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Elements of Horror Book One: Earth, is the first in a series of four horror anthologies based on the Elements. Within these pages you will find a variety of stories from some of the best independent horror writers on the scene today, including Theresa Jacobs, R.C. Rumple, David F. Gray, and many more. Fall into sinkholes, brave the tales of witchcraft, grotesque creatures, and demons, and feel the terror of explorations gone wrong.
- GenresHorror
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2019
About the author
Theresa Jacobs
37 books116 followersTheresa believes in magic, fairies, dragons, and ghosts. Yet she trusts science and thinks aliens know too much.
Though she still works full-time, she has published ten books in five years, has been included in many anthologies and has a short film available online.
She champions all things creative because art, in any form, saves our souls.
Though she still works full-time, she has published ten books in five years, has been included in many anthologies and has a short film available online.
She champions all things creative because art, in any form, saves our souls.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 3, 2019
I love reading anthologies because they give me a chance to discover talented writers who I may not have discovered on my own. Some collections feel a bit like rummaging through yard sales, hoping to find a gem or two, but a great anthology is like cracking open a buried treasure chest filled to the brim with delights. Earth, the first in the Elements of Horror anthology series edited by P. J. Blakey-Novis, falls into the great category packed with literary riches. Each of these eleven tales present the reader with unique and frightening circumstances with the element of earth at the centre of their dark hearts.
Meet a grandmother summoning the power of the Earth to curse the man who wronged her granddaughter in “Pro-Death” by Theresa Jacobs. Feel sickening dizziness while standing at the opening of a hungry, deep cavity in “Sinkhole” by Dale Parnell. And, just when you think you’ve clawed your way back to the surface unscathed, “Quake” by P. J. Blakey-Novis will have you realising that once the creatures at the Earth’s centre grab hold of you, they never really let go.
While I enjoyed almost every story in this anthology there were two fantastic standouts: “Mamaw’s Beast” by David F. Gray and “Feed the Earth…It’s Hungry” by R. C. Rumple.
Gray’s story is a faceoff between good and evil as the spirit Mamaw is awakened by the return of her grandson. He’s terrified of the cellar, where the beast once dwelled, but after some impressive turns in the story we learn why he’s truly afraid. This is one of those stories you’ll want to read more than once.
Rumple’s tale takes the reader into a post apocalyptic future where Jason is on night guard duty, protecting a small band of humans against the wildlife reclaiming the Earth. Every twig snap and distant growl puts Jason (and the reader) increasingly on edge. As a long-time fan of the Ecological Horror subgenre, I loved the way “Feed the Earth…It’s Hungry” perfectly captures the human dichotomy of lusting for survival and accepting the inevitability of death.
After reading Elements of Horror Book One: Earth, I’m anxiously awaiting the release of the next three books in this anthology series!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this work by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Meet a grandmother summoning the power of the Earth to curse the man who wronged her granddaughter in “Pro-Death” by Theresa Jacobs. Feel sickening dizziness while standing at the opening of a hungry, deep cavity in “Sinkhole” by Dale Parnell. And, just when you think you’ve clawed your way back to the surface unscathed, “Quake” by P. J. Blakey-Novis will have you realising that once the creatures at the Earth’s centre grab hold of you, they never really let go.
While I enjoyed almost every story in this anthology there were two fantastic standouts: “Mamaw’s Beast” by David F. Gray and “Feed the Earth…It’s Hungry” by R. C. Rumple.
Gray’s story is a faceoff between good and evil as the spirit Mamaw is awakened by the return of her grandson. He’s terrified of the cellar, where the beast once dwelled, but after some impressive turns in the story we learn why he’s truly afraid. This is one of those stories you’ll want to read more than once.
Rumple’s tale takes the reader into a post apocalyptic future where Jason is on night guard duty, protecting a small band of humans against the wildlife reclaiming the Earth. Every twig snap and distant growl puts Jason (and the reader) increasingly on edge. As a long-time fan of the Ecological Horror subgenre, I loved the way “Feed the Earth…It’s Hungry” perfectly captures the human dichotomy of lusting for survival and accepting the inevitability of death.
After reading Elements of Horror Book One: Earth, I’m anxiously awaiting the release of the next three books in this anthology series!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this work by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
October 11, 2019
You dont have to dig deep to find a gem here
It was a pleasure to read this diverse collection of Earth themed stories.
Theresa Jacobs serves us some female justice via the wrath of Mother Nature. What a way to kvk of an anthology.
Jaw D Hawkins leads a group of wayward teens through the London underground. Far too plausible.
Excellent story for Halloween. A reluctant brother takes his “bratty sister” Trick or Treating, where something has more than a sweet tooth. What’s not love about this story?
Darren Callow sends us on a treasure hunt. When an lonely obsessive man stumbles upon the ultimate treasure, one must ask what will be the cost. Really interesting how the past was drawn effortlessly into the story.
RC Rumples takes a post-apocalyptic angle where mutant beasts aren’t the only thing the humans need to fear. I personally wouldn’t blame Her, we are all in notice.
Zachary Ashford brings a Stephen King feel to the lives of three already embattled children. I absolutely loved the dimensional characters in this story.
Reminiscent of “Us” Paul Gray's story of a man returning home and the memory of his dear Mamaw is not without its twists and turn as your drawn down into the cellar.
We go back in time with Nils Vissers story with twin sisters, a valuable stag ornament and a fool. Loved how Vissler iis able to draw us into an ancient setting so vividly within a short story.
Curator of this anthology Mr Blakey-Novis introduces us to a man who goes half way around the world to satisfy his obsession with earthquakes only to come away with more than he bargained for.
Liam Bradley, hooks us with a family fishing trip. Is insanity hereditary or it something else? This story left me wondering.
Dale Parnell tells a story of a man whose mind descends along with his back garden. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the suffocating, fear.
You won't be disappointed with this selection. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
It was a pleasure to read this diverse collection of Earth themed stories.
Theresa Jacobs serves us some female justice via the wrath of Mother Nature. What a way to kvk of an anthology.
Jaw D Hawkins leads a group of wayward teens through the London underground. Far too plausible.
Excellent story for Halloween. A reluctant brother takes his “bratty sister” Trick or Treating, where something has more than a sweet tooth. What’s not love about this story?
Darren Callow sends us on a treasure hunt. When an lonely obsessive man stumbles upon the ultimate treasure, one must ask what will be the cost. Really interesting how the past was drawn effortlessly into the story.
RC Rumples takes a post-apocalyptic angle where mutant beasts aren’t the only thing the humans need to fear. I personally wouldn’t blame Her, we are all in notice.
Zachary Ashford brings a Stephen King feel to the lives of three already embattled children. I absolutely loved the dimensional characters in this story.
Reminiscent of “Us” Paul Gray's story of a man returning home and the memory of his dear Mamaw is not without its twists and turn as your drawn down into the cellar.
We go back in time with Nils Vissers story with twin sisters, a valuable stag ornament and a fool. Loved how Vissler iis able to draw us into an ancient setting so vividly within a short story.
Curator of this anthology Mr Blakey-Novis introduces us to a man who goes half way around the world to satisfy his obsession with earthquakes only to come away with more than he bargained for.
Liam Bradley, hooks us with a family fishing trip. Is insanity hereditary or it something else? This story left me wondering.
Dale Parnell tells a story of a man whose mind descends along with his back garden. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the suffocating, fear.
You won't be disappointed with this selection. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
October 18, 2019
A brilliant collection of stories that all involved the topic of 'earth' in some way or another. Well written stories with all different styles, which kept my interest throughout. I had a few favourites, they are Feed the Earth, Quake, and Sinkhole. I want more from those three... please continue them.
I highly recommend this anthology and I can't wait to start the others... Air is next.
I highly recommend this anthology and I can't wait to start the others... Air is next.
October 30, 2019
Excellent collection of scary stories. Higher caliber than most anthologies.
September 22, 2019
In the interest of being honest, I should state that I have a story featured in this anthology, however I will try to be unbiased in my review.
The great thing about anthologies, and the reason that I read so many of them, is the chance it gives you to try out a lot of different authors quickly. Although this book has a very clear theme (horror stories based around the element 'earth'), it is suprising how varied the intereptations from the different authors are, and what direction they have all taken.
Each story gives you something different, and each voice is unique. From the heartbreak of Theresa Jacobs' "Pro-Death", to the Ancient Roman set "The Cursed Stag" by Nils Visser, there is a vast spectrum of genres within the overal horror genre.
