Underneath the Persimmon Tree

by L.B. Waltz

The ghost in the attic is counting out teeth. In the forest, a satiated fox returns to rot. An unkindness of ravens flocks by the roadside, consuming what flesh has been abandoned there.

But what is it that waits underneath the persimmon tree?

Dig to the root of obsession in this five-story collection of loam-dark fiction and gothic romance, wherein secrets stay buried and love never dies.

It only grows.

Genres: Short Stories

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2024

Reviews

[Irene Well Worth A Read]

DNF @40%

[Megan Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book reads with a level of grace that is poetic. I especially enjoyed the early stories and the story with Mitch. I want more.

[Casey Woolfolk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look at a close-up of skin, and you may wonder how something we consider beautiful and human can simultaneously be so gross. Some may find it offputting. Others, fascinating. In Underneath the Persimmon Tree, LB Waltz zooms in on the relationships that make us human—the mistakes, guilt, and control we give and take as we navigate life (and beyond) with one another—and mixes in healthy doses of demons, hungry ravens, and swinging teeth.

I'm going to guess LB finds the ick fascinating.

If examining relationships through gothic and horror lenses is your jam, you'll find something to like here. Underneath the Persimmon Tree's prose ranges from literary to more straightforward, in that order. The work opens with a dense style that readers more accustomed to typical genre fiction may find daunting. I recommend luxuriating in the lush prose, even the parts that feel a bit overindulgent. In case of emergency, simply move to the next story; the style becomes more accessible in a roughly sequential order.

My favorite of the collection featured a bartender whose emotions I interpreted in precisely the bet-I-can-make-you-fall-for-this way that I imagine LB Waltz intended. Well, I did, and the entire story illustrates the power of showing over telling. I hope others enjoy the same experience.

I received a copy for review from Timber Ghost Press. Thanks to LB and the TGP folks for the opportunity.

[I Rowntree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shouldn't be spoiled, but just in case -

An absolute delight - starts off with Morphallaxis, a witchy piece full of obsession with delightful hints of blood and guts for flavor. Written with a clear appreciation of an older style, with the weight of longing and desire that a gothic-adjacent genre offers and word choice to match the tone. Moves into the second piece, Down by the River, Where the Spider Lilles Grow, which is beautifully cinematic, the narrative is nearly audible. It’s sharper and quicker than part one, with less luxury in the language but it’s still not afraid to enjoy itself. The Nymphai, part three in three parts, where we find the title of the collection, is a haunting little family story that doesn’t babysit you so much as to spell things out too early but trust your ability as the reader to catch on and figure it out in a way I appreciate. Part four, Little Rituals, is a good bit of fun. Clever and with a clear ambiance and dialogue I would love to hear performed in a power-struggle back-and-forth that only one party knows the full stakes of. I had heard the performance of the final story in podcast form before, and I’m delighted to see it holds up in print just as well, and having lived through the past few years, the end gives me a bit of a shudder.

Overall, very much enjoyed it! I had heard the author’s work in a few podcasts and I’m glad I sought out more work in time to preorder!

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy and would like to share a few thoughts.

Consisting of five stories, we open with "Morphallaxis" which also happens to be my favourite from the collection.

I'm reminded of 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' (also a great read).

Our two protagonists sharing their story, with a wonderfully haunting gothic element.

Told across different time periods, I think it's best to read in one sitting. Then allow time to digest 😊

A wonderful start.

"Down by the River, Where the Spider Lilies Grow"

Essentially the circle of life (and love) and I really enjoyed the style in which it's written. Others may disagree, but it's almost poetic IMO 😊

"The Nymphai"

Now this was a little difficult to get my head around (initially) but if you find yourself invoking the same feeling, I urge you to continue. The payoff is most definitely worth it! 😁 No spoilers here 🤫

"Little Rituals"

The simplest in execution but no less effective. Satisfying 🤓

"Zoon0tic"

Last up and least favourite for me. Not bad, but the other stories were rather impressive, the bar was set early 😊

Smart stories that require your full attention 🤓

[Jessiereadsfantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you BookSirens, the author, and Timber Ghost Press for the ARC for my review.

The best way to describe this book is that it is every Literature teacher/professor's dream. I felt like I was teleported back to middle school, where the teacher drilled me about the hidden meaning behind every sentence in a book. It is written in a cryptic and unique way. Again, it is much like a book one would read in school where the teacher believes there is a hidden meaning behind every word.

That said, a lot of it went over my head—some things I caught, and other things not so much. The first two stories were very interesting to me, but the others didn't catch my interest as much. Again, I think it's because things went over my head.

I would definitely encourage people to give it multiple reads to make sure the message of each story is understood. The writing is beautiful yet cryptic, which is something I have not seen a lot of lately so kudos to the author for that.

3/5 stars; 1/5 spice - I would have to re-read this again to see if I catch everything.

[Arsene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's what I have to say about this book after receiving an ARC of it. I tried to really grasp what is going on in this book. It's beautifully written, yes, but there's just too many metaphors being thrown that it's almost impossible to understand without going through mental gymnastics. I now see that's the author's style and I found it profound but generally speaking, would not enjoy if it were just a short break wherein I have limited time to read. In this case, perhaps I read it a wrong time. I love the prose and the time dedicated to this piece of literature, but at the moment, it's not my cup of tea. I picked this up because I was amazed by how it was written. However, during the ride, I wasn't able to fully enjoy reading everything in one go. This deserves to be written and understood more than twice–of which, I didn't have the luxury of time for. Overall, I'd say this is beautiful, I have nothing but praises but at the end of the day, if someone were to read this and have limited time, they would not enjoy it as much.

Rating: 4.2/5

[Ashleigh Pippin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Underneath the Persimmon Tree by LB Waltz is a fascinating and startling collection of short stories that any fan of gothic horror would enjoy immensely. The writing is hauntingly beautiful, pulling the reader in slowly and carefully while details gradually emerge with each word like tiny sprouts growing into lovely flowers and then trapping tangled vines. Not a single word is chosen carelessly, each one builds upon the last until a picture forms in the minds eye that will linger long after you've finished reading.

This collection contains stories about love, tradition, mystery, humor and darkness. All could stand alone in their own right, but as part of this collection they create an echo that doesn't fade as you move from one story to the next, creating an atmosphere that builds until that final moment at the end of the final story, when you open your eyes and realize it's over but you'll never see certain things the same way again. Truly, this book is perfectly curated.

Highly recommended.

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to the author publishers and Booksirens for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review*

Overall this was a mixed bag for me. Though I must confess that I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, which is quite common in a collection of short stories like this

What particularly caught my attention was the writing style that, in my opinion, harked back to an older time. The metaphors and meanings of every word, coupled with the need to read between the lines, reminded me of gothic tales.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book, but the first story stood out to me the most. I really enjoyed it and it set the tone for what I thought would be the rest of the tales, which unfortunately led to my disappointment.

But don't get me wrong, I still found it to be an enjoyable read and definitely worth it, especially for horror fans who enjoy a sense of atmosphere and metaphor in their horror stories.

[whispechoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

LB Waltz has a knack for zooming in on a mundane (yet inevitable) aspect of life and taking it apart, piece by meticulous piece, until we are left squirming and uncomfortable with our imaginations. This set of short stories covered a variety of themes, from love gone twisted, destiny, revenge, to even the circle of life. My favorite was "Little Rituals", with each realization of what was truly happening in the story giving me a sense of delight. Waltz is able to nail the exact language needed to make you feel how utterly horrific a given moment in the book is, no matter how romantically the narrator tries to spin it, and I found that fascinating. Not my usual go-to genre for novels, but one I was glad to have the opportunity to read.

[Bianca Ariel (Rhysand's Edition) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be delightful! I loved the short story format and it reminded me of poetry books I used to read. The first story would have to be my favorite, I just really enjoyed reading about the relationship between the characters!

I could see rereading this book around Halloween or fall times, each book brought a different feeling to me, and I feel that rereading it would let me enjoy each story even more!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I am very grateful for being able to ARC read this book!

[Skylar C. R. Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Book Sirens, I am able to read this as an ARC. This is my honest review:

It is an interesting collection of short stories. While it is directed as horror, it goes more in the direction which toys a bit with your mind and a lot with words. Similar as to what you find in Edgar Allan Poe’s works. I liked a lot of the metaphors used in the stories itself and I can imagine that I would mark especially those phrases in a physical copy one day.
Definitely would read it again.

[Gina Zappa · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

Okay, so the writing is beautiful in these stories… however I did find each story to be too similar to the last. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and given the theme of the stories collected here, is actually quite fitting, I just found my mind wandering at certain points. I would still say it is well worth a read though.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the subject matter. Some of the stories were hard to follow. Not an easy read, but some definitely made you think. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cheroka Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry in prose form. Absolutely beautifully written. You can feel the story. The descriptions are so vivid and haunting!

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was absolutely blown away by the vivid and beautiful writing that fills this short book. I absolutely devoured it and was highlighting passage after passage. I was moved by some of the underlying conversations on the price you pay for choices. and to read horror written this beautifully was amazing. I don't won't to say to much because I feel like it's best to go in blind! you will appreciate it. that being said there are dark themes and talks of death and violence. I recieved an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. thank you to the author and publisher

[Cat Bowser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy for review and am leaving my thoughts voluntarily.

This book is unique. The prose jumps all over the place but somehow still feels connected. I really had fun with it on the beginning because it was written in a slightly flowery fashion which I prefer, though I may be the minority. As it goes, it shifts and becomes more straight forward but it’s always a pleasure to read.

There’s definitely horrific aspects in here of psychological horror, gore, but mostly introspective looks at the cruelty of human nature. It’s certainly a different approach to horror that I don’t see often.

That being said, the plot is…incoherent. It took me forever to realize we were following different stories and not the same one we started with. The split between the tales is nonexistent so the reader almost has to be vigilant about verifying what story they’re in.

The whole book is very…well, I guess the best way to describe it is that it feels like it’s trying to be deep instead of achieving it naturally. Feels like the author wanted people to discuss and ponder but it’s done in a very blatant and at times, over the top way.

That said, I do think you should give it a try because it is a very unique attempt on the horror genre. Just expect to not understand all of it.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ but rounded down.

This collection of short stories all have a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. It is easy to feel them connected, each new character a reincarnation of the last. Or a person falling slowly through the levels of sleep into a new weird dream slightly changed from the last.

I think the first story was my favorite, Morphallaxis, which followed two women as one reincarnates over time and the other is a spirit who loves her. This story was a definite five star for me.

Overall the stories were very cerebral and ethereal, which can work but it often felt like the author was attempting to be intelligent for the sake of flexing, not making a compelling story. At times I felt like there were $5 words used when a $0.50 one would have been better for understanding the story, though the higher value word kept the cerebral prose.

[˖ ࣪ ‹ seri ; ⁺ ⸝⸝ · Rating 3 out of 5]

🦭 ꒰ 메모 ꒱ ۪ ݁ 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬

I liked it ! 🤍 The writing was good and the usage of language ! Although I did liked it, there just wasn’t enough emotions to feel for this book. It felt monotonous. A lot of the lines also felt repetitive but nonetheless great if you don’t mind those. What I liked about this book is that it left you wondering. It’s definitely a book that needs a more deeper understanding for you to get some things and I find it fun, but also so not easy to digest and immerse yourself within these texts. The concepts were so amazing and I liked most of them ! Great Job and a big round of applause for the author themselves ! 👏

[Katrina Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morphallaxis- “Is this meant to be a dreamcatcher?” she wonders aloud. “I’ve never seen a triangular one.” Of course not. What this catches is not dreams. ” This perfectly captures the creepiness of the story from the start. This story is full of an ages long turbulent romance that becomes supernatural. The twist at the end really brings it all together well and makes it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Down By the River Where the Spider Lilies Grow- a meditation on the brutality of nature and its horrors ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Nymphai- a story about family ties and the complexities therein ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Little Rituals- a gripping piece on grieving and revenge with a great twist ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Zoonotic- disturbing and thoughtful. A great horror short ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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