a couple of them.
With the number of good stories in the collection, this is recommended.
February 9, 2018
This is an anthology of stories written around the premise that magic is real. I bought my copy at a used book store and was intrigued by the title. I kept it on my nightstand and read it on those nights when I woke up during the night and couldn't get back to sleep right away. It was mildly entertaining in that role.
The way the authors treated the idea not only varied wildly in nature, but also in quality. Several of the stories were quite good to very good. Some were on the other end of the spectrum and were very disappointing. I would qualify most of them as being 'okay.' However, one place I really appreciated this book was in the introduction for each story. The editor, Mike Ashley, provided some background on each of the authors and included some discussion of their works. I was able to get some suggestions on several promising books.
Overall, I wouldn't give this book a big recommendation. If you can get it on the cheap, it's worth it. But, I wouldn't pay full price for a copy.
The way the authors treated the idea not only varied wildly in nature, but also in quality. Several of the stories were quite good to very good. Some were on the other end of the spectrum and were very disappointing. I would qualify most of them as being 'okay.' However, one place I really appreciated this book was in the introduction for each story. The editor, Mike Ashley, provided some background on each of the authors and included some discussion of their works. I was able to get some suggestions on several promising books.
Overall, I wouldn't give this book a big recommendation. If you can get it on the cheap, it's worth it. But, I wouldn't pay full price for a copy.
December 12, 2013
This is the first time I read a Mammoth book, and am excited to start The Mammoth Book of Angels and Demons.
What I most liked about this book was the struggle between good and bad, how the protagonists had to face their fears to conquer the situation, and the differences in magics there are. This book taught me many different aspects and perspectives about magic, in both it's good and evil forms. Reading the diverse stories in this book has increased my knowledge about sorcery and witchcraft. However, the main aspect I learned in this book is one's inevitable temptation to take advantage of their power, which leads to abuse and misuse, leading to countless consequences and to chaos.
It takes a tremendous amount of willpower and an extremely tamed mind not to take advantage of power. This novel has taught me that, and that it is extremely rare to be able to harness that willpower.
Most of the time, the stories left me trembling of fear, mostly because I became so engrossed in some of them that I almost felt it all real. You know a story is that good, when reality escaped you and you live in a world the book creates for you.
What I most liked about this book was the struggle between good and bad, how the protagonists had to face their fears to conquer the situation, and the differences in magics there are. This book taught me many different aspects and perspectives about magic, in both it's good and evil forms. Reading the diverse stories in this book has increased my knowledge about sorcery and witchcraft. However, the main aspect I learned in this book is one's inevitable temptation to take advantage of their power, which leads to abuse and misuse, leading to countless consequences and to chaos.
It takes a tremendous amount of willpower and an extremely tamed mind not to take advantage of power. This novel has taught me that, and that it is extremely rare to be able to harness that willpower.
Most of the time, the stories left me trembling of fear, mostly because I became so engrossed in some of them that I almost felt it all real. You know a story is that good, when reality escaped you and you live in a world the book creates for you.
July 31, 2013
Like many of the Mammoth anthologies this is a mix of good and bad stories; a few I skipped but there were some brilliantly written ones as well.
I really enjoyed:
The Game of Magical Death / Doug Hornig
The Witch's Bicycle / Tim Pratt
The Bones of the Erath / Ursula K. Le Guin
In The Realm of Dragons /Esther M Friesner
The Wizard of Ash and Rain / David Sandner
The Last Witch / James Bibby
I really enjoyed:
The Game of Magical Death / Doug Hornig
The Witch's Bicycle / Tim Pratt
The Bones of the Erath / Ursula K. Le Guin
In The Realm of Dragons /Esther M Friesner
The Wizard of Ash and Rain / David Sandner
The Last Witch / James Bibby
May 9, 2020
It took me a little while to seriously get into this collection. But, once I did… I was completely hooked. I quite obviously love fantasy from the books that fill my shelves. But, as I’ve gotten older, I have found that I am drawn again and again to fantasy of a darker bent. Although not all of these short stories suited that desire, they just weren’t that dark… this collection was still seriously brilliant.
The stories in this collection just completely run the gamut. There are some serious, dark and twisted stories. Some that are fun and light. And a few that make you question the state of the world as we know it. All the stories were enjoyable in one way or another, although maybe not as memorable as some of the other short stories that I’ve read.
This is a great little collection. One that is interesting and fun. There was a lot surrounding ideas of chaos throughout, which makes it one of those collections that I’ll probably want to read again. There always seems to be this sense of confusion and intricacy about chaos stories that just makes me want to read them again and again.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/book-reviews...
The stories in this collection just completely run the gamut. There are some serious, dark and twisted stories. Some that are fun and light. And a few that make you question the state of the world as we know it. All the stories were enjoyable in one way or another, although maybe not as memorable as some of the other short stories that I’ve read.
This is a great little collection. One that is interesting and fun. There was a lot surrounding ideas of chaos throughout, which makes it one of those collections that I’ll probably want to read again. There always seems to be this sense of confusion and intricacy about chaos stories that just makes me want to read them again and again.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/book-reviews...
October 9, 2017
It's a good collection of fun, relatively old and diverse short stories. While there were a few names I recognized, (Diana Wynne Jones, Ursuala K. Le Guin,...) many more were ones I had never heard of before, yet came to love.
Absolute favourite stories:
The Witch's Bicycle - A nicely written, sufficiently strange story with a great heroine.
Timekeeper - A new story from an old formula that still managed to capture my imagination.
The Sage of Theare - I'm a sucker for myths and a fan of the Charmed Life and its world. It was meant to be.
Honourable mentions:
The Wizard of Ashes and Rain - So very very weird.
In the Realm of Dragons - So very very sad.
The Eternal Altercation- So very very cool. Perhaps the most modern story in the book, with a bit of a Gaiman feel.
Absolute favourite stories:
The Witch's Bicycle - A nicely written, sufficiently strange story with a great heroine.
Timekeeper - A new story from an old formula that still managed to capture my imagination.
The Sage of Theare - I'm a sucker for myths and a fan of the Charmed Life and its world. It was meant to be.
Honourable mentions:
The Wizard of Ashes and Rain - So very very weird.
In the Realm of Dragons - So very very sad.
The Eternal Altercation- So very very cool. Perhaps the most modern story in the book, with a bit of a Gaiman feel.
January 3, 2019
This anthology had some wonderful stories that raised the stakes in terms of magic and how it could be dangerous, but others felt quite dry and a little cliche. I felt like the latter somewhat overshadowed the few I thought were utterly fantastic.
March 7, 2022
As always with a book of short stories, some are good and some are not. These stories are about dark magic and so are themselves dark and sometimes dismal. This particular edition had some flaws such as name mix-ups and misspellings. Altogether a good book.
January 13, 2019
I suppose always the way with a collection of stories, some I liked a lot, but others I struggled to get through.
January 27, 2020
Most of the stories are well written, however some of them take a long time to establish and gain interest.
April 9, 2020
I guess this is really not my genre.
July 10, 2025
The Witch’s Bicycle by Tim Pratt : 4 stars.
Timekeeper by John Morressy : 4 stars.
The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones : 4 stars.
November 24, 2014
I bought this book mostly for research, to give myself an insight into the different ways one might write about magic. Although I've read many novels on the same subject, I found this collection of short stories far better from a compare and contrast perspective.
The stories featured varied greatly in style, setting and approach, with the concept of 'magic' being applied to humans, fantasy creatures, inanimate objects and even technology. The periods in which they were written also varied which, in my opinion, added to the experience. A couple of the stories were interesting but not marvellous, some were obvious in their approach with characters that were far too flat. Others were brilliant and highly captivating. There was an equal mix of literary and commercial styles.
For the purpose of exploring the craft of writing and researching other authors' styles, this book was excellent. If I had picked it up purely for leisure, I may have found it slightly less enjoyable.
The stories featured varied greatly in style, setting and approach, with the concept of 'magic' being applied to humans, fantasy creatures, inanimate objects and even technology. The periods in which they were written also varied which, in my opinion, added to the experience. A couple of the stories were interesting but not marvellous, some were obvious in their approach with characters that were far too flat. Others were brilliant and highly captivating. There was an equal mix of literary and commercial styles.
For the purpose of exploring the craft of writing and researching other authors' styles, this book was excellent. If I had picked it up purely for leisure, I may have found it slightly less enjoyable.
July 23, 2016
Excellent selection, with every story a winner! I really enjoyed reading shorts from some of my favourite authors of old, and discovering some new soon-to-be favourites I can't wait to explore further. The range of this collection was widely varied in theme and style which makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to pick a favourite (apples and pears you know). If I were to pick a few though: 'The Game of Magical Death' a very neatly crafted horror; 'The Bones of the Earth' wonderful to add another little bitter-sweet snippet to the story of Gont; 'Timekeeper' a whimsical (if slightly dark) tale of just deserts, both good and bad.
July 11, 2014
Could not finish; there were one or two gems of short stories, but it really dragged on. Some of the stories I may return to, or try to find, but I'm apathetic about this book.
June 21, 2013
A bit of a mix really, some interesting tales and others a bit lacking. Not bad for a Works special deal.
October 30, 2013
A collection of short stories centred around magic and the dark arts. A decent mix of stories and authors and, like in all anthologies, some are better than others.
March 13, 2014
There were several good stories in here. I liked the story by Dianne Wynn Jones. Three stories because I didn't engage with all the stories and skipped a few.
April 6, 2016
I do not like short story collections. I don't know why I keep trying.
January 3, 2017
There were some real gems in this collection. A few that I could have done without, but most of the stories were just "meh." A good way to get introduced to new authors, though.
October 21, 2025
A nicely curated collection!
Some stunners, some gooders, some okayers. Nothing bad, just not to my taste.
I've definitely discovered new authors from this book, as well as sub-genres to look into.
Some stunners, some gooders, some okayers. Nothing bad, just not to my taste.
I've definitely discovered new authors from this book, as well as sub-genres to look into.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews