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Tangle & Fen: A Dark Fiction Anthology
On the European front, there are worse things stalking the battlefield than enemy soldiers.
A laid-off ad exec’s second career takes a turn for the bloody.
The halls of Shy Rock High welcome the Class of 2005—but why so few attendees to this shadowy gala?
The stories in this anthology are the glimpses of the dark places between the forest and a dream. They are the shadows seeking dusty trinkets on a forgotten shelf. They invite the reader into a world where a grieving mother gives her lost daughter one last bubble bath. Tangle & Fen is an anthology of dark fiction, featuring tales from the borderlands of horror, speculative fiction, and the nightmare fears that linger even after you turn on the lights.
A laid-off ad exec’s second career takes a turn for the bloody.
The halls of Shy Rock High welcome the Class of 2005—but why so few attendees to this shadowy gala?
The stories in this anthology are the glimpses of the dark places between the forest and a dream. They are the shadows seeking dusty trinkets on a forgotten shelf. They invite the reader into a world where a grieving mother gives her lost daughter one last bubble bath. Tangle & Fen is an anthology of dark fiction, featuring tales from the borderlands of horror, speculative fiction, and the nightmare fears that linger even after you turn on the lights.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2023
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Rachel A. Brune
33 books100 followersRachel A. Brune graduated from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts in May 2000, and was immediately plunged into the low-stakes world of entry-level executive assistant-ship. Her unexpected journey out of that world and into the military is chronicled in her self-published book Echoes and Premonitions.
Rachel served five years as a combat journalist, including two tours in Iraq, and a brief stint as a columnist for her hometown newspaper. After her second tour, she attended graduate school at the University at Albany in NY, where she earned her MA in Political Communication, and her commission as a second lieutenant in the military police corps.
Although her day job has taken in her in many strange, often twisted directions, Rachel continues to write and publish short fiction. She released her first novel, Soft Target, in early 2013. In addition to writing for the online military interest zine "Task & Purpose," she blogs her thoughts about reading and the writing life at The Infamous Scribbler. You can also follow her on Twitter, where she goes by the handle @rachelabrune.
Rachel served five years as a combat journalist, including two tours in Iraq, and a brief stint as a columnist for her hometown newspaper. After her second tour, she attended graduate school at the University at Albany in NY, where she earned her MA in Political Communication, and her commission as a second lieutenant in the military police corps.
Although her day job has taken in her in many strange, often twisted directions, Rachel continues to write and publish short fiction. She released her first novel, Soft Target, in early 2013. In addition to writing for the online military interest zine "Task & Purpose," she blogs her thoughts about reading and the writing life at The Infamous Scribbler. You can also follow her on Twitter, where she goes by the handle @rachelabrune.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 11, 2024
This collection starts with a banger and it really doesn't slow down from there.
November 15, 2023
A fantastic collection of folk horror and dark fiction from some of the best writers.
As with any anthology, the stories are hit and miss but there's enough variety that I think any fan of horror (from ghost stories to zombies and more) that someone is bound the find something they love.
My favorites included:
Watch for the Master by Maggie Holman, which is a unique take on a haunted house story told from the perspective of one of the ghosts within.
Probably because I am a parent, the two stories that bothered me (in the best way) were ones about mothers.
Bubble Bath by A.V. Greene is one of the shortest stories in the collection but stuck with me the longest. This take on zombies told from a mother's perspective was chilling.
Demon is Just Protector Spells Wrong by Anjum N. Choudhury - I loved reading a story inspired by folklore that isn't confined to European legends. The Rakkhost Bury and the themes of passing on generational trauma was fantastic.
Highly recommend for folk horror and dark fiction collectors.
As with any anthology, the stories are hit and miss but there's enough variety that I think any fan of horror (from ghost stories to zombies and more) that someone is bound the find something they love.
My favorites included:
Watch for the Master by Maggie Holman, which is a unique take on a haunted house story told from the perspective of one of the ghosts within.
Probably because I am a parent, the two stories that bothered me (in the best way) were ones about mothers.
Bubble Bath by A.V. Greene is one of the shortest stories in the collection but stuck with me the longest. This take on zombies told from a mother's perspective was chilling.
Demon is Just Protector Spells Wrong by Anjum N. Choudhury - I loved reading a story inspired by folklore that isn't confined to European legends. The Rakkhost Bury and the themes of passing on generational trauma was fantastic.
Highly recommend for folk horror and dark fiction collectors.
December 30, 2023
A brilliant book full of short novellas.
I decided to rate each novella within this book separately but also do an overall rating. I did thoroughly enjoy reading this although a few werent really to my taste.
Bubble Bath - A.V.Greene
A short 5 minute novella about a family whose daughter has been infected, like a zombie virus. Although a great asset to this book as a whole I couldn’t rate it on its own. It was too short for me to give a fair rating.
Take from the earth what is given - Scott Bowen
This took me roughly 30 minutes to read through and I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would’ve loved to read more about Karl’s young life eating “forest meat” and if he was able to resist his urges throughout his adult life. This novella alone I would give 3.5⭐️.
Crossroads - Madison Estes
A lovely little short novella, brilliantly written about a couple about to start a family when the man bought a second hand Porsche that turned out to be haunted. This novella alone I would give 4⭐️.
The way this will end - Andy Rafferty
An apocalyptic novella with a sad ending. Not much gore but definitely a good read. Will definitely see if Andy has written any other novellas related to this one as would like to read about it from other character perspectives like Mia’s other sibling and their mum, or about her brothers family when they left. This novella alone I would give 4⭐️.
Lingering Trinkets - Tarver Nova
A short little thriller novella that definitely deserves a 4⭐️ on its own.
The other Jack - Samantha Bryant
A very short little thriller about two brothers that narrowly escaped death. 3.5⭐️.
A yoke of iron - Gabriel Tuggle
Although only short this little novella had me guessing from the start. The twist at the end was brilliant. I rate this novella alone as 4⭐️.
Good bones - Jeff Samson
A little unsure about this novella but I can’t quite put my finger on what. The writing is good but just not to my taste I think.
Susurrations - Carol Gyzander
Another strange little novella but a good read still. This novella alone I’d give 3⭐️.
The warehouse - Michael J Moore
Wow.. although a tad odd at first it had a brilliant twist at the end. This novella alone I would give 3.5⭐️ losing .5 just because of how it started.
The demon core - Scotty Milder
A short novella set in 1940’s about radiation and drs. Not really my cup of tea but was well written. 3⭐️
The Olympics of corporeality along route 206 - Mike Robinson
Brilliant little story about a dead hitchhiker. 3.5⭐️
Go - Matthew Kensal
A wrong decision or a bad nightmare? Wilburforce’s life changed in an instant. 3.5⭐️
Demon is just protector spelled wrong - Anjum. N .Choudhury
A childhood story to scare kids into behaving or actually a true story? Read this novella to find out. 4⭐️
Broken plates - Jara Nassar
This novella sort of reminds me of how someone would explain schizophrenia or maybe their life flashing before their eyes before death. 3.5⭐️
Moonless night - Jim. D .Gillentine
A brilliant horror/romance novella about an unlikely and forbidden love in the midst of war. 4.5⭐️
A walk through the dark house - Gregory. L. Norris
Really short, less than a 5 minute read.
Watch out for the master - Maggie Holman
Absolutely loved this little novella, light horror mixed with history. 4⭐️
The cuckoo’s brood - Christina Nordlander
A short slight horror strange novella. Would’ve loved to have more. 3⭐️
An engagement of long standing - Spencer Koelle
A quick thriller.
Schrodinger’s ghost - H.R.R. Gorman
Absolutely loved this little novella set in the 1960’s. 4⭐️
Topside - Gustavo Bondoni
Wow!! So so good!! 4.5⭐️
By her hand, she draws you down - Douglas Smith
A brilliant little thriller 4.5⭐️
I decided to rate each novella within this book separately but also do an overall rating. I did thoroughly enjoy reading this although a few werent really to my taste.
Bubble Bath - A.V.Greene
A short 5 minute novella about a family whose daughter has been infected, like a zombie virus. Although a great asset to this book as a whole I couldn’t rate it on its own. It was too short for me to give a fair rating.
Take from the earth what is given - Scott Bowen
This took me roughly 30 minutes to read through and I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would’ve loved to read more about Karl’s young life eating “forest meat” and if he was able to resist his urges throughout his adult life. This novella alone I would give 3.5⭐️.
Crossroads - Madison Estes
A lovely little short novella, brilliantly written about a couple about to start a family when the man bought a second hand Porsche that turned out to be haunted. This novella alone I would give 4⭐️.
The way this will end - Andy Rafferty
An apocalyptic novella with a sad ending. Not much gore but definitely a good read. Will definitely see if Andy has written any other novellas related to this one as would like to read about it from other character perspectives like Mia’s other sibling and their mum, or about her brothers family when they left. This novella alone I would give 4⭐️.
Lingering Trinkets - Tarver Nova
A short little thriller novella that definitely deserves a 4⭐️ on its own.
The other Jack - Samantha Bryant
A very short little thriller about two brothers that narrowly escaped death. 3.5⭐️.
A yoke of iron - Gabriel Tuggle
Although only short this little novella had me guessing from the start. The twist at the end was brilliant. I rate this novella alone as 4⭐️.
Good bones - Jeff Samson
A little unsure about this novella but I can’t quite put my finger on what. The writing is good but just not to my taste I think.
Susurrations - Carol Gyzander
Another strange little novella but a good read still. This novella alone I’d give 3⭐️.
The warehouse - Michael J Moore
Wow.. although a tad odd at first it had a brilliant twist at the end. This novella alone I would give 3.5⭐️ losing .5 just because of how it started.
The demon core - Scotty Milder
A short novella set in 1940’s about radiation and drs. Not really my cup of tea but was well written. 3⭐️
The Olympics of corporeality along route 206 - Mike Robinson
Brilliant little story about a dead hitchhiker. 3.5⭐️
Go - Matthew Kensal
A wrong decision or a bad nightmare? Wilburforce’s life changed in an instant. 3.5⭐️
Demon is just protector spelled wrong - Anjum. N .Choudhury
A childhood story to scare kids into behaving or actually a true story? Read this novella to find out. 4⭐️
Broken plates - Jara Nassar
This novella sort of reminds me of how someone would explain schizophrenia or maybe their life flashing before their eyes before death. 3.5⭐️
Moonless night - Jim. D .Gillentine
A brilliant horror/romance novella about an unlikely and forbidden love in the midst of war. 4.5⭐️
A walk through the dark house - Gregory. L. Norris
Really short, less than a 5 minute read.
Watch out for the master - Maggie Holman
Absolutely loved this little novella, light horror mixed with history. 4⭐️
The cuckoo’s brood - Christina Nordlander
A short slight horror strange novella. Would’ve loved to have more. 3⭐️
An engagement of long standing - Spencer Koelle
A quick thriller.
Schrodinger’s ghost - H.R.R. Gorman
Absolutely loved this little novella set in the 1960’s. 4⭐️
Topside - Gustavo Bondoni
Wow!! So so good!! 4.5⭐️
By her hand, she draws you down - Douglas Smith
A brilliant little thriller 4.5⭐️
May 22, 2024
Overall I found this anthology up to Crone Girl Press's usual level of quality, which is higher than most horror anthologies, and I say that as a lover of horror.
Bubble Bath was good, and I don't normally like zombie stories, but the shortness of the format helped.
Take From the Earth What Is Given just wasn't really my style, so I didn't finish it.
Crossroads was a very effective horror story about bad deals and disproprotionate consequences, and I rather enjoyed the bittersweet conclusion.
The Way This Will End didn't hold my interest, but again that may be because I'm not a big fan of zombies.
Lingering Trinkets was fun and eerie, with a very satisfying conclusion as it built up the sense of sustaiend unease.
The Other Jack had quite a twist to its ending, and it managed to make very good use of dramatic irony. It's rare that I enjoy a story in this subgenre.
Good Bones was a fairly original "Haunted House but not really a Haunted House" story. I'm nto sure how much I *enjoyed* it or not, but I appreciate the premise.
A Yoke of Iron seems to represent a theme, or at least a motif, I've been seeing in a lot of horror recently. It executed it's idea pretty well though and dragged out the unsettled mood.
Susurrations was just damn creepy. Lots of atmosphere and disturbing implications that aren't really spelled out, even though you knew generally where it was going. A sad story of how sometimes you can't trust the people closest to you, but I liked the ending.
The Warehouse was structurally well-written and had believable characters, but the tone felt unecessarily cruel to me. YMMV, but I didn't have a very good time.
The Demon Core didn't engage me enough to finish.
The Olympics of Corporeality Along Route 206 was an interesting take on the Ghostly Hitchhiker trope, and another take on that popular theme I mentioned. (Can't say what theme without spoilers).
Go was another take on that theme, which kept you guessing. The ending fit the story well.
Demon Is Just Protector Spelled Wrong took a different direction than I was expecting it to. A very effective story about the struggles of parenting, although I fear that it's moral may be lost on some readers.
Broken Plates...really confused me. I liked the ending, but I was lost for most of the story and still feel I didn't quite get what was going on.
Moonless Night is a nice paranormal romance war story, a combination I certainly haven't scene before, and it provided a good level of tonal variety to the collection as a whole.
A Walk Through The Dark House was one story I found un-finishable, despite it's short length. Maybe I'm a little biased because I dislike 2nd-person narration, but I just found it pretentious.
Watch Out for the Master was a strong ghost story from the ghost's perspective, and I liked the ending. The ending can really make or break a short story, and this is especially true of the horror genre.
The Cuckoo's Brood kept me guessing and zigged where a lot of other stories zagged. That said, I felt like the ending could have been better, and there were ways the protagonist could have resolved the situation that were not properly addressed.
Schrodinger's Ghost just didn't click for me. Maybe I'd already seen a lot of other ghosts in this anthology and this particular premise didn't hold my interest. I could imagine better stories promised by a title like this.
Topside also didn't hold my interest. I didn't care much for the characters.
By Her Hand, She Draws You Down was pretty effective, but I'm forced to ask, what's stopping them from just destroying the crayon?
Overall this anthology had more hits than misses and is a worthwhile investment of your time and money.
Bubble Bath was good, and I don't normally like zombie stories, but the shortness of the format helped.
Take From the Earth What Is Given just wasn't really my style, so I didn't finish it.
Crossroads was a very effective horror story about bad deals and disproprotionate consequences, and I rather enjoyed the bittersweet conclusion.
The Way This Will End didn't hold my interest, but again that may be because I'm not a big fan of zombies.
Lingering Trinkets was fun and eerie, with a very satisfying conclusion as it built up the sense of sustaiend unease.
The Other Jack had quite a twist to its ending, and it managed to make very good use of dramatic irony. It's rare that I enjoy a story in this subgenre.
Good Bones was a fairly original "Haunted House but not really a Haunted House" story. I'm nto sure how much I *enjoyed* it or not, but I appreciate the premise.
A Yoke of Iron seems to represent a theme, or at least a motif, I've been seeing in a lot of horror recently. It executed it's idea pretty well though and dragged out the unsettled mood.
Susurrations was just damn creepy. Lots of atmosphere and disturbing implications that aren't really spelled out, even though you knew generally where it was going. A sad story of how sometimes you can't trust the people closest to you, but I liked the ending.
The Warehouse was structurally well-written and had believable characters, but the tone felt unecessarily cruel to me. YMMV, but I didn't have a very good time.
The Demon Core didn't engage me enough to finish.
The Olympics of Corporeality Along Route 206 was an interesting take on the Ghostly Hitchhiker trope, and another take on that popular theme I mentioned. (Can't say what theme without spoilers).
Go was another take on that theme, which kept you guessing. The ending fit the story well.
Demon Is Just Protector Spelled Wrong took a different direction than I was expecting it to. A very effective story about the struggles of parenting, although I fear that it's moral may be lost on some readers.
Broken Plates...really confused me. I liked the ending, but I was lost for most of the story and still feel I didn't quite get what was going on.
Moonless Night is a nice paranormal romance war story, a combination I certainly haven't scene before, and it provided a good level of tonal variety to the collection as a whole.
A Walk Through The Dark House was one story I found un-finishable, despite it's short length. Maybe I'm a little biased because I dislike 2nd-person narration, but I just found it pretentious.
Watch Out for the Master was a strong ghost story from the ghost's perspective, and I liked the ending. The ending can really make or break a short story, and this is especially true of the horror genre.
The Cuckoo's Brood kept me guessing and zigged where a lot of other stories zagged. That said, I felt like the ending could have been better, and there were ways the protagonist could have resolved the situation that were not properly addressed.
Schrodinger's Ghost just didn't click for me. Maybe I'd already seen a lot of other ghosts in this anthology and this particular premise didn't hold my interest. I could imagine better stories promised by a title like this.
Topside also didn't hold my interest. I didn't care much for the characters.
By Her Hand, She Draws You Down was pretty effective, but I'm forced to ask, what's stopping them from just destroying the crayon?
Overall this anthology had more hits than misses and is a worthwhile investment of your time and money.
October 27, 2023
(This Digital ARC was provided in exchange for a review)
A horrifyingly great set of stories. Tangle & Fen is an anthology book filled with scares, and a set of wildly differing stories ensures that everyone will find something that scares the living daylights out of them. My personal favourites include a family’s winter tradition of cannibalism, a Bengali monster from legend, and two ghostly hitchhikers. In addition, this book does what all great horror stories do - invent new fears in its reader. One story, for example, reawakened the same fear of radiation originally put into me by HBO’s Chernobyl.
Some stories are bound to be less interesting to certain people than others. However, this shift is not so much due to a drop in quality, but more because of varying personal tastes. Some readers may not be as interested in a story centred on worms, while others would be spellbound. Some may think an apocalyptic setting is tired, while others revel in it. Overall, the shifting nature of the stories is a blessing in disguise - while readers may not love all stories the same, they are practically guaranteed to find a story they love.
A solid 3.5 - 4 stars, leaning more towards a 4. While the weaker stories do drag the anthology down a bit, the strongest tales left me with strong emotions - horror, sadness, visceral disgust, claustrophobia. I very much recommend this to all looking for their next horror book.
A horrifyingly great set of stories. Tangle & Fen is an anthology book filled with scares, and a set of wildly differing stories ensures that everyone will find something that scares the living daylights out of them. My personal favourites include a family’s winter tradition of cannibalism, a Bengali monster from legend, and two ghostly hitchhikers. In addition, this book does what all great horror stories do - invent new fears in its reader. One story, for example, reawakened the same fear of radiation originally put into me by HBO’s Chernobyl.
Some stories are bound to be less interesting to certain people than others. However, this shift is not so much due to a drop in quality, but more because of varying personal tastes. Some readers may not be as interested in a story centred on worms, while others would be spellbound. Some may think an apocalyptic setting is tired, while others revel in it. Overall, the shifting nature of the stories is a blessing in disguise - while readers may not love all stories the same, they are practically guaranteed to find a story they love.
A solid 3.5 - 4 stars, leaning more towards a 4. While the weaker stories do drag the anthology down a bit, the strongest tales left me with strong emotions - horror, sadness, visceral disgust, claustrophobia. I very much recommend this to all looking for their next horror book.
February 3, 2024
A horrifyingly great set of stories, Tangle & Fen is an anthology book filled with scares. A set of wildly differing stories ensures that everyone will find something that absolutely scares the living daylights out of them. My personal favourites include a family’s winter tradition of cannibalism, a Bengali monster from legend, and two ghostly hitchhikers. In addition, this book does what all great horror stories do - invent new fears in its reader. One story, for example, reawakened the same fear of radiation originally put into me by HBO’s Chernobyl.
Some stories are bound to be less interesting to certain people than others. However, this shift is not so much due to a drop in quality, but more because of varying personal tastes. Some readers may not be as interested in a story centred on worms, while others would be spellbound. Some may think an apocalyptic setting is tired, while others revel in it. Overall, the shifting nature of the stories is a blessing in disguise - while readers may not love all stories the same, they are practically guaranteed to find a story they love.
A solid 3.5 - 4 stars, leaning more towards a 4. While the weaker stories do drag the anthology down a bit, the strongest tales left me with strong emotions - horror, sadness, visceral disgust, claustrophobia. I very much recommend this to all looking for their next scary read.
Some stories are bound to be less interesting to certain people than others. However, this shift is not so much due to a drop in quality, but more because of varying personal tastes. Some readers may not be as interested in a story centred on worms, while others would be spellbound. Some may think an apocalyptic setting is tired, while others revel in it. Overall, the shifting nature of the stories is a blessing in disguise - while readers may not love all stories the same, they are practically guaranteed to find a story they love.
A solid 3.5 - 4 stars, leaning more towards a 4. While the weaker stories do drag the anthology down a bit, the strongest tales left me with strong emotions - horror, sadness, visceral disgust, claustrophobia. I very much recommend this to all looking for their next scary read.
November 1, 2023
In the wake of a zombie infection outbreak, a mother fulfills her final duty to her child. A reformed cannibal recalls his culinary past. A young father-to-be buys a fancy car during a midlife moment and pays a hefty price.
Rachel A Brune's continued quest for the creepiest of tales has produced yet another delightfully macabre crop.
Diving into this rich feast of horror shorts was probably the most appropriate countdown to Halloween I have experienced in recent years. There's a great variety of themes and plots, some sticking to your usual beasties and ghosties, others really depicting the depths of human depravity. I struggled with a few, like Spencer Koelle's 'An Engagement of Long Standing', which confused me, and Gustavo Bondoni's 'Topside', which should really come with a trigger warning, but there are plenty that I thoroughly enjoyed, with Jeff Samson's 'Good Bones, Anjum N Choudhury's 'Demon is just Protector spelled wrong' and HRR Gorman's 'Schrodinger's Ghost' standing out for me.
January 13, 2024
(This Digital ARC was provided in exchange for a review)
I thought many of these stories put an interesting spin on some of the common tropes we see in horror. A woman must deal with her zombie child… in a way that we haven’t seen before. A man discusses his past as a cannibal…. while dating a vegan foodie. A possessed car threatens a family… but the possessing spirit thinks he’s doing the owner a favor. Other stories also have interesting premises, like eldritch horror meeting the horror of nuclear power, or a ghostly hitchhiker story from the hitchhiker’s perspective.
Not every story was a gem, which I think one might expect from an anthology—there were certainly stronger and weaker components. I liked the variety of styles and horror story types, and I thought the collection components worked well together.
I thought many of these stories put an interesting spin on some of the common tropes we see in horror. A woman must deal with her zombie child… in a way that we haven’t seen before. A man discusses his past as a cannibal…. while dating a vegan foodie. A possessed car threatens a family… but the possessing spirit thinks he’s doing the owner a favor. Other stories also have interesting premises, like eldritch horror meeting the horror of nuclear power, or a ghostly hitchhiker story from the hitchhiker’s perspective.
Not every story was a gem, which I think one might expect from an anthology—there were certainly stronger and weaker components. I liked the variety of styles and horror story types, and I thought the collection components worked well together.
October 17, 2023
This anthology comes on super strong! Honestly one of the best starts to an anthology that I can recall in many a year. The trio of tales that kicked it off were all absolutely amazing. Like all anthologies some stories appeal more than others, tastes vary, but there weren't any stories where I was like 'meh.' The vast bulk avoided the more common horror tropes, and more than a few really played around with my expectations in the best way possible. If you like short story collections, this is a can't miss.
November 22, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy for review.
Tangle and Fen is an eclectic set of short stories. Everything from haunted and changing houses, dangerous side hustles, a few holiday horrors and some alternate dimensions.
Not every story hit for me, but a few were really memorable and they will be new authors added to my list.
I really enjoyed Schrödinger’s Ghost by H.R.R. Gorman. The title is phenomenal. I’ve always been intrigued by Schrödinger and this ties in horrors from the 60’s.
Tangle and Fen is an eclectic set of short stories. Everything from haunted and changing houses, dangerous side hustles, a few holiday horrors and some alternate dimensions.
Not every story hit for me, but a few were really memorable and they will be new authors added to my list.
I really enjoyed Schrödinger’s Ghost by H.R.R. Gorman. The title is phenomenal. I’ve always been intrigued by Schrödinger and this ties in horrors from the 60’s.
January 20, 2024
A wonderful collection of short stories – Tangle & Fen is filled with horror, cannibalism, historical fiction, twists and thrills. As is the case with every single collection (pretty much) there were some hits and some misses. For me, the novellas were overwhelmingly well written and interesting, with a few strong misses.
I was originally interested for the "folk horror" description and I was definitely not dissapointed! The vibes were very much there – I'll recommend this to other horror, and especially folk horror, fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc!
I was originally interested for the "folk horror" description and I was definitely not dissapointed! The vibes were very much there – I'll recommend this to other horror, and especially folk horror, fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc!
November 21, 2023
My story 'Demon is just Protector spelled wrong' is in this anthology, and it is in some excellent company like Tarver Nova's 'Lingering Trinkets', Carol Gyzander's 'Susurrations', Jim Gillentine's 'Moonless Night', and Maggie Holman's 'Watch out for the Master'.
Trigger warning for Gustovo Bondoni's 'Topside' which contains that was very difficult for me to get through.
Trigger warning for Gustovo Bondoni's 'Topside' which contains that was very difficult for me to get through.
March 6, 2024
This anthology had stories with ghouls and ghosts, plenty of horrors, and unique twists. From the very first disturbing story I was invested in the anthology, and had to keep reading. For me, Bubble Bath is one I still think about. All the stories are well-written, and the twists among them were unique. They had horror without a focus on gore. I recommend this anthology and hope there will be another like this!
February 16, 2024
This is a great collection of thought provoking horror vingettes. The first one really took me by surprise because it was so intense but also very short. It did a good job setting the tone.
March 27, 2024
Really cool anthologies.
June 2, 2025
DNF - 1.5 rounded up
Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a big fan of short stories, so I was looking forward to reading this one, but a lot of the stories ended up not being very interesting.
I didn't finish this because I felt very detached from a lot of stories, but I liked the parts of it that reminded me of the DARK series by Alexandra Bracken.
The first story was good but not very unique, but I quite enjoyed the second. It was good and, maybe I just don't read enough about cannibalism, but I've never read a story like this one before. A similar trend happened with the third and fourth books, where I didn't enjoy the third, but the fourth was my favorite out of the six I finished. The fifth story didn't make any sense and the sixth didn't stand out at all.
As much as I wanted to go forward, I couldn't convince myself to get through the seventh story; it just wasn't engaging or enjoyable.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a big fan of short stories, so I was looking forward to reading this one, but a lot of the stories ended up not being very interesting.
I didn't finish this because I felt very detached from a lot of stories, but I liked the parts of it that reminded me of the DARK series by Alexandra Bracken.
The first story was good but not very unique, but I quite enjoyed the second. It was good and, maybe I just don't read enough about cannibalism, but I've never read a story like this one before. A similar trend happened with the third and fourth books, where I didn't enjoy the third, but the fourth was my favorite out of the six I finished. The fifth story didn't make any sense and the sixth didn't stand out at all.
As much as I wanted to go forward, I couldn't convince myself to get through the seventh story; it just wasn't engaging or enjoyable.
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