Midnight Abyss: A Collection of Darklings

by Anisa Alice-Claire, Shaun Adams, Theresa Briscoe Tschetter

Horrifically Delightful!

The witching hour has arrived.

Spooky tales by Anisa A. Claire, Shaun Adams, Theresa Bricoe Tschetter, Matthew X. Gomez, Doug Langille, Kelleigh Elizabeth Perry, Gregory K. Shipman, Raymond Tobaygo, Jennifer M. Zeiger

Step into the darkness of the Midnight Abyss, a collection of devilishly dark fantasy, hauntingly horrific short stories, and petrifying poetry that will keep you on the edge of your seat from dusk til dawn.

It's midnight in the abyss... Do you know where your darklings are?

Genres: Horror

268 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2013

About the author

Anisa A. Claire is a Licensed Property Manager by day and an eclectic author by night. She is also the creator and co-owner of Writer’s Carnival, a successful, online community for writers. She has multiple publications in e-zines such as Long Story Short, 69 Flavors of Paranoia, The Short Humour Site, and Blood Magazine. She’s placed in, and won various contests, and completed last year’s 3-Day Novel competition. Anisa is an animal-loving, Halloween fanatic who’s favourite authors include: Jonathan Maberry, George R. R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Philip Pullman.

When she isn’t out ridding the world of zombies with her weapons of choice, Brussels sprouts and spatulas, she can be found surfing the net for inspiring ways to create zombies-buddies from felt and other random what-have-you’s.

Reviews

[Shilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

When life gets too repetitive as if on autopilot its nice to be able to pick up a book and slip into the dark, twistedness that is this collection of darklings. The monotony of today’s society needs books like Midnight Abyss. I enjoyed this collection of short stories from amature authors. Normally self-published books are a red flag, but it turns out these guys wickedly talented. Every writer is a normal everyday person who just enjoys writing (and the dark side of their imagination). One of the things I loved most about this book was the brief glimpse you get of each person’s life and personality as each story has a short write up of the author. I particularly enjoyed the short story Debt Collectors and the poetry sprinkled throughout. Midnight Abyss is a perfect read for someone who loves a good horror story but lacks the commitment to finish an entire book. A great gift idea for those on your list more in touch with their dark, emotional, weirdo side (we’ve all got one or two in the family).

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this collection of works. It's obvious that these authors put a lot of time and work into their submissions. It is quickly evident that this is a group of talented writers that took pride in what they wrote. Even though this is not typically a genre that I read, I found myself turning pages and enjoying each story. I would highly recommend this book.
It is not often that I give 5 stars to a book simply because I don't think that there is such a thing as perfection. That being said, this book is not "perfect" but it rates more than 4 stars in my opinion. I wanted to continue reading and really enjoyed the thought provoking works.

[Nicole Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleased to get a chance to read and review this book.
I found it entertaining and chalk full of so many different voices and sub-genres. These starting authors paint you into stories of varying levels of darkness but all managed to sweep you just as thoroughly into their individual tales. Varying from horror to dark fantasy and everything in-between this book is perfect for a busy schedule or a lazy day tucked away reading. Engrossing and impressive, this is a beautiful taste of many sure to be up and coming new authors.

[Robert Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight Abyss is a wonderful, yet sometimes frightening collection of poems and short stories. There's something for everyone--a little romance, a little dark fantasy, a little science fiction, even a little erotica, if your tastes run that way.

While some of the pieces in this collection do tend a little to the 'dark side,' to coin a phrase, there's nothing too frightening in the collection. Any reader who appreciates well-crafted, well-written stories would be remiss if they didn't add Midnight Abyss to their collection. Just don't read it before going to sleep at night!

[Michael Langille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooked me right from the start with "Debt Collectors", which falls in line with my personal philosophy of "Death to debt collector companies!", Loved it! From there it's a gloves off hell ride, making sleep something to be feared. "Eddie Zero" spawned some awesome characters in a grisley Zombie monkey frenzy, and "Double Vision" left me looking very carefully in the mirror! The face off in "Deal with a Devil" is a delicious tale of revenge. :), Time to face the music!

Midnight Abyss is def. a ride not to be missed!

[Rhoftonwriting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovers of all things horror will find this collection a delight. A page turner, I struggled to put it down.Many sub genres come into play, there's something in here for everyone; from comedy to dark fantasy. Each author has their own style yet all are talented at what they do.
Each piece will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. While each piece is strong on it's own put them together and it's one fantastic, sometimes rather scarey, other times entertaining read.
These authors may be starting out but they know their stuff, so go on give it a read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

To review this “collection of darklings” as a whole is a challenge. What you have in this book is a set of 22 short stories and poems, in a variety of styles. Horror and the macabre are (obviously) common threads, which doesn’t say as much as you might think; one takeaway from the book is just how many kinds of writing can fit beneath the horror umbrella, from dark fantasy and psychological torture to shoot-‘em-in-the-head zombie adventure. What you also have is a diverse group of writers, most of whom have more than one piece on display, relishing the Halloween mood and plainly having a lot of fun. Some highlights of the collection:

A LOVE, DARKLY, by Doug Langille: Two unfaithful lovers, one home masonry project, and only so much oxygen to go around. Every horror collection needs a flavor of Poe, and here it is, a victim’s-eye-view update of “The Cask of Amontillado” with a different downbeat ending than the one you’re probably expecting.

DAWG DAYS, by Gregory K. Shipman: In the not-too-distant future, 150° weather is an everyday thing, drugs and violence are rotting human society away, and all the zombies certainly aren’t helping matters.

DOUBLE VISION, by Anisa A. Claire: Two different girls, united by mutual hatred, may be more closely related than either of them suspects.

VESSELS, by Theresa Briscoe Schetter: The tragic story of a nice young man with a violent side he can’t understand or control, until his mother swoops in to clear up the mess. Protagonist displays the most charming features of Dr. Jekyll, Norman Bates, Damien Thorn and a good old-fashioned werewolf, and it works.

DEAL WITH A DEVIL and COMES A SLAYER, by Matthew X. Gomez: Two dark fantasies with a western flavor, in which a man alone confronts a powerful, malevolent being (one the Devil, the other a particular sort of dragon). Atmospheric, bloody, and the most assured writing in the book.

So, MIDNIGHT ABYSS in brief: a showcase for a posse of enthusiastic horror writers who know their genre, and are excited by its possibilities. Check them out, and keep an eye out for what they’ll do next…

(this review is also posted on Amazon)

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad being the first one to give this collection less than four stars. It wasn't bad, but I can't say that I really liked it. I liked it, but not that much. I won this book thru a contest on here and it really wasn't what I was expecting. I think I was hoping for stories that were darker (like evil dark maybe) not just ones about zombies, plagues, monsters, dragons and such. There were a few of the stories that I did enjoy, like the first one and a couple of the end ones. But so many of them were either ridiculously predictable or simply boring to me. And often times there were so many things that weren't explained or elaborated enough that would have made the stories make more sense if nothing else. Which I know was probably because they were short stories and just not long enough though. My favorites were "Debt Collector" and "Dawg Days". I kind of liked "A Love, Darkly" but hated how it ended. A 'happy' ending in a darkling book? Really? I had been looking forward to the poems but was surprised at how few there were. There was only three of them I think, and none of them were all that great to me. But to be fair, I'm a rhyme type of person and don't know anything about poetry, so they could really have been great and I just don't know it. All in all it was an interesting collection but I guess it just wasn't for me.

[Tim Hillebrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just came out, so I'll not give any spoilers.
But let me say this,

I've been waiting for this book to come out since I've heard it was a work in progress. I got the e-reader version and started it. I couldn't put it down. I've read the entire thing through once, and more than one piece (It's a collection of short stories and poems) more than that.
It was every bit worth the wait. The authors, a talented bunch all, do NOT disappoint.

Seven authors, each with their own style, each with their own bit of clay to mold into something worth reading. Each of whom did a phenomenally successful job, and Midnight Abyss is the result.

If you like dark fantasy and horror, if you like reading new and up and coming authors, pick up this book. Read it, and enjoy. You won't be sorry.

[Romulo Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was a fun read and all were well written. As with most collections like this, some stand out more than others. A few that stand out: "Debt Collectors" was a story whose end you could see coming a mile away but was thoroughly enjoyable anyway.
"The Cost of Revenge" was a fun ride with a vengeance filled man. "Dawg Days" was by far my favorite, I only wish it had been longer!
Great work and good job to ALL the contributers of this collection. Thanks for introducing me to these Darklings!

[Tjbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a talented group of authors. It made the perfect Halloween gift for a fellow horror fan. With a great mixture of characters ranging from Eddie Zero, a bad-ass being hunted by the undead, to Elodie and her apocalyptic adventure, even the Devil himself makes an appearance. For a self-published book the layout and flow was brilliantly put together. Certainly worth the read and I would recommend it to anyone... except my Grandma. Ha ha ha.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for a busy person. I can always find a little time to read, especially when I know some of the stories are short enough to finish in one go! The stories themselves are very diverse and engaging. I love collections because you have the opportunity to read something that you might not have picked up, and this one does not disappoint! Don't let the cover scare you to much... I can still go to sleep without too many nightmares!!

[Dwight Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this collection of short stories to be extremely entertaining! I have read a lot of books in my day, this collection ranks up there with some of the best out there. I enjoyed immensely the variety of the stories and would highly recommend Midnight Abyss to anyone wanting a good thrill in their reading. Thanks, Dwight Irwin.

[Tisha Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an enjoyable collection of unique and terrifying short stories. My favorite was 'A Love, Darkly'. I'm a sucker for Edgar Allen Poe stories. I also really loved 'The Debt Collectors'. It was a great opener and drew me in right away. The ending poem 'Requiem' will haunt me for a long time. I recommend this book as an excellent read for anyone.

[Casey Harvell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love horror? You don't want to miss this!
This collection will leave you trembling with delicious fear, a collection of twenty or so stories and poems. Horror branches out to include a bit of everything here, for the readers enjoyment. Just remember to keep the lights on ;)

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrific book! I was certainly a nail biter and a page turner. Well written with many twists and turns. A must read for ones that love thriller/horror. Cannot wait until the next collection comes out!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GOOD COLLECTION OF SPOOKY SHORT STORYS AND POEMS IF YOU LIKE ZOMMIES VAMPIRE AND CLOWN YOU WILL LIKE THIS BOOK

[Trevor Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://bindblottyandcajole.com/2016/...

[Winnona Trostem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully dark escape. Each story is unique from the next and the poetry gives a refreshingly sinister variety to this fun and twisted collection.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Abyss is a compilation of clever, fast paced and delightfully disturbing short stories. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick jolt to the system.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for the adult bed time story. A little on the dark side but always with interesting twists and turns!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's always a mixed bag when you have an anthology of stories. There were some fantastic ones in this volume, and some I didn't care for. I enjoyed the poetry scattered throughout.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like horror, you need to read this.

I’m impressed by how many different styles of writing and kinds of horror were represented in this anthology. And possibly how many times reading startled me and made me make rather high pitched noises of alarm, fright, all-out disgust. Demons, vampires, nasty psychological twists. Even, and this took me by surprise, a few nicely dark poems.

My favorite kind of scary story is the subtly chilly kind- I prefer psychological scares and ghost stories to gruesome tales. Stories that I found satisfyingly creepy included “Debt Collectors,” by Gregory K. Shipman; “Double Vision” by Anisa A. Claire. I also really liked the shadowy atmosphere of the poem, “Requiem,” by Theresa Briscoe Tschetter. “Queen of the Night,” by Kelleigh Elizabeth Perry was both funny and spooky, which works for me. The detailed level of description in “Lily of the Valley” by Shaun Alexander made it almost too scary for me. But just this side of almost.

Read the complete review on my blog

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to the authors, and Goodreads for my free copy of this book to read and review. A fantastic book of short stories that at times was funny, twisted and creepy. I really liked some of the stories and poetry and definitely saw how some of the greatest authors in the genre have influenced some of the writers but yet they retain their own style. A few of my favourites were Debt Collectors, Elodie and Dawg Days. A talented group of writers and I certainly hope they keep going and improving with time. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of horror short fiction but their are certainly stories that will satisfy fans of many other genres including fantasy, sci-fi and thriller. Again many thanks to the authors, especially Jennifer for making sure I received my copy and checking up on me regularly until it arrived.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usual disclaimer: I won this book on Goodreads Firstreads.

Although I was expecting this book to be a collection of one type of horror, I was surprisingly glad to see that they ranged from the supernatural to the mentally ill, from the current period to fictional eras.

While there is no need to put down any particular authors, there were definitely a few weaker writings in here. Some felt like I'd read them before, because they were so predictable and similar to many other horror stories, and others were just lacking in plot or description.

Overall, however, many of the stories and poems in this book were very enjoyable, and it starts off very strong, with "Debt Collectors" and "Eddie Zero".

[Rachel Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from a contest on Goodreads. After reading the stories, I can say with all honesty that I am happily paying for more copies to give as gifts.