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Dark Carnival: An Anthology of Horror
In this anthology, several authors and illustrators explore the dark and hidden dangers that lie within a carnival that has come to town. But it is no ordinary carnival. It's The Dark Carnival.
And when The Dark Carnival comes to town, there's no promise that anyone can leave...alive.
Contributors include: Kristen Strassel, Meghan Schuler, Claire C. Riley, J. Elizabeth Hill, Jessi Esparza, Debra Kristi, Ryan Bartlett, Michelle Ceasar Davis, Brian LeTendre, Ken Mooney, Eli Constant, Mari Wells, Lucas Hargus, Kat Daemon, T.A. Brock, Calyn Morgan, Emily McKeon, Gregory Carrico, Kristin Hanson, Nicole R. Taylor, C. Elizabeth Vescio, Brian W. Taylor, Kate Michael, Ezekiel Conrad, Jamie Adams, Bobby Solomons, Mark Matthews, Jamie Corrigan, Kristin Rivers, Kristen Jett, Sheila Hall, Suzy G, Kim Culpepper, Ruth Shedwick, J.C. Michael, Wulf Francu Godgluck, Ashly Nagrant, Amy Trueblood, Vanessa Henderson, Tawney Bland, Julie Hutchings and Stevan Knapp.
And when The Dark Carnival comes to town, there's no promise that anyone can leave...alive.
Contributors include: Kristen Strassel, Meghan Schuler, Claire C. Riley, J. Elizabeth Hill, Jessi Esparza, Debra Kristi, Ryan Bartlett, Michelle Ceasar Davis, Brian LeTendre, Ken Mooney, Eli Constant, Mari Wells, Lucas Hargus, Kat Daemon, T.A. Brock, Calyn Morgan, Emily McKeon, Gregory Carrico, Kristin Hanson, Nicole R. Taylor, C. Elizabeth Vescio, Brian W. Taylor, Kate Michael, Ezekiel Conrad, Jamie Adams, Bobby Solomons, Mark Matthews, Jamie Corrigan, Kristin Rivers, Kristen Jett, Sheila Hall, Suzy G, Kim Culpepper, Ruth Shedwick, J.C. Michael, Wulf Francu Godgluck, Ashly Nagrant, Amy Trueblood, Vanessa Henderson, Tawney Bland, Julie Hutchings and Stevan Knapp.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2014
43 people are currently reading
714 people want to read
About the author
Jolene Haley
10 books84 followersJolene Haley is the author of the Woodsview Murder series (Harrowed, Haunted, Hunted). She has edited several anthologies including Dark Carnival, Halloween Night: Trick or Treat, and A Pizza My Heart. She is a Jr. Agent for a literary agency and has worked for three publishing houses since earning her Bachelor’s degree.
In spare time, she writes a free witchy romance called Love Spell on Wattpad, runs horror writer blog The Midnight Society, contributes to Of The Wolves, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
After growing up in a haunted house, studying to be a coroner, and spending too much time in graveyards, she draws her horror writing inspiration from real life experiences. She resides in California where she loves to pet every dog she sees and explore bookstores for hidden treasures.
Follow Jolene @Jolene_Haley | www.jolenehaley.com
In spare time, she writes a free witchy romance called Love Spell on Wattpad, runs horror writer blog The Midnight Society, contributes to Of The Wolves, and is a member of the Horror Writers Association.
After growing up in a haunted house, studying to be a coroner, and spending too much time in graveyards, she draws her horror writing inspiration from real life experiences. She resides in California where she loves to pet every dog she sees and explore bookstores for hidden treasures.
Follow Jolene @Jolene_Haley | www.jolenehaley.com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 7, 2014
I write this review under the influence. No, I'm not drunk, but I am listed on the TOC of the book. So keep that in mind.
This is a great collection by a wide range of authors. The Dark Carnival theme brought forth such a cool range of stories. I want to thank the muses for doing the work and putting them all in one anthology. Having them as one piece will allow the reader to visit the carnival and walk through different shades of darkness with all sorts of wild beasts and surprises in the shadows (and a few that live inside the carnie trailers). Check it out, flip to any story, and if you don't like it, I'll gladly refund your money. I suspect you will. Grab an elephant ear, kick up the dust, go see the bearded lady, and walk through the funhouse.
When you look into the dark carnival, the dark carnival also look back into you.
This is a great collection by a wide range of authors. The Dark Carnival theme brought forth such a cool range of stories. I want to thank the muses for doing the work and putting them all in one anthology. Having them as one piece will allow the reader to visit the carnival and walk through different shades of darkness with all sorts of wild beasts and surprises in the shadows (and a few that live inside the carnie trailers). Check it out, flip to any story, and if you don't like it, I'll gladly refund your money. I suspect you will. Grab an elephant ear, kick up the dust, go see the bearded lady, and walk through the funhouse.
When you look into the dark carnival, the dark carnival also look back into you.
September 28, 2015
Writing a late review- I bought this book by accident when I clicked on the wrong book like on Amazon. But, I am so happy my happy fingers made that mistake because this anthology is pretty spooky! If you are like me and love reading horror books for the fall or Halloween then this should be on your TBR list! Carnivals can be pretty creepy especially if you watch those 80's horror movies where carnivals seem to be possessed with the dead and spirits.... There were a lot of great stories in this anthology 2 of them were by far my favorite for their jeepers creepers factors: bold text: Exposure- a ghost like tale where an elderly photographer is not your average grandpa.... & The Queen of Hallows Eve- Imagine Carrie added with some dark carnival in the fall!
Trust me fellow Halloween lovers this makes for a great October read!
Trust me fellow Halloween lovers this makes for a great October read!
April 15, 2015
Most of the stories in this were fun and entertaining. A few were not that great, but I always expect a few duds in these types of anthologies. Some of the stories were actually pretty disturbing. All in all a fun romp through the world of the dark carnival and worth reading if you like anthologies and want a fun horror/ dark fantasy easy read. It didn't go in the best reads pile but I did have fun reading it.
November 11, 2014
Yes, I helped published this but I must say that it's one of the best anthologies ever... no I'm not biased. :P
June 6, 2017
I've always loved stories and movies about haunted carnivals. There's something a little spooky about carnivals, even though they are usually lots of fun. But the thought of them after dark, with no one else around..that's a different story.
This collection was like most in that I enjoyed some stories more than others. None really struck me as a great, but none were really bad either. There were plenty of dark horror tales, some really dark but others not as much. My biggest problem with the collection was the length. I think this collection was too long and tried to fit too many stories into one collection. If this had been split into two volumes I think the stories would have had more room to "breath" and each one could have been appreciated a little more. As it is, there's so much material the reader becomes a little numb about halfway through and many of the stories start to seem the same.
Overall though not a bad horror collection and I don't regret reading it. If you are into dark horror stories featuring carnivals I'm sure you'll like at least some of this collection.
This collection was like most in that I enjoyed some stories more than others. None really struck me as a great, but none were really bad either. There were plenty of dark horror tales, some really dark but others not as much. My biggest problem with the collection was the length. I think this collection was too long and tried to fit too many stories into one collection. If this had been split into two volumes I think the stories would have had more room to "breath" and each one could have been appreciated a little more. As it is, there's so much material the reader becomes a little numb about halfway through and many of the stories start to seem the same.
Overall though not a bad horror collection and I don't regret reading it. If you are into dark horror stories featuring carnivals I'm sure you'll like at least some of this collection.
April 11, 2015
'The Dark Carnival' is a collection of 41 short horror stories with a creepy carnival setting.
I picked this up because I've been really into short story collections recently and the theme really appealed to me. The collection gets off to a shaky start with a story that had real potential, but felt like a teaser for a longer story rather than a stand alone short. There were a few stories that seemed to end suddenly like this, and several of the worst culprits for this were right at the start of the anthology. That said, there are some really excellent stories also and the overall quality was very good.
I'm not going to rate each story as there were an awful lot of them, but after the first few stories I started to really get into the anthology and found myself captivated by the disturbing and creepy tales of carnival terror. The suspense was kept up pretty well throughout and when I got to the end I really wished there was more.
My favourite stories were: 'Permanent Ink' by Kat Daemon, which was nicely tense and creepy. 'Nothing but Net' by Brian W. Taylor, which was freaky, suspenseful, and had a twist I didn't see coming. 'House of Mirrors' by Stevan Knapp, which was just brilliant and ended the collection on the perfect note.
Overall I'd say this collection is well worth taking a chance on. It keeps up the perfect atmosphere and it's tense throughout. Recommended to horror fans!
I picked this up because I've been really into short story collections recently and the theme really appealed to me. The collection gets off to a shaky start with a story that had real potential, but felt like a teaser for a longer story rather than a stand alone short. There were a few stories that seemed to end suddenly like this, and several of the worst culprits for this were right at the start of the anthology. That said, there are some really excellent stories also and the overall quality was very good.
I'm not going to rate each story as there were an awful lot of them, but after the first few stories I started to really get into the anthology and found myself captivated by the disturbing and creepy tales of carnival terror. The suspense was kept up pretty well throughout and when I got to the end I really wished there was more.
My favourite stories were: 'Permanent Ink' by Kat Daemon, which was nicely tense and creepy. 'Nothing but Net' by Brian W. Taylor, which was freaky, suspenseful, and had a twist I didn't see coming. 'House of Mirrors' by Stevan Knapp, which was just brilliant and ended the collection on the perfect note.
Overall I'd say this collection is well worth taking a chance on. It keeps up the perfect atmosphere and it's tense throughout. Recommended to horror fans!
February 13, 2017
More 3.5 than 3, and not quite 4, but we don't have that option...a decent collection of stories, some better than others, but isn't that just how it goes with collections? The fun part of reading this one is thinking back to the carnivals you've actually gone to, and wondering what you might have seen if you'd looked deeper, beyond the obvious, behind the bright paint and bright lights....
December 20, 2019
Okay, I tap. At 50% through, this is terrible. Maybe one, two of the stories achieve 2.5 stars, and at middle age, I just do not have the time to waste on finding out if the quality suddenly and dramatically improves.
January 7, 2015
1.5 stars.
This was pretty bad.
I don't read a lot of short stories, but I love horror and I love all things creepy carnival themed, so I thought this might be pretty good. Nope. I only found about three of the stories actually scary; some of the stories just downright made no sense. Too many of the stories centered around the same plot -- hamburgers/hot dogs made of human meat, the devil works at the carnival and wants your soul. Maybe it's just me, but if I'm reading a collection of short stories, I want them all to be different and give me something new. Some of the stories that were similar even came one after the other, so I found myself skimming the second story because I felt like I had just read it.
But the worst part about this was the editing. I think every single story in here had at least a few errors. Names were misspelled, punctuation was missing or used incorrectly, there were random line breaks in the middle of sentences that I don't think were put for any kind of artistic purpose...Seriously, some of the stories were hard to read because there were just so many errors.
This was cheap, but I'd pass on it.
This was pretty bad.
I don't read a lot of short stories, but I love horror and I love all things creepy carnival themed, so I thought this might be pretty good. Nope. I only found about three of the stories actually scary; some of the stories just downright made no sense. Too many of the stories centered around the same plot -- hamburgers/hot dogs made of human meat, the devil works at the carnival and wants your soul. Maybe it's just me, but if I'm reading a collection of short stories, I want them all to be different and give me something new. Some of the stories that were similar even came one after the other, so I found myself skimming the second story because I felt like I had just read it.
But the worst part about this was the editing. I think every single story in here had at least a few errors. Names were misspelled, punctuation was missing or used incorrectly, there were random line breaks in the middle of sentences that I don't think were put for any kind of artistic purpose...Seriously, some of the stories were hard to read because there were just so many errors.
This was cheap, but I'd pass on it.
January 14, 2015
This book is a real gem! Not every story is really long enough or scary enough-- but Every one is a well written, interesting, unique story that you have not read a carbon copy of anywhere else!
I like that the stories seem to be mostly ones that come at you sideways- from a point of view I had not read before.
Try it-- at the FREE price tag-- it is worth the time to get and enjoy!
I like that the stories seem to be mostly ones that come at you sideways- from a point of view I had not read before.
Try it-- at the FREE price tag-- it is worth the time to get and enjoy!
November 2, 2015
Better than most short horror stories I've read. Several you could imagine being the same fair, though written by different authors. The illustrations lose their impact in ebook form; I didn't spend long studying them. And one writer, who did more of a teaser than a short story, caught my attention enough to look into further.
