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Dark & Bitter
Intrigue! Mystery! Romance! Coffee! Find all this and more in "Dark and Bitter".
"Dark and Bitter" is an anthology which contains eleven tales from writers in New York’s capital region and beyond. These stories feature suspense, complex characters, intense situations, and much more that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Join us on this journey through the amazing works that writers in this area have to offer and learn why we all love our Dark and Bitter tales.
"Dark and Bitter" is an anthology which contains eleven tales from writers in New York’s capital region and beyond. These stories feature suspense, complex characters, intense situations, and much more that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Join us on this journey through the amazing works that writers in this area have to offer and learn why we all love our Dark and Bitter tales.
- GenresShort Stories
200 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2017
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 18, 2018
The first thing to know about this book is that it is not bound by genre. It opens with a high school mystery, and the stories that follow include three stories somewhere on the horror spectrum, two crime stories, mainstream, supernatural, slipstream, science fiction, and contemporary fantasy. As a result, the stories cannot be read assuming they will turn macabre or supernatural or any one way.
These stories are bound by the dark and bitter theme, and by a willingness to step away from conventional story-telling rules. These are stories that often try to involve the reader, in some cases, by following the characters' movement more than the plot's, leaving the reader to consider where the character now resides in their journey, as well as what they might do next.
One of the longer stories in the book is "Alpha Mower" by Brian Black. In a human-free post-apocalyptic future, machines attempt to work through the wreckage of human devastation. It is blackly humorous, and bold in asking the reader to identify with machines as characters. I loved that one of the lawnmowers assigned to a high school had a "Vendetta-mode" setting, demonstrating that there is nothing humans won't make violent. It is also slow to start (like my lawnmower) and overlong.
"A Summer's Night in Tobias" ends the book with a much gentler humor, and uncertainty as to the catalyst of events. It was plain old fun when a small-town party gets out of hand.
Overall this a book with a variety of styles, genres, and voices. There are a fair number of surprises. The reading is not difficult, but the unexpectedness and diversity offer some challenge to the reader. I thought it was worth the time.
These stories are bound by the dark and bitter theme, and by a willingness to step away from conventional story-telling rules. These are stories that often try to involve the reader, in some cases, by following the characters' movement more than the plot's, leaving the reader to consider where the character now resides in their journey, as well as what they might do next.
One of the longer stories in the book is "Alpha Mower" by Brian Black. In a human-free post-apocalyptic future, machines attempt to work through the wreckage of human devastation. It is blackly humorous, and bold in asking the reader to identify with machines as characters. I loved that one of the lawnmowers assigned to a high school had a "Vendetta-mode" setting, demonstrating that there is nothing humans won't make violent. It is also slow to start (like my lawnmower) and overlong.
"A Summer's Night in Tobias" ends the book with a much gentler humor, and uncertainty as to the catalyst of events. It was plain old fun when a small-town party gets out of hand.
Overall this a book with a variety of styles, genres, and voices. There are a fair number of surprises. The reading is not difficult, but the unexpectedness and diversity offer some challenge to the reader. I thought it was worth the time.
July 9, 2019
This was a good book in that each of the stories was different, making it easy to read in the short amount of time that I'm allotted on my commute. Each story used the phrase "dark and bitter" in some way (some when speaking about coffee or tea, but some in more creative ways). The stories ranged from cute to slightly disturbing and covered every genre from mystery to fantasy to horror. If you like variety, you'll like this book.
The best thing about it was the mentions of locales that I recognized (like Catskill) because I'm from the area.
The best thing about it was the mentions of locales that I recognized (like Catskill) because I'm from the area.
August 30, 2020
11 different stories, with different themes, from authors in the 518 area code, all using the phrase “dark and bitter“ in some way (about coffee or tea, about murky waters, and so on). The stories range from humorous to scary in different styles and genres (mystery, crime, fantasy, horror, scifi). When I first tried to read this book, I didn't start with the first story but with one at random and I was a bit unlucky landing on one that was not very good so I put the book aside for a long time. This time I read it from cover to cover in order and overall I think it was good, a couple stories were in fact great, a couple others not so much but overall good.
January 4, 2018
Dark & Bitter, Pub 518's debut anthology collection, is an eclectic mix of short stories across several genres. What connects them is the theme of "dark and bitter." I enjoyed reading how each of the anthology's eleven authors incorporated the theme into their stories. It was an added layer of anticipation for me - what type of story would I find next and where would the theme come into play?
The anthology showcases some great talent in the 518 area code, located in upstate New York, and even got me out of my typical reading genres a couple of times. Overall, it was a fun read.
The anthology showcases some great talent in the 518 area code, located in upstate New York, and even got me out of my typical reading genres a couple of times. Overall, it was a fun read.
March 31, 2019
I picked up this book because I’m in the 518 area code:) Nice collection of diverse stories. It was fun to see local places mentioned. I was not very fond of the first or last story in the collection but loved everything in between. So don’t be deterred if one story isn’t to your liking. Keep reading.
April 5, 2018
I loved this book. The best way to get to know someone is to read the books they love. Unless of course you can read their own work! This was an entertaining book.
February 24, 2019
The best collection from 518 Publishing yet!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2021
Great collection of short stories!
February 24, 2018
Quick up front notice: I helped back this anthology on Kickstarter. My review is not biased or obligatory. If you’re looking to help out an author or two, try checking out the publishing section on Kickstarter, you might find something you like there!
Dark & Bitter is an anthology of eleven different works, all with a similar theme (which you can safely guess from the title). Stories included in this anthology are; The Grind by Rachel Crawford, What Waits in Quiet Places by Rosanne Braslow, The Bracelet by SJ Garman, The Intruder by San T Willis, Victory by Andy Lee, Passing by Sandy Brewster, Noir by Jaz Johnson, Over-Extraction by Shannon Yseuly, Being Colette by Shan Jeniah Burton, Alpha Mower by Brian Black, and A Summer’s Night in Tobias by Lizette Strait.
Dark & Bitter may have the same theme, but I believe there’s something for everyone here. Each author’s writing style is unique, and has their own leaning. Some I would consider to be more young adult, others darker, and some closer to the paranormal or fantasy realms. It makes it the perfect collection for anyone looking for a bit of variety in their lives.
Like any anthology out there, I feel like I always find one or two stories that are really just standout, that connect to (or intrigue) me the most. In this case I found myself absolutely loving What Waits in Quiet Places and Being Colette. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the others, of course, those two just happened to be my favorites.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Dark & Bitter is an anthology of eleven different works, all with a similar theme (which you can safely guess from the title). Stories included in this anthology are; The Grind by Rachel Crawford, What Waits in Quiet Places by Rosanne Braslow, The Bracelet by SJ Garman, The Intruder by San T Willis, Victory by Andy Lee, Passing by Sandy Brewster, Noir by Jaz Johnson, Over-Extraction by Shannon Yseuly, Being Colette by Shan Jeniah Burton, Alpha Mower by Brian Black, and A Summer’s Night in Tobias by Lizette Strait.
Dark & Bitter may have the same theme, but I believe there’s something for everyone here. Each author’s writing style is unique, and has their own leaning. Some I would consider to be more young adult, others darker, and some closer to the paranormal or fantasy realms. It makes it the perfect collection for anyone looking for a bit of variety in their lives.
Like any anthology out there, I feel like I always find one or two stories that are really just standout, that connect to (or intrigue) me the most. In this case I found myself absolutely loving What Waits in Quiet Places and Being Colette. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the others, of course, those two just happened to be my favorites.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews