TexArcana: A Collection of Fantasy Short Stories

by Alexis Lantgen, Sarah Mensinga, Lamont Turner

What happens when Texans encounter ghosts or when they stumble into mysterious underground lairs? What secrets lurk in the tall prairie grass on a dark night? What darkness might emerge from Texas' bloody past?

From spine-chilling tales of monsters, ancient orichas, and antediluvian horrors to light-hearted stories of wayward teens and library covens, TexArcana is a collection of twelve fantasy short stories from various authors, all set in Texas. These stories reflect some of the magic and mystique of Texas, from its days as a rugged frontier up to its dynamic present.

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2024

About the author

Alexis Lantgen is a writer, teacher, and classical musician. She loves Renaissance Faires and all things science fiction and fantasy. Her short stories have appeared in Kzine, the Gallery of Curiosities, Phantaxis, Red Sun Magazine, and Swords and Sorcery Magazine. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in Renaissance Magazine. She lives with her husband, her spirited five-year-old daughter, her toddler son, and two very patient cats in Texas.

Reviews

[Roz Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this anthology set in Texas. From the first story to the last I was captivated. The stories vary from cautionary tales to horror to fantasy and include all walks of life. There isn't a story I didn't like, and each one has its place amongst the pages.

Each is well written and gave me pause for thought more than once.  Because it's an anthology, the pacing is quick and to the point which I enjoyed. I liked the mixture of stories and that each one was unexpected. 

I also enjoyed the focus on Texas from its history and landscape to the folklore, people, and modern times... there is really something for everyone here.

With thanks to the authors and Story Origin for an advanced reader copy. This is my honest review, which I'm leaving voluntarily.

[ChasseReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

TexArcana is a compliation of 12 short stories by various artists all based in Texas. The short stories were easy to read and follow along with while reading. There are stories of mystery, paranormal apects, and what I'd consider folklore. The only issue I ran into was the formatting for Kindle was off so most pages ended mid-sentence and the next page started in a different place later on not continuing where the previouspage left off at. I compared the Kindle format to the pdf version and found that I was missing a full sentence or 2 each time that happened and it was consistent throughout the entire book. It was much easier reading the pdf format version as I wasn't missing parts.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the stories in this book. My only problem was that the ebook formatting was messed up so the last lines overlapped, and then it appeared to miss the following line, so you missed a chink of each page. Even though I was able to mostly follow along, I'm sure I missed important parts here and there along the way.
I would recommend getting the paperback or hardcover copies to avoid any problems.
The stories definitely made you think a bit after you figured out the twist to it that made you say "ahh, I see what they're doing there."

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that weird fantasy element in a historical element that I was hoping for. The characters felt like they were supposed to in this universe. I thought Alexis Lantgen has a great writing style and enjoyed the overall feel of this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amanda Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

How was every short story a banger!? As a native Texan I loved every one, the problem with short stories is YOU ALWAYS WANT MORE lol! The stories range from fantasy to mystical to creepy to horror all set in different parts of Texas. Definitely recommend this anyone from Texas or someone who wants a quick good read.