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From the Ashes of Pompeii: and other dark tales by Manen Lyset
Go on a hair-raising journey from the scorching ashes of Pompeii, to a mysterious lakebed, and through a disturbing maze-like bunker. Will the story of a girl freed from her chains lift your spirit? Would you believe that good luck has its downsides? Encounter horrors hiding in plain sight within this collection of twelve tales of terror designed to shock and frighten you.
You might discover fears you never knew you had.
You might discover fears you never knew you had.
- GenresHorror
169 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2016
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2018
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].
‘From the Ashes of Pompeii and Other Dark Tales’ by Manen Lyset
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on March 7, 2018
Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $4.99 on Kindle | $9.99 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Go on a hair-raising journey from the scorching ashes of Pompeii, to a mysterious lakebed, and through a disturbing maze-like bunker. Will the story of a girl freed from her chains lift your spirit? Would you believe that good luck has its downsides? Encounter horrors hiding in plain sight within this collection of twelve tales of terror designed to shock and frighten you.
You might discover fears you never knew you had.
MY REVIEW:
I read ‘From the Ashes of Pompeii and Other Dark Tales’ as part of the NoSleep Podcast Book Club.
I am familiar with Lyset’s work after having been listening to the NoSleep Podcast since its infancy. Lyset crafts creepy worlds in a way that seems almost effortless making for excellent reads (or listens!)
This collection includes the stories:
From the Ashes of Pompeii
-- This story details a museum curator who is forced to take over an installation on Pompeii after her co-worker originally in charge kills himself in a brutal way. As she prepares herself for the exhibit, she discovers there is a dark secret tied to the artifacts intended for display, and perhaps her co-worker’s death wasn’t as cut-and-dry as she’d originally thought.
This is a cool story. Lyset has taken a familiar and tragic piece of history and spun an intriguing supernatural element into it.
I Thanked the Man Who Murdered My Only Friend
-- In this tale, a man becomes friends with the bartender at his favorite watering hole. They’ve known each other for years, so he thinks he knows the barkeep well. But when he falls asleep in the bar and finds his only friend murdered, he learns that no matter how long you’ve known someone or how kind they’ve been to you, they can still surprise you.
I remember this story from the podcast. Reading it for myself, though, after having already heard it did not dampen my enjoyment of it. This is a tale that makes you think about the people in your life because the truth is you never really, truly know someone.
The Mercy Ship
-- The Mercy Ship sails the seas giving free health care to those who can’t afford it. When it first docks, a father takes his ailing daughter there in hopes of some answers and help. They tell him to bring her back when they dock there again in a couple of months so they can perform a surgery on her. He does as he’s told, but when the ship arrives for a second time, he gets a bad feeling in his gut. Something terrible has happened aboard The Mercy Ship.
This is a sad tale and a believable tale. Sometimes, the scariest monsters aren’t paranormal -- they’re human.
Studio Audience
-- What if you had a constant studio audience reacting to your life in your head? That’s what this story proposes.
I like stories that turn the absurd into horror. They work wonderfully when well done, and Lyset has done this one well. What a true torture a condition like that must be. Who’s in that audience?
Girl in the Shed
-- A young man stumbles upon a little girl chained up in a dilapidated shed in the woods. Vowing to save her, to become the hero, turns out to be a really, really bad plan.
I remember this story, too. The main character’s actions make complete sense. Who wouldn’t do what he does if confronted with the same situation? And no one could possibly expect what his actions will result in.
Isolation
-- While attending a tour of a 50s-era nuclear bomb bunker, the main character decides to depart from the group and explore on their own. Doing so results in them getting locked in the place and bearing witness to true horrors.
I had heard this story, too. The atmosphere in this tale permeates your skin. The scare dives deep, and I’ll bet you’ll be thinking about this story long after its finished.
I Used to Hack Baby Monitors
-- A group of teenage boys decides they are going to screw around with new parents in their city by hacking into the frequency of their baby monitors and saying creepy things. One boy, though, gets more than he bargained for.
Yet another story I’d heard before. (Manen Lyset’s stories get around, if you know what I mean!) This story, in particular, freaks me out. I do *not* like baby monitors. The devices in themselves are scary as all get out to me. Especially the video ones. I can’t help but imagining hearing or seeing something unwanted and unexpected through them.
A Sunken Dock
-- Needing a break from the hectic-nature of our modern world, the character in this story turns to camping in the woods. While there, they discover a half-sunken dock. Inspecting it turns their whole world upside down.
This story wasn’t anything like I expected. In the very best way. It’s mind-boggling and a really fun read.
Good Luck
-- There’s a superstition that says saving a ladybug’s life grants you as many years of good luck as spots on the bug’s carapace. But luck is subjective, as the person in this story quickly discovers.