February 17, 2015
Twilight Goes to the Carnival
Horrible editing, horrible stories, horrible missed opportunities. All but one story read like a Twilight fan fiction story. Save your money and your time.
Horrible editing, horrible stories, horrible missed opportunities. All but one story read like a Twilight fan fiction story. Save your money and your time.
October 1, 2015
Good Short Reads
For a quick read when time is limited and you have the taste for something a little off the norm, something a little dark.....then this book is for you.
A lot of fun but the State Fair coming this Fall will never be the same.
You've been warned
For a quick read when time is limited and you have the taste for something a little off the norm, something a little dark.....then this book is for you.
A lot of fun but the State Fair coming this Fall will never be the same.
You've been warned
October 12, 2015
A good, well written YA collection.
One of the best horror collections I've read to date. Superior stories, well written and well told, without a dud in the group. I wish more anthologies had these high standards.
One of the best horror collections I've read to date. Superior stories, well written and well told, without a dud in the group. I wish more anthologies had these high standards.
November 3, 2016
There were a few stories I enjoyed, but it was odd to read an excerpt of a vampire novel, unrelated to the anthology's Dark Carnival theme, tossed in randomly amongst short stories. In my opinion, the collection would have been stronger, too, if quite a few lesser works had been cut. Why publish drivel next to gems?
September 8, 2017
I totally loved this book. Most of the time, you read stories and forget. This summer, I found myself second-guessing and over-analyzing every aspect of our local carnivals as a result of reading this book. Definitely a wide range of variety in this book.
November 19, 2020
5 Carnie Stars!
Welcome to the Dark Carnival...
The Dark Carnival anthology is a series of mini horror stories all based on carnivals, fairs and funhouses! Some stories were rather boring to read even if they were short, but there was plenty of other stories to make up for those. I've always loved fairs and carnivals, and being to horror addict that I am, I simply couldn't resist reading this. I enjoyed the different concepts that all the authors tried to bring into this anthology as they tried to scare the readers by bringing to life there deepest fears!!
From the scary ringleaders...
the scary clowns...
to the author who made the merry-go-round the scariest place to be at a carnival...
I highly recommend this book for a quick fun read!
-A
Welcome to the Dark Carnival...
The Dark Carnival anthology is a series of mini horror stories all based on carnivals, fairs and funhouses! Some stories were rather boring to read even if they were short, but there was plenty of other stories to make up for those. I've always loved fairs and carnivals, and being to horror addict that I am, I simply couldn't resist reading this. I enjoyed the different concepts that all the authors tried to bring into this anthology as they tried to scare the readers by bringing to life there deepest fears!!
From the scary ringleaders...
the scary clowns...
to the author who made the merry-go-round the scariest place to be at a carnival...
I highly recommend this book for a quick fun read!
-A
February 16, 2021
Great Read
This is one of my favorite anthologies. Good stories,short enough but not too short. I was sad when I realized I was at the end. Definitely worth reading. All of the authors are great.
This is one of my favorite anthologies. Good stories,short enough but not too short. I was sad when I realized I was at the end. Definitely worth reading. All of the authors are great.
January 1, 2015
Scary
Great stories!!!! Lots of spooky characters... All stories are about the Dark Carnival... kept my interest, could not put it down.
Great stories!!!! Lots of spooky characters... All stories are about the Dark Carnival... kept my interest, could not put it down.
January 9, 2015
Most of the stories were fairly repetitive. I know they were all supposed to be carnival themed but not many of them stood out.
April 24, 2015
It was okay. My favorite story was the last one. I love when Karma kicks in. Overall okay book.
June 22, 2015
Comedy & Horror blend
While this is touted to be a horror collection, I found it to be a mix of dark humor and horror. It was entertaining and a nice way to pass the day.
While this is touted to be a horror collection, I found it to be a mix of dark humor and horror. It was entertaining and a nice way to pass the day.
July 24, 2015
Nifty anthology of short stories centered around a dark carnival. Many of these writers I had not read before but I will be reading more from in the future. Easy book to start and stop.
February 13, 2016
Just ok
Some of these were ok, some left me wondering, and a couple were actually very well done. All in all I might not waste my time.
Some of these were ok, some left me wondering, and a couple were actually very well done. All in all I might not waste my time.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews