The 13 Tales of Illusory

The 13 #1

by Stephanie Ayers

13 enchanted horrors, 13 spine-chilling tales. Down, down in the depths they fell, bodies in the dark of a liquid hell. Can you survive all 13? Can you make it to the end?

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2017

About the author

A creative ninja with a dark mind and a quirky nature, Stephanie Ayers writes all the words and spins twisted tales filled with horror, fantasy, suspense, and anything in between. With a trunk full of tricks thanks to a checkered past, she haunts Irish castles and snowy mountaintops in her dreams while living the unicorn life in Ohio disguised as a human. When she isn’t listening to the voices in her head, she spends her days as a mom, Gigi, cat lover, and Netflix binger, while avoiding housework at all costs.

Her debut novella, Til Death Do Us Part, was published in 2013, and her work appears in several anthologies and collections. Along with many solo works, she currently has two serials to her name, the stand-alone horror volumes of The 13 series, and her epic 5 book fantasy series, Destiny Defined.

To find out more about Stephanie's daily living and all about her books and writing, subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/o6e0l9

Her favorite quote is: "The blank page is a canvas on which the writer paints a story."-Stephanie Ayers

Reviews

[Sydney Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a single author collection of twelve stories and a poem. I won’t say anything about the poem, because I don’t know shit about poetry.

The Puppet Master 3.5 stars – As I was reading it, I wondered why Finn would be griping about not travelling since they’re with a circus. All circuses that I know of travel. Then again it never explicitly says they’re with the circus, but “in a circus car” seemed... But the end of the story was so satisfying, it seemed like an irrelevant question once I finished. Even still, a little more detail on setting would have bumped this up to four stars for me.

No Returns 1 star—Loved the premise, but again, not enough words to convey the impact, for me. I guess the premise wasn’t unique enough to make up for the fact that I didn’t care about the person it happened to because the person wasn’t realized. Also, this:
She ignored it and opened the back, delighted to find a roll of film within. She carefully removed the roll, pleased to find it unblemished by the light.

Um, it doesn’t work like that; if you open the back of a camera and there’s film in it, the act of opening the camera exposes the film. Fiction it may be, but we know How Things Work. As a photographer this was particularly vexing.

Wade, Haunted 2 stars—one more the author’s love of brevity in scene setting tripped me up. There was a short (yet tall enough to loom) staircase that seemed to ascend a full floor level and has the character “looking down” at the living area, but he “made his way” there without seeming to descend the stairs again, so couldn’t place the character in the house. Even the woman/ghost sitting beside him, yet far enough to stroke him with her bare foot...these weird little skips in continuity made it difficult for me to appreciate the end (which in this case wasn’t a surprise.)

Season of Change 3 stars—standard horror short, nicely done.

On the Ninth Day 1 star—not sure what to say about this. I guess I was more bewildered than anything, maybe too familiar with Norse mythology? Like, if it had been Loki, maybe. But...Odin? Evil? No sale, here. (also the Wild Hunt was Celtic mythology—which would have worked well for the story, but Odin and Norse mythology? Eh, like I said, bewildering.)

Strike a Pose 4 stars—this one is kind of awesome. There were a couple things that made me blink (the soul remaining connected to the body after death? And being ashamed of having been murdered?) but overall, really liked the concept and story.

A Child Lost 2 stars—this was a new-to-me take on the stealing babies trope, but I think it might have been more interesting from the pixie point of view. I find the characters of these shorts to be too briefly sketched for me to know or care about them, so the impact of the story needs to come from setting and what happens, and in this case, by having most of what happens a flashback, it was very distancing.

The May Queen 1 star—apparently finding yourself in hell is lucky. Another “pre-Christian religions are evil” trope/story, not really my thing.

The Chair 3.5 stars—the sentient chair is a kind of child’s storybook device that makes this story (of the execution of an innocent man) more chilling. Oddly the opening and closing of the story refer to an execution that doesn’t happen.

Tears of a Sinner 3.5 stars—an immortal beloved story x bluebeard-esque story.

What the Sign Saw 2 stars—I think this would have been a lot stronger without the prologue type opening. Secondary character behaviour wasn’t consistent with resolution, almost as if the author changed her mind how to end the story and didn’t revise the first/middle parts to match.

The Thirteenth Year 2 stars—this is a vampire story that uses the “vampires can’t see their reflections in mirrors” trope, which I hate, so my dislike of this story is a personal thing, nothing on the writer (I wish the focus of the story had been on the mirror and gargoyles, though.) Hmm, maybe the last line revealing the boarder to be a vamp was supposed to be a twist. I figured it out in the first few paragraphs, though, so if that was a spoiler, um, sorry?

OVER ALL—the writer has a gift for words, but chooses the wrong places to be brief and wax eloquent, in my opinion. A little more on setting and/or character and a little less on clothing. Because of the lack of characterization and setting, it was hard for me to feel anything for these stories unless they showed me somthing I hadn’t seen before (“Strike a Pose” being particularly memorable).

I would read a full-length novel by this author, where the setting and characters could be as lovingly drawn as some of her descriptions (Worthington’s appearance in “The Thirteenth Year” for example or Bruning’s appearance in “Tears of a Sinner”)

I feel comfortable giving the collection three and a half stars, as some of the things I didn’t like were personal (tropes I dislike, writing style choices, which are on me, not a fault of the writer) and the writing is very good. If you enjoy short/flash horror and like to see something a little different, there’s definitely enough of that to make this worth the purchase price.**

**I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[K.N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept wishing I'd been there to coax this author into just a wee bit more story development with most of these stories, but these are memorable traces of tales with a hint of fireside ghost story to them.

Ayers has a gift for description. Her vivid scenes transport the reader right into each unique story and her characters range from common to quirky to creepy. I particularly liked Puppets. Ayers created characters I could see and hear and dove right into the eerie, but the ending seemed rushed.

In Wade, Haunted, I felt the italicized flashback was distracting, but the suspense was well-crafted. The country vernacular in Season of Change was done so well, I could hear the main character. Onomatopoeias are used to great effect - making this a great tale to be read aloud around a fire. Loved the character's ending lines - funny and dark!

A Child Lost has a great premise for a dark fantasy story. Overall, there's a great variety in these tales ranging from contemporary settings to fantasy gods and fairies, but you may find yourself wishing they didn't end so soon. But that's a good thing, right?

[Barbara Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I usually am not a fan of horror stories. As a teenager, I loved reading the Omen, Salem’ s Lot and other scary books. Then for some reason, I didn’t like that genre anymore. But that seems to be changing – again. Stephanie Ayers has written a book of short stories – horror stories, including poetry.

I found it to be mesmerizing, intriguing, captivating. Stephanie has a special talent. She creates magic in her words, drawing you into each of her stories, making you feel as if you are walking alongside the characters, feeling the emotions as well. See all sides of the dimensions. And that is truly what a great writer does.

In the story “Season of Change,” I don’t know why but I read that one over twice. I think in a way, I myself thought it was comical (perhaps I was the only one) but Stephanie wrote it in a way that made me think of an old Criminal Minds episode.

[Sondra Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I was dipping my toes into the waters with this anthology. I have to admit there were some amazing stories in this collection. I enjoyed it more than thought I would mainly cause I am a big baby anymore about scary stuff. I might even buy this one for my husband to read. He is a huge horror and crazy lover of scary stuff or twisted. I'm in the closet haha. I am so happy though and if you're​ like me read this during the day with all the lights on lol.

[Georgiana-Laura Gheorghe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for „The 13 Tales of Illusory” by Stephanie Ayers

It’s the first book from “The 13” series written by the bestseller author, Stephanie Ayers. It consists of a poem and twelve spooky stories that are a delight to horror fans and that teach us valuable lessons like keeping promises, enjoying what we have, trusting and following our intuition, listening to our inner voice, if at first we don’t succeed, try try again, curiosity kills the cat sometimes, appearances can be deceiving, nothing is what is seems, never trusting things that come easily to us, the consequences of greed, thirst for power, ignoring signs and warnings etc.
Mrs. Ayers attracts the readers with her simple writing style that can be easily digested. The world she created reminds us of twisted fairy tales and classic horror literature like Edgar Allan Poe’s, H. P. Lovecraft’s and Stephan King’s style for example.
“Soul Survivor” (pp. 4 – 5) is similar to Norse Mythology and a Greek Myth in which Zeus turned into a white bull, kidnapped Europa and brought her to an island, where from their union came various kings.
“The Puppet Master” (pp. 7 – 11) reminds us of the consequences of voodoo magic, greed and that not all men that want what’s best for us have good intentions.
“No Returns” (pp. 12 – 13) is similar to one of R. L. Stine’s books of the original “Goosebumps” series “Say Cheese and Die!” since it involve a camera that takes people’s soul.
“Wade, Haunted” (pp. 14 – 20) gives the readers an air of mystery, leaving them to imagine the characters’ past and what will the future bring to Wade.
“Season of Change” (pp. 21 – 23) is similar to I. L. Caragiale’s psychological novella “During wartime” (În vreme de război) because it describes the character’s obsession (with raking the leaves and his neighbors’ untidy yard) until it evolves into madness that ends with his own death.
“On the Ninth Day” (pp. 24 – 28) is similar to Norse Mythology and the “God of War” video game series, but with a twist.
“Strike a Pose” (pp. 29 – 41) reminds us of a spooky murder story, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, Charles Perrault’s “Bluebeard” and the horror movie “Psycho”.
“A Child Lost” (pp. 42 – 45) reminds us of “The Princess and the Frog” while the pixies’ domain is like Pleasure Island from Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio” only that in Stephanie Ayers’s story, the kids are turned into orange fish and other sea creatures instead of donkeys.
“The May Queen” (pp. 46 – 49) is a legend with a twist.
“The Chair” (pp. 50 – 53) is similar to Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Bottle Neck” because the story is from an object’s point of view. His story about one of the convicted people reminds us of Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” because the man in question was betrayed and framed by a close friend and unfairly punished.
“Tears of a Sinner” (pp. 54 – 58) is similar to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” to a degree and the “Twilight” book series by Stephenie Meyer.
“What the Sign Saw” (pp. 59 – 97) is a romantic ghost story. The title itself a metaphor that can be either interpreted as a regular sign that saw the events unfolding and the signs of Nelson’s love for Frankie.
“The Thirteenth Year” (pp. 98 – 103) is a cautionary tale that teaches us the importance of being observant and how certain people’s true intentions are masked with kindness. The mention of the unlucky number thirteen in the title is the first clue about the main character’s dreadful fate.
The writer doesn’t shy away from serious issues like sorrow, fear, sickness, death, loss, dysfunctional family, serial killers, psychopathy, obsession, perfectionism, naïveté, wrath, manipulation, control, madness, toxic mother, trauma, injustice, setup, betrayal etc.
There are certain things with a symbolic meaning: the sea – life, death, purification and our emotions; the storm – change, chaos, destruction, dread, passion; the coral – guide, wisdom, immortality; the ship – purpose, life’s path, journey; the color red – anger and danger while the red leaves are a metaphor for bad omen and even the character’s “blood” in the story “Season of Change”; the raven – wisdom, transformation, loss and ill omen sometimes; the wolf – success and victory in Norse Mythology; sapphire – intelligence, truth, wealth, nobility, power and it’s also known to influence spirits; the azalea (flowering shrub) – the cycle of life, death and rebirth etc.
Readers will be shocked by the plot twists; will receive a dose of fear and cry at certain scenes.
Along with J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, J. K. Rowling, Laura Știrbu, B. K. Boes, R. L. Stine, Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell, Richard H. Stephens, K. M. Jenkins, Elena Kedros, Paula Harrison, Emily Martha Sorensen and many others, Stephanie Ayers revolutionized fantasy horror literature through her writing style and the world which she created out of pure imagination.
I recommend this book to readers 18+ because there are scenes that are too scary and that can’t be understood by younger readers.



Recenzie “Cele 13 Povești Fantasmagorice” de Stephanie Ayers

Este prima carte din seria “Cele 13” scrisă de autoarea de bestseller, Stephanie Ayers. Aceasta cuprinde o poezie și douăsprezece povești de groază, care sunt un deliciu pentru fanii literaturii horror și care ne învață lecții importante cum ar fi să ne ținem de cuvânt, să ne bucurăm de ce avem, să avem încredere în intuiție și s-o urmăm, să ascultăm de vocea noastră interioară, dacă eșuăm să încercăm până reușim, curiozitatea ne poate creea probleme uneori, aparențele înșală, nimic nu este ceea ce pare, să nu credem niciodată în lucrurile care vin cu ușurință, consecințele lăcomiei, setei pentru putere, ignorării semnelor și avertismentelor etc.
Doamna Ayers îi atrage pe cititori prin stilul simplu care poate să fie ușor de digerat. Lumea creată de ea ne amintește de basmele întunecate și de literatura de groază clasică (ex. Stilul lui Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft și a lui Stephan King).
“Singurul Suflet Supraviețuitor” (pp. 4 – 5) se aseamănă cu mitologia nordică și mitul grec în care Zeus s-a transformat într-un taur alb, a răpit-o pe Europa și a dus-o pe o insulă, unde din a căror căsătorie s-au născut mulți regi.
„Maestrul Păpușar” (pp. 7 – 11) ne amintește de consecințele practicării magiei voodoo, a lăcomiei și a faptului că nu toți oamenii care ne vor binele au intenții bune.
„Fără Întoarcere” (pp. 12 – 13) se aseamănă cu una din cărțile din seria originală „Cărți care-ți dau fiori” (Goosebumps) a lui R. L. Stine „Spune brânză și mori!” (Say Cheese and Die!) pentru că implică o cameră foto care ia sufletul oamenilor.
“Wade, Bântuit” (pp. 14 – 20) le oferă cititorilor un aer misterios, lăsându-i să-și imagineze trecutul personajelor și să se întrebe ce-i aduce viitorul lui Wade.
“Anotimpul Schimbărilor” (pp. 21 – 23) se aseamănă cu nuvela psihologică a lui I. L. Caragiale “În vremde de război” pentru că descrie obsesia personajului (cu greblarea frunzelor și grădina neîngrijită a vecinului) până când se ajunge la nebunie, rezultând în decesul acestuia.
„În Ziua a Noua” (pp. 24 – 28) se aseamănă cu mitologia scandinavă și seria de jocuri video „Zeul Războiului”, dar cu o schimbare.
“Pozează” (pp. 29 – 41) ne amintește de o poveste polițistă înfricoșătoare, „Portretul lui Dorian Gray” de Oscar Wilde, “Barbă Albastră” de Charles Perrault și de filmul de groază „Psycho”.
„Un Copil Pierdut” (pp. 42 – 45) ne amintește de basmul „Prințesa și Broscoiul” în timp ce regatul spiridușilor se aseamănă cu Insula Jucăriilor din “Aventurile lui Pinocchio” de Carlo Collodi, numai că în povestea Stephaniei Ayers, copiii sunt transformați în peștișori portocalii și alte creaturi acvatice și nu în măgari.
„Regina Lunii Mai” (pp. 46 – 49) este o legendă cu o schimbare.
„Scaunul” (pp. 50 – 53) este similară cu „Sticla” de Hans Chriatian Andersen pentru că povestea este spusă din punctul de vedere a unui obiect. Povestea lui despre unul din condamnați ne amintește de romanul „Străinul” de Albert Camus pentru că bărbatul în cauză a fost trădat de un prieten apropiat, i s-a înscenat totul și a fost pedepsit pe nedrept.
„Lacrimile unui Păcătos” (pp. 54 – 58) este similară cu „Dracula” de Bram Stoker până la un anumit punct și cu seria „Amurg” de Stephenie Meyers.
„Ce a văzut semnul” (pp. 59 – 97) este o poveste de dragoste înfricoșătoare. Titlul este o metaforă care se poate referi la indicatorul care a fost martor la șirul de întâmplări și la indiciile lăsate de Nelson lui Frankie pentru a-i spune ceea ce simte pentru ea.
“Al Treisprezecilea An” (pp. 98 – 103) este o poveste cu subiect moralizator care ne învață despre importanța observării detaliilor și cum intențiile adevărate ale unor oameni sunt ascunse în spatele măștii de om bun. Menționarea cifrei ghinioniste treisprezece din titlu ne oferă primul indiciu despre soarta îngrozitoare a personajului principal.
Autoarea nu se teme să abordeze probleme serioase ca: mâhnirea, frica, boala, moartea, pierderea unei persoane dragi, familia disfuncțională, criminalii în serie, psihopatia, obsesia, perfecționismul, naivitatea, mânia, manipularea, controlul, nebunia, mama toxică, trauma, nedreptatea, înscenarea, trădarea etc.
Există lucruri cu o semnificație aparte: marea – viață, moarte, purificare și emoțiile noastre; furtuna – schimbare, haos, distrugere, oroare, pasiune; coralul – ghid, înțelepciune, nemurire; corabia – scop, drumul vieții, călătorie; culoarea roșu – acces de furie și pericol în timp ce frunzele roșii sunt o reprezentare metaforică a prevestirii răului și chiar “a sângelui” personajului în povestea „Anotimpul Schimbărilor”; corbul – înțelepciune, transformare, pierderea unui persoane dragi și un semn de rău augur uneori; lupul – succes și victorie în mitologia nordică; safirul – inteligență, adevăr, bogăție, noblețe, putere și se știe de asemenea că poate influența spiritele; azaleea (floare) – ciclul vieții, moarte și renaștere etc.
Cititorii vor fi șocați de răsturnările de situație, vor primi o doză de frică și vor plânge la anumite scene.
Alături de J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, J. K. Rowling și Laura Știrbu, B. K. Boes, R. L. Stine, Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell, Richard H. Stephens, K. M. Jenkins, Elena Kedros, Paula Harrison, Emily Martha Sorensen și mulți alții, Stephanie Ayers a revoluționat literatura fantastică de groază prin stilul unic și lumea pe care a creat-o din imaginație pură.
Recomand această carte cititorilor 18+ pentru că există unele scene care cititorii mai mici nu le pot înțelege și sunt prea înfricoșătoare.

[Heidi Angell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deliciously dark collection of 13 short stories, all with a super natural element.

The first story, Soul Survivor, is actually a page long poem that sets the creep factor nicely.
Next we enjoy a short story, "The Puppet Master" that dabbles in Romani myth and legend. "No Returns" is an unexpected short story with a dark twist at the end.
"Wade, Haunted" is a longer short story/ cautionary tale with a dash of naughty.
"Season of Change" which is one of my favorites, takes a look at neighbors.
"On the Ninth Day" is a clever piece based on the Norse God Odin. "Strike a Pose" is about the victim of a creative killer. Dark, twisted, and fun.
"A Child Lost" looks at the world of Pixies.
"The May Queen" plays on the ancient tradition of the May Pole. "The Chair" is a morbid look into the world of an electric chair. "Tears of a Sinner" is a dark look into arranged marriage.
"What the Sign Saw" is one of the longest pieces, and is a dark love story that I also really enjoyed.
"The 13th Year" wraps up the tales with a unique view into the lore of vampires.

If you are a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, then I think you will enjoy this modern take on the dark, macabre, and supernatural. I know I certainly did.

[Amber Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect when reading this book but I was pleasantly surprised! I had forgotten how much I enjoy the horror genre until I started reading, the dark nature of the stories was so entertaining! I have a couple of favorites but liked almost all of them! The only one I did not enjoy as much was the poem at the beginning but that is only because understanding poetry does not come easily to me. I loved the other stories though. Among my favorites are "Strike a Pose" and "What the Sign Saw". I was intrigued by the way "Strike a Pose" played out and the point of view that was used to portray the story. "What the Sign Saw" did not turn out the way I was expecting and it was amazing! I really liked how the story ended the same way as it began. I definitely recommend this book!

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in the 13 series. Sometimes with short stories you never know if they will be rushed or lacking in detail. Ayers did a fabulous job on all the stories in this. I enjoyed each of them. What the Sign Saw and The Thirteenth Year were two of my favorites in this collection.

If you like creepy/chilling stories this is one to check out! The stories are the perfect length if you are looking for a quick read. I look forward to more of her short stories in the other books in this series

[Amanda Lindsey Bursting Bookshelf Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and creepy short stories! Each one takes you on an interesting unique story with a dark twist. I enjoyed reading each one. Especially around Halloween! My favorite was Strike a Pose! Although each were unique and dark in their own right. I really enjoyed every story! Just the right amount of creepy factor to draw you into the darkness!

[McKenzie Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare that I come across an anthology--or in this case, a collection of short stories by one author--where I genuinely like every single story in the book. There isn't one story in Tales of Illusory that I would say I disliked. They had twists and turns, some were very creepy. Just the kinds of stories that I enjoy. I can't wait to read the next installment in the Thirteen Series!

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a review copy, this is an honest review. Enter the eerie world of short stories that are spine tingling encountering possessed objects you should steer clear of; a ghost determined to get justice against a darkly deadly man and wishes aren't what you really desired. Nothing within these words are what they seem. Highly recommended.

[Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, definite must read

Awesome stories that keep you enthralled from start to finish. Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a great read. These stories are not predictable and are well written.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has 13 tales of horror takes which is best read in the daytime. Reading at night could make sleep difficult to get as you wonder if something is hiding in your room with you

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[alice(noreen alice law) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read

Out of thirteen stories I actually liked four I came across this book by referral based on my reading I don't know why I chose it. I expected something from what the title said it was going to be,my definition is different. I wish I could say more or do better for the review and I can only say it was just ok.

[Cindy Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this departure

Promised as a quick read, it still filled my every wish from a book. It had amazing characters, moving storylines that never grow style and an imagination all its own.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I absolutely enjoyed this book. The stories were well written and made my imagination soar. I highly recommend this series! Ms. Ayers, you wrote a fantastic book!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really like this short story collection. there are some that are dark and dangerous feeling and there are some that are in poem form. if you like the dark a macabre youll like these fast reads.

[Donna Heard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series. It is well written with an engaging story line. I liked the puppet master story very much.

[Darleen Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this collection of short stories.
Oh and I really liked the poem, it was different way to start a book.
Excellent front cover design.
Glad I picked it to read.

[RomanceReader1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories...... some were an easy readings and others were a WTH, goosebumps kinds.

Enjoyable

[K.M. Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Tales of Illusory there is a story for everyone to enjoy but I would have to say my top two favorites were "Tears of a Sinner" and "What the Sign Saw". "Tears of a Sinner" gave me the wonder of a vampire tale filled with romance and death, lol. "What the Sign Saw" just kept me captivated till the end making me want to turn the page. My poor fiancé tried to ask me something during this story and I bit his head off. Told him “don’t interrupt me I’m getting to the good part!” Definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves suspense, horror and a mix of death with romance.

[Lisa Briskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

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