This is my favorite story in the collection. The concept really messed with my head, and that’s exactly what I want from my horror fiction.
The Gardener
-- A terrible drought has befallen a farming community, and this brings out The Gardener. Beware!
This story is body horror done well! The descriptions are so vivid they actually made my skin crawl. Love this story!
The Serpent of Bourbon Street
-- A party-goer has looked forward to attending a Mardi Gras celebration all their life hoping for the experience of a lifetime but, during it, they get the fright of one instead.
This was my least favorite story in the collection, but it’s still an enjoyable read. It did not stick with me the way the others did. I had to go back and reread it before writing this review because I didn’t remember it enough to write about it.
The Pigeons Around Here Aren’t Real
-- Two pest control people believe they’ve found the perfect solution to a growing pigeon problem -- using fake eggs to convince the birds they are nurturing more offspring than they are. They buy the eggs from an unknown online dealer, though, and that proves to be really, really bad news.
This story perfectly examples what it’s like to buy goods online sometimes. You think you’re gonna get a silky, blue, formfitting gown but, instead, you get the equivalent of a blue potato sack. Only in this story, the consequences are far, far more reaching.
Pick up this collection. The stories will remain with you, like a dark and creeping shadow.
‘From the Ashes of Pompeii and Other Dark Tales’ by Manen Lyset
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on March 7, 2018
Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $4.99 on Kindle | $9.99 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Go on a hair-raising journey from the scorching ashes of Pompeii, to a mysterious lakebed, and through a disturbing maze-like bunker. Will the story of a girl freed from her chains lift your spirit? Would you believe that good luck has its downsides? Encounter horrors hiding in plain sight within this collection of twelve tales of terror designed to shock and frighten you.
You might discover fears you never knew you had.
MY REVIEW:
I read ‘From the Ashes of Pompeii and Other Dark Tales’ as part of the NoSleep Podcast Book Club.
I am familiar with Lyset’s work after having been listening to the NoSleep Podcast since its infancy. Lyset crafts creepy worlds in a way that seems almost effortless making for excellent reads (or listens!)
This collection includes the stories:
From the Ashes of Pompeii
-- This story details a museum curator who is forced to take over an installation on Pompeii after her co-worker originally in charge kills himself in a brutal way. As she prepares herself for the exhibit, she discovers there is a dark secret tied to the artifacts intended for display, and perhaps her co-worker’s death wasn’t as cut-and-dry as she’d originally thought.
This is a cool story. Lyset has taken a familiar and tragic piece of history and spun an intriguing supernatural element into it.
I Thanked the Man Who Murdered My Only Friend
-- In this tale, a man becomes friends with the bartender at his favorite watering hole. They’ve known each other for years, so he thinks he knows the barkeep well. But when he falls asleep in the bar and finds his only friend murdered, he learns that no matter how long you’ve known someone or how kind they’ve been to you, they can still surprise you.
I remember this story from the podcast. Reading it for myself, though, after having already heard it did not dampen my enjoyment of it. This is a tale that makes you think about the people in your life because the truth is you never really, truly know someone.
The Mercy Ship
-- The Mercy Ship sails the seas giving free health care to those who can’t afford it. When it first docks, a father takes his ailing daughter there in hopes of some answers and help. They tell him to bring her back when they dock there again in a couple of months so they can perform a surgery on her. He does as he’s told, but when the ship arrives for a second time, he gets a bad feeling in his gut. Something terrible has happened aboard The Mercy Ship.
This is a sad tale and a believable tale. Sometimes, the scariest monsters aren’t paranormal -- they’re human.
Studio Audience
-- What if you had a constant studio audience reacting to your life in your head? That’s what this story proposes.
I like stories that turn the absurd into horror. They work wonderfully when well done, and Lyset has done this one well. What a true torture a condition like that must be. Who’s in that audience?
Girl in the Shed
-- A young man stumbles upon a little girl chained up in a dilapidated shed in the woods. Vowing to save her, to become the hero, turns out to be a really, really bad plan.
I remember this story, too. The main character’s actions make complete sense. Who wouldn’t do what he does if confronted with the same situation? And no one could possibly expect what his actions will result in.
Isolation
-- While attending a tour of a 50s-era nuclear bomb bunker, the main character decides to depart from the group and explore on their own. Doing so results in them getting locked in the place and bearing witness to true horrors.
I had heard this story, too. The atmosphere in this tale permeates your skin. The scare dives deep, and I’ll bet you’ll be thinking about this story long after its finished.
I Used to Hack Baby Monitors
-- A group of teenage boys decides they are going to screw around with new parents in their city by hacking into the frequency of their baby monitors and saying creepy things. One boy, though, gets more than he bargained for.
Yet another story I’d heard before. (Manen Lyset’s stories get around, if you know what I mean!) This story, in particular, freaks me out. I do *not* like baby monitors. The devices in themselves are scary as all get out to me. Especially the video ones. I can’t help but imagining hearing or seeing something unwanted and unexpected through them.
A Sunken Dock
-- Needing a break from the hectic-nature of our modern world, the character in this story turns to camping in the woods. While there, they discover a half-sunken dock. Inspecting it turns their whole world upside down.
This story wasn’t anything like I expected. In the very best way. It’s mind-boggling and a really fun read.
Good Luck
-- There’s a superstition that says saving a ladybug’s life grants you as many years of good luck as spots on the bug’s carapace. But luck is subjective, as the person in this story quickly discovers.
This is my favorite story in the collection. The concept really messed with my head, and that’s exactly what I want from my horror fiction.
The Gardener
-- A terrible drought has befallen a farming community, and this brings out The Gardener. Beware!
This story is body horror done well! The descriptions are so vivid they actually made my skin crawl. Love this story!
The Serpent of Bourbon Street
-- A party-goer has looked forward to attending a Mardi Gras celebration all their life hoping for the experience of a lifetime but, during it, they get the fright of one instead.
This was my least favorite story in the collection, but it’s still an enjoyable read. It did not stick with me the way the others did. I had to go back and reread it before writing this review because I didn’t remember it enough to write about it.
The Pigeons Around Here Aren’t Real
-- Two pest control people believe they’ve found the perfect solution to a growing pigeon problem -- using fake eggs to convince the birds they are nurturing more offspring than they are. They buy the eggs from an unknown online dealer, though, and that proves to be really, really bad news.
This story perfectly examples what it’s like to buy goods online sometimes. You think you’re gonna get a silky, blue, formfitting gown but, instead, you get the equivalent of a blue potato sack. Only in this story, the consequences are far, far more reaching.
Pick up this collection. The stories will remain with you, like a dark and creeping shadow.
June 21, 2017
From the Ashes of Pompeii, the novella that kicks this collection off is such a suspenseful and well-thought story. The concept is so unique and it really is executed perfectly. The story builds well, and the characters are really well written. They feel real.
AND THE SHORT STORIES!! Girl in the Shed was phenomenal, it's one of my all time favorite stories and I'm excited to see that it made it to this collection. Isolation was incredible too, and the Sunken Dock was so perfectly bittersweet, I read it twice in a row.
It's a rarity for me, but this is a book I will definitely pick up again and again.
AND THE SHORT STORIES!! Girl in the Shed was phenomenal, it's one of my all time favorite stories and I'm excited to see that it made it to this collection. Isolation was incredible too, and the Sunken Dock was so perfectly bittersweet, I read it twice in a row.
It's a rarity for me, but this is a book I will definitely pick up again and again.
March 6, 2018
I wish the story was finished, the main body of the book was the Headline title. But for me I felt it fell a little short. Not that I didn't enjoy it, I just think it could have encompassed an entire book and not just a majority of one. The story was original and I like the way the other short stories flowed and came to some sort of conclusion at their ends, even if it wasn't what you wanted. I also recognized many of the shorts from the No Sleep Podcast and could imagine the voice actors in my head, and that to me makes for great writing when you can imagine the story so clearly in your mind. The writer definitely knows how to write an original story that is relatable right up until things get weird. I'll be seeking out more of this authors stories for sure.
October 1, 2017
A great collection of dark tales. Some of which have been performed on The No Sleep Podcast. One tale seems a little out of place tonally, but is still a very disturbing story. The entire collection is excellent, and not to be missed by fans of horror and weird fiction.
January 11, 2018
A great collection. The title story hooked me quickly and reminded me of Graham Masterton in the way it took myth and folklore and brought it up to date. The rest of the stories were fun and exactly what I wanted to read from an author I have followed on r/nosleep for a while.
Excellent.
Excellent.
March 21, 2018
Wow! This book is awesome! I was instantly hooked by the novella and I would love to read a full novel by Manen Lyset. The book also contains stories that have been on The NoSleep Podcast and there are several new stories. Such a treat to read!
March 29, 2018
I love how the author describes the scenes, they're like little movies going on your mind. All the stories are very well written and unique. Beside the title story, I especially loved "Girl in the Shed" and "Isolation".
September 13, 2017
This whole collection is outstanding, but the title piece alone is well worth the buy!
May 10, 2018
Amazing! The story that stayed with me was" I use to hack into baby monitors." Another No Sleep author that didn't disappoint!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews