It took me a while to get through this collection of 10 macabre novels, novellas, and short stories. I rated each book individually then rounded the average up to give the collection its four-star rating. Overall, an entertaining mix, more than worth the price I paid.
"The Spirit Clearing," by Mark Tufo begins this collection. I gave 4 stars to this weirdly compelling dark journey through an experience with death.
"All the Little Children," by Christine Sutton. 2.5 stars. The implicit chill factor implied by the title fell short.
"Fangs in Vain," by Scott Nicholson. 3 Stars. While I'm not a big fan of vampire stories and I disliked Sabrina's character, overall this was rather well-written with some great details.
"The Unsaintly," by Lisa Vasquez. 2.5 stars. There were some moments of great writing that popped up now and then in this, but the shifting POV was disconcerting, along with many misspellings and variable verb tense. Set in the early 1200's, there was little in the way of timely descriptive details to keep the story grounded in the era. An interesting plot sabotaged by the lack of good editing.
"Generation Evil," by Eric A. Shelman. 3.5 stars. This was an interesting mix of witchcraft and reincarnation. It moves slowly, almost too slowly, while the mystery unfolds.
"Pride," by Chantal Noordeloos. 5 stars. Noordeloos has gained a new fan with one short story! While the plot was nothing new and the basic ending predictable, the strength was in the telling.
"Whispers," by Heath Stallcup. 3.5 stars. An interesting ghost story. Carried by conversation, at times it seemed a bit too chatty and was filled with tedious, intricate details. I like the gist of the story so kept pushing through it.
"Shifters," by Jaime Johnesee. 3 stars. Though well-written, this was bland and typical. Too much humanizing of paranormal beings tends to strip them of all their zing.
"Tool Shed," by Armand Rosamilia. 3.5 Stars. Inherently interesting and fairly well-written, of all the characters, Dir was the most intriguing. The plot was strong despite a few holes and incongruities.
"Dust to Dust," by Eden Crowne. 4 stars. Again, I'm not a fan of the vampire, but this one had me hooked by the end of chapter one. The author's mix of darkness and humor was genuinely entertaining. A strong "author voice" carries well through the narrative.