The stand outs for me however are "There is only a hole here now" by Zachary Ashford - a wonderfully written, layered, dramatic piece that looks at the trials of childhood friendships, "Quake" by PJ Blakey-Novis - a great story that seems to be taking you one way and then takes you somewhere a lot creepier, and the excellent "Mamaw's Beast" by David F Gray - which does a fantastic job of suprising the reader.
I am honoured to feature along with so many talented writers, and I cannot wait for the next book in the Elements of Horror series.
The great thing about anthologies, and the reason that I read so many of them, is the chance it gives you to try out a lot of different authors quickly. Although this book has a very clear theme (horror stories based around the element 'earth'), it is suprising how varied the intereptations from the different authors are, and what direction they have all taken.
Each story gives you something different, and each voice is unique. From the heartbreak of Theresa Jacobs' "Pro-Death", to the Ancient Roman set "The Cursed Stag" by Nils Visser, there is a vast spectrum of genres within the overal horror genre.
The stand outs for me however are "There is only a hole here now" by Zachary Ashford - a wonderfully written, layered, dramatic piece that looks at the trials of childhood friendships, "Quake" by PJ Blakey-Novis - a great story that seems to be taking you one way and then takes you somewhere a lot creepier, and the excellent "Mamaw's Beast" by David F Gray - which does a fantastic job of suprising the reader.
I am honoured to feature along with so many talented writers, and I cannot wait for the next book in the Elements of Horror series.
August 14, 2020
This was a particularly good collection of Horror stories by a variety of authors, two of whom I've read before and the others new to me. The theme is Earth, so not surprisingly many of the stories have monsters of some sort, often from underground places, or something else to do with Earth.
One of the stand-out best stories of the collection was written by the editor, Quake by P.J. Blakely-Novis. This bodes well for the standard of the future volumes. Two other exceptional stories, Beneath the City and Mamaw's Beast, put this collection way above par for anthologies I've read.
The other stories were also of high standard. There was only one that left me wondering what actually happened there, the same one that could have used a closer edit. The others were pretty much pristine and there was no godforsaken present tense!
This volume is the first of a four volume series of Horror story collections based on the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire and Water. All are slated for release by the end of 2019 and I plan to collect hard copies of all of them, based on my experience of the first. Air is out on Kindle now and presumably the paperback will follow soon.
One of the stand-out best stories of the collection was written by the editor, Quake by P.J. Blakely-Novis. This bodes well for the standard of the future volumes. Two other exceptional stories, Beneath the City and Mamaw's Beast, put this collection way above par for anthologies I've read.
The other stories were also of high standard. There was only one that left me wondering what actually happened there, the same one that could have used a closer edit. The others were pretty much pristine and there was no godforsaken present tense!
This volume is the first of a four volume series of Horror story collections based on the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire and Water. All are slated for release by the end of 2019 and I plan to collect hard copies of all of them, based on my experience of the first. Air is out on Kindle now and presumably the paperback will follow soon.
January 26, 2022
This is an interesting batch of short horror stories. Some were better than others. Lots of gore, monsters and some unknown factors.
November 7, 2020
As with all short story collections I review, I rate every story out of five, add the scores up and divide by the number of stories to get my overall rating for the anthology. My rating, after all was said and done, turned out to be 3.36 out of 5. Rounded down to a 3.
Please be aware that, due to the short nature of the reviews, mild spoilers may well be present.
With that said, on with the reviews:
Pro-Death by Theresa Jacobs {3 out of 5}
This short, punchy tale of witchcraft and revenge centres around a young girl who has her child aborted by the very doctor who got her pregnant. The writing was good and the descriptions vivid. My main downside was that we were just slapped in the face with the doctor's wrongdoings all at once. It felt a little forced rather than organic. It felt like the author was trying to make us hate the guy in the space of a few short paragraphs. Because of this, it didn't ever really feel like a complete story. More a case of cause and effect with no real attention to storytelling.
Beneath the City by Jaq D. Hawkins {4 out of 5}
For me, this was far stronger than the opener and would have perhaps been a better candidate to open the anthology with. A group of kids go exploring the tunnels beneath London, only to find something far more terrifying than they bargained for. The writing was good and the characters felt well-fleshed out rather than just names on a page. The ending felt a little too open and left me with a 'huh, was that it?' kind of feeling. Were the ending a tad more complete, I'd have been giving this top marks.
Autumn Leaves by Monster Smith {4 out of 5}
What's a monster story unless it's written by an author with 'Monster' as their name, eh? This one was a really well-written piece revolving around a teenager being forced to take his little sister out trick or treating. The author does a great job of making you feel a range of emotions for the characters, a sign of great writing. I see what was being aimed at with the ending, but it just left me feeling incredibly deflated.
King Brokko's Revenge by Darren Callow {1 out of 5}
A treasure hunter, armed with his trusty metal detector, desperately searches for the burial site of the legendary King Brokko. His search takes him far deeper into the earth than he could have fathomed. I really did not enjoy this one due to the writing style. It's incredibly 'tell-orientated' with everything being very matter of fact and literally nothing left to interpretation. I like my mind to roam a little when imagining a scene. With this I felt incredibly constrained. Everything is explained in painful detail with an over-abundance of adjectives and incredibly long sentences. Some of which are five or six lines long. The matter of fact, everything is just so, writing style made it impossible for me to care for anything that was going on.
Feed The Earth ... It's Hungry by R. C. Rumple {3 out of 5}
In this short, we are treated a post-nuclear war Earth where mankind is down to double figures as far as population goes. The mutated fauna of this new Earth is doing its level best to make sure double figures goes down to zero. The idea for this one was a good one, but the lack of character work and overview style of storytelling made it impossible for me to care about the POV character.
There Is Only A Hole There Now by Zachary Ashford {3 out of 5}
This is the tale of a group of kids who find a schoolmate murdered near their treehouse. They see a monster-like being and thereafter begin to experience tragedies. The writing in this one was quite strong but the storytelling less so. Scenes were very short and constantly jumped from scene to scene which just made it feel a bit all over the place and difficult to follow. In each new scene, things just seemed to happen without much preamble, making it very hard to actually care about the people it was happening to. I never really felt like I got to know the characters and, because of this, the end felt weird rather than impactful.
Mawmaw's Beast b David F. Gray {5 out of 5}
This is by far my favourite story in the entire collection, and the only one I gave five stars to. In this one, a young man moves into the home once owned by his now deceased grandmother. He remembers there being a beast within the home, and that beast remembers him. This had everything that a truly great short story needs. It had great writing, great pacing and great character work. It even had a strong ending, something that is notoriously hard to achieve in short fiction (and something the rest of this anthology struggled with). For every story in this anthology I lacked enthusiasm for, I was still happy I picked it up due to to this one.
The Cursed Stag by Nils Visser {4 out 5}
This is, by far, the longest story in the collection. This fact lets the author tell more of a complete story and really give the reader a chance to get to know the world and the characters far better. It is set in Roman times and revolves around the hardship of twin slave sisters. The only real negative I had with this piece was that when the author used a roman word/place name they would then put the English equivalent in brackets. Some people may enjoy that, but for me it just slammed the breaks on and completely ruined the flow of any sentence it was introduced into. One really neat aspect of this story is that, as the post script mentions, it was inspired by Roman remains found in 1936, which is incredibly cool.
Quake by P. J. Blakey-Novis {4 out of 5}
I've read, and enjoyed, a good deal of Blakey-Novis' work in the past so I was expecting good story-telling. Quake is the tale of a young man who is earthquake equivalent of a storm chaser. It tells of the unexpected horrors he finds when he finally gets inside the chasm left by an earthquake. Both the writing and the story concept were fantastic. My only negative is that I just felt the ending was lacking a little something something. Despite that, this is still one of the best stories in this collection as far as I am concerned.
Bad Fishin' by Liam Bradley [3 out of 5}
In this story, a family fishing trip gets off to a bad start when one of the kids starts exhibiting some seriously creepy behaviour. I really enjoyed reading this. Both the writing and concept was good and the creepy vibes from the kids really shone through. The main negative, and it was a big one, was that the creepiness was done so well that, when the time for the pay-off came at the end, it just felt very lacklustre. It felt like nothing was done with the creepiness.
Sinkhole by Dale Parnell {3 out of 5}
Sinkhole is the final tale in this anthology and tells of a man who was awoken by the strange sensation of something unexpected happening within the night. After a short while he discovers an unexplainable sinkhole has appeared in his back yard. The idea was pretty good with this one and I get that something within the hole was exerting some kind of pull over the main character's mind, but that wasn't really shown very well. A lot of what happened could have been passed off as accidental and it wasn't until the end that I was certain of what was happening. A good idea that could have been explained a tad better along the way.
Please be aware that, due to the short nature of the reviews, mild spoilers may well be present.
With that said, on with the reviews:
Pro-Death by Theresa Jacobs {3 out of 5}
This short, punchy tale of witchcraft and revenge centres around a young girl who has her child aborted by the very doctor who got her pregnant. The writing was good and the descriptions vivid. My main downside was that we were just slapped in the face with the doctor's wrongdoings all at once. It felt a little forced rather than organic. It felt like the author was trying to make us hate the guy in the space of a few short paragraphs. Because of this, it didn't ever really feel like a complete story. More a case of cause and effect with no real attention to storytelling.
Beneath the City by Jaq D. Hawkins {4 out of 5}
For me, this was far stronger than the opener and would have perhaps been a better candidate to open the anthology with. A group of kids go exploring the tunnels beneath London, only to find something far more terrifying than they bargained for. The writing was good and the characters felt well-fleshed out rather than just names on a page. The ending felt a little too open and left me with a 'huh, was that it?' kind of feeling. Were the ending a tad more complete, I'd have been giving this top marks.
Autumn Leaves by Monster Smith {4 out of 5}
What's a monster story unless it's written by an author with 'Monster' as their name, eh? This one was a really well-written piece revolving around a teenager being forced to take his little sister out trick or treating. The author does a great job of making you feel a range of emotions for the characters, a sign of great writing. I see what was being aimed at with the ending, but it just left me feeling incredibly deflated.
King Brokko's Revenge by Darren Callow {1 out of 5}
A treasure hunter, armed with his trusty metal detector, desperately searches for the burial site of the legendary King Brokko. His search takes him far deeper into the earth than he could have fathomed. I really did not enjoy this one due to the writing style. It's incredibly 'tell-orientated' with everything being very matter of fact and literally nothing left to interpretation. I like my mind to roam a little when imagining a scene. With this I felt incredibly constrained. Everything is explained in painful detail with an over-abundance of adjectives and incredibly long sentences. Some of which are five or six lines long. The matter of fact, everything is just so, writing style made it impossible for me to care for anything that was going on.
Feed The Earth ... It's Hungry by R. C. Rumple {3 out of 5}
In this short, we are treated a post-nuclear war Earth where mankind is down to double figures as far as population goes. The mutated fauna of this new Earth is doing its level best to make sure double figures goes down to zero. The idea for this one was a good one, but the lack of character work and overview style of storytelling made it impossible for me to care about the POV character.
There Is Only A Hole There Now by Zachary Ashford {3 out of 5}
This is the tale of a group of kids who find a schoolmate murdered near their treehouse. They see a monster-like being and thereafter begin to experience tragedies. The writing in this one was quite strong but the storytelling less so. Scenes were very short and constantly jumped from scene to scene which just made it feel a bit all over the place and difficult to follow. In each new scene, things just seemed to happen without much preamble, making it very hard to actually care about the people it was happening to. I never really felt like I got to know the characters and, because of this, the end felt weird rather than impactful.
Mawmaw's Beast b David F. Gray {5 out of 5}
This is by far my favourite story in the entire collection, and the only one I gave five stars to. In this one, a young man moves into the home once owned by his now deceased grandmother. He remembers there being a beast within the home, and that beast remembers him. This had everything that a truly great short story needs. It had great writing, great pacing and great character work. It even had a strong ending, something that is notoriously hard to achieve in short fiction (and something the rest of this anthology struggled with). For every story in this anthology I lacked enthusiasm for, I was still happy I picked it up due to to this one.
The Cursed Stag by Nils Visser {4 out 5}
This is, by far, the longest story in the collection. This fact lets the author tell more of a complete story and really give the reader a chance to get to know the world and the characters far better. It is set in Roman times and revolves around the hardship of twin slave sisters. The only real negative I had with this piece was that when the author used a roman word/place name they would then put the English equivalent in brackets. Some people may enjoy that, but for me it just slammed the breaks on and completely ruined the flow of any sentence it was introduced into. One really neat aspect of this story is that, as the post script mentions, it was inspired by Roman remains found in 1936, which is incredibly cool.
Quake by P. J. Blakey-Novis {4 out of 5}
I've read, and enjoyed, a good deal of Blakey-Novis' work in the past so I was expecting good story-telling. Quake is the tale of a young man who is earthquake equivalent of a storm chaser. It tells of the unexpected horrors he finds when he finally gets inside the chasm left by an earthquake. Both the writing and the story concept were fantastic. My only negative is that I just felt the ending was lacking a little something something. Despite that, this is still one of the best stories in this collection as far as I am concerned.
Bad Fishin' by Liam Bradley [3 out of 5}
In this story, a family fishing trip gets off to a bad start when one of the kids starts exhibiting some seriously creepy behaviour. I really enjoyed reading this. Both the writing and concept was good and the creepy vibes from the kids really shone through. The main negative, and it was a big one, was that the creepiness was done so well that, when the time for the pay-off came at the end, it just felt very lacklustre. It felt like nothing was done with the creepiness.
Sinkhole by Dale Parnell {3 out of 5}
Sinkhole is the final tale in this anthology and tells of a man who was awoken by the strange sensation of something unexpected happening within the night. After a short while he discovers an unexplainable sinkhole has appeared in his back yard. The idea was pretty good with this one and I get that something within the hole was exerting some kind of pull over the main character's mind, but that wasn't really shown very well. A lot of what happened could have been passed off as accidental and it wasn't until the end that I was certain of what was happening. A good idea that could have been explained a tad better along the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2020
Great collection 💜
I wasn’t sure the length of these stories would work for me, turns out was wrong. Each author did a fantastic job in creeping me out in just a few minutes.
I was pleasantly surprised with this narrator. So many stories and different characters but he did a terrific job.
This is book 1 and can be read as a standalone, as well as each individual story.
If you’re into the Twilight Zone feel, I highly recommend this book/series.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
I wasn’t sure the length of these stories would work for me, turns out was wrong. Each author did a fantastic job in creeping me out in just a few minutes.
I was pleasantly surprised with this narrator. So many stories and different characters but he did a terrific job.
This is book 1 and can be read as a standalone, as well as each individual story.
If you’re into the Twilight Zone feel, I highly recommend this book/series.
Sisters Spotlight 💜
February 26, 2023
this was a great start to the Elements of Horror series, it does what I was hoping for from this type of book. I loved this opening of a elemental horror anthology as it worked so well in this concept. Each story was what I was looking for and the characters were interesting. It left me excited to read the rest of the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Red Cape Reviews and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Red Cape Reviews and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 24, 2020
I’d highly recommend this one. I love the concept and the stories chosen for it were outstanding! Definitely one I’ll be revisiting again soon!
October 14, 2023
Some good stories, some about babies (gross) enjoyed it, I think and it was a little short.
In general I do love a good anthology but as with all of them you get a mixed bag!
In general I do love a good anthology but as with all of them you get a mixed bag!
November 2, 2024
Elements of Horror: Earth Review
By Red Cape Publishing
Authors: Theresa Jacobs, Jaq D. Hawkins, Monster Smith, Daren Callow, R.C. Rumple Zachary Ashford, David F. Gray, Nils Visser, P.J. Blakey-Novis, Liam Bradley, Dale Parnell
Pages:205
Elements of Horror Book One: Earth is the first in a series of four horror anthologies based on the Elements. Within these pages, you will find various stories from some of the best independent horror writers on the scene today, including Theresa Jacobs, R.C. Rumple, David F. Gray, and many more. Fall into sinkholes, brave the tales of witchcraft, grotesque creatures, and demons, and feel the terror of explorations gone wrong.
Well, kids, if your claustrophobia or the dark gives you the Wiggins, then bring a torch as we delve into Earth book one of the Elements of Horror series. I won't lie. The book starts strong with the story Pro-Death. Such a painfully hard story to read at first; you feel so sorry for Tabby. But instantly love old grandma for giving into her protective granny instincts. Theresa did a beautiful job with such a challenging subject and the humour injected in the story is a nice touch. Going through the book, you meet exhilarating and creative uses of the subject Earth. Whether it's underground monsters, hidden chambers or post Apocalypse style stories with a twist like Feed the Earth it's Hungry by RC Rumple. An almost Zoo approach of nature fighting back to reclaim the earth.
Others stick with you more than some, but that is a very rare few. For me, it's all about preference; the ones that didn't have me entangled may have you guys screaming for more. But one story, in particular, comes to mind that grabbed me. It is beautifully planned out and detailed and called The Cursed Stag by Nils Visser. I can't help but applaud the stories intense history use, and I feel as if I was being pulled back in time to the Roman period. The characters were engaging, and I wanted more. It sticks in my mind as a very creative story. It reminds me that Earth is not just dirt it contains buried treasures of the past.
Autumn leaves by Monster Smith is indeed a ‘Monster’ of a story (hehe puns). A simple trick or treat outing went wrong, but the monster wasn't your run of the mill oggie boogie. It had some mystery to it, plus the ending I didn't expect. But I like that the author wasn't afraid to go dark as in Stephen King It dark. Sinkhole by Dale Parnell is eriee as hell and plays really well on peoples fear of the dark and unknown. But if I am honest, if big hole turns up outside my house; I'd probably move. The vibe and atmosphere is spot on for the story, and I liked the main character Kieran up to an obvious point. Swiftly going to my next story, Quake by PJ Blakey-Novis, my fear of small spaces came back with a vengeance after reading this one. Between Quake and Sinkhole, I was a sweating mess with the lights on. Then there was King Brokko’s Revenge by Darren Callow which just highlighted even more for me that Badgers are scary! Not just that, it took a new fresh approach to the treasure hunt story, which I really enjoyed. And that's only to name a few! There is some excellent talent in this book, and well worth a read. The audiobook merely enhances the feeling of dread as you explore what's buried beneath the surface. So remember ghouls be kind to the earth because mother nature can be real nasty if your not 😉
By Red Cape Publishing
Authors: Theresa Jacobs, Jaq D. Hawkins, Monster Smith, Daren Callow, R.C. Rumple Zachary Ashford, David F. Gray, Nils Visser, P.J. Blakey-Novis, Liam Bradley, Dale Parnell
Pages:205
Elements of Horror Book One: Earth is the first in a series of four horror anthologies based on the Elements. Within these pages, you will find various stories from some of the best independent horror writers on the scene today, including Theresa Jacobs, R.C. Rumple, David F. Gray, and many more. Fall into sinkholes, brave the tales of witchcraft, grotesque creatures, and demons, and feel the terror of explorations gone wrong.
Well, kids, if your claustrophobia or the dark gives you the Wiggins, then bring a torch as we delve into Earth book one of the Elements of Horror series. I won't lie. The book starts strong with the story Pro-Death. Such a painfully hard story to read at first; you feel so sorry for Tabby. But instantly love old grandma for giving into her protective granny instincts. Theresa did a beautiful job with such a challenging subject and the humour injected in the story is a nice touch. Going through the book, you meet exhilarating and creative uses of the subject Earth. Whether it's underground monsters, hidden chambers or post Apocalypse style stories with a twist like Feed the Earth it's Hungry by RC Rumple. An almost Zoo approach of nature fighting back to reclaim the earth.
Others stick with you more than some, but that is a very rare few. For me, it's all about preference; the ones that didn't have me entangled may have you guys screaming for more. But one story, in particular, comes to mind that grabbed me. It is beautifully planned out and detailed and called The Cursed Stag by Nils Visser. I can't help but applaud the stories intense history use, and I feel as if I was being pulled back in time to the Roman period. The characters were engaging, and I wanted more. It sticks in my mind as a very creative story. It reminds me that Earth is not just dirt it contains buried treasures of the past.
Autumn leaves by Monster Smith is indeed a ‘Monster’ of a story (hehe puns). A simple trick or treat outing went wrong, but the monster wasn't your run of the mill oggie boogie. It had some mystery to it, plus the ending I didn't expect. But I like that the author wasn't afraid to go dark as in Stephen King It dark. Sinkhole by Dale Parnell is eriee as hell and plays really well on peoples fear of the dark and unknown. But if I am honest, if big hole turns up outside my house; I'd probably move. The vibe and atmosphere is spot on for the story, and I liked the main character Kieran up to an obvious point. Swiftly going to my next story, Quake by PJ Blakey-Novis, my fear of small spaces came back with a vengeance after reading this one. Between Quake and Sinkhole, I was a sweating mess with the lights on. Then there was King Brokko’s Revenge by Darren Callow which just highlighted even more for me that Badgers are scary! Not just that, it took a new fresh approach to the treasure hunt story, which I really enjoyed. And that's only to name a few! There is some excellent talent in this book, and well worth a read. The audiobook merely enhances the feeling of dread as you explore what's buried beneath the surface. So remember ghouls be kind to the earth because mother nature can be real nasty if your not 😉
January 16, 2020
Elements of Horror: Earth is the first in a four book series of anthologies by Red Cape Publishing. Each of the books has a central theme of one of the four elements; Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The stories within each anthology all share a common connection to that element, however loose. The stories found in Earth have amazing range. Here we have stories ranging from lightly creepy, to thought inducing, to downright terrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the collection. Out of 11 stories, I really loved 7 of them. The other four were either just not for me, or I simply enjoyed them. There were no stories that I found to be severely lacking. One thing particularly worth noting is how well edited and put together this anthology is. A significant issue that I run across often with smaller anthologies is a lack of editing and proofreading. There are no issues of that nature to be found here, and I appreciate that.
My Top Three Stories
Feed the Earth… It’s Hungry- R. C. Rumple: Set in a post-apocalyptic nightmare world, we’re dropped in on Jason, the sole night watch of his small group of survivors. As the night goes on, Jason hears strange sounds from just outside the light of the only fire. Clutching his rifle, he flashes between reminiscing about what led him here, and his present suspenseful situation. The expositional world building by Rumple is top notch. He shows us the terrors of the nightmare Jason is living, in small flashes and images. The whole time, he expertly builds the suspense in Jason’s present time. The bulk of the story is expertly crafted suspense, and the ending is a completely brutal blindside.
The Cursed Stag- Nils Visser: This story is set in Sussex in 250 AD. It tells the story of two young slave girls. One is beautiful, and works as a house slave. The other, despite being her twin sister, is disfigured and relegated to working the fields. When a new slave arrives, things get dark quickly. The Cursed Stag is extremely unique and absolutely enthralling. Visser builds a world that I’ve never seen built in a horror story. The attention to detail and depth of the exposition truly paint a picture of the world these girls live in. The story is chock full of tidbits and knowledge about that time period, without seeming purposefully educational. On top of all of that, Visser is able to craft a tale that turns from hopeful, to bleak, to absolutely atrocious.
Sinkhole- Dale Parnell: In the middle of the night, Kieran wakes up suddenly, unsure why. As he is exploring his house to check for trouble, he notices a large sinkhole has appeared in his backyard. Unable to tell why it showed up, or how deep it is, he finds his attention being lost in the darkness of the hole. As the story progresses, Kieran’s obsession over the hole begins to consume him, to a very dark end. The slowly creeping decay of the mind is one of my favorite forms of horror, and Parnell brings home the whole anthology with this piece.
The Elements of Horror: Earth anthology was a very pleasurable, somewhat quick read. I flew through the stories, and they held my attention and kept me turning the pages. Well chosen and well edited, this anthology had some absolute gems. Picking a top three was tough work, with so many solid stories. I will certainly be looking forward to the next anthology in the series.
My Top Three Stories
Feed the Earth… It’s Hungry- R. C. Rumple: Set in a post-apocalyptic nightmare world, we’re dropped in on Jason, the sole night watch of his small group of survivors. As the night goes on, Jason hears strange sounds from just outside the light of the only fire. Clutching his rifle, he flashes between reminiscing about what led him here, and his present suspenseful situation. The expositional world building by Rumple is top notch. He shows us the terrors of the nightmare Jason is living, in small flashes and images. The whole time, he expertly builds the suspense in Jason’s present time. The bulk of the story is expertly crafted suspense, and the ending is a completely brutal blindside.
The Cursed Stag- Nils Visser: This story is set in Sussex in 250 AD. It tells the story of two young slave girls. One is beautiful, and works as a house slave. The other, despite being her twin sister, is disfigured and relegated to working the fields. When a new slave arrives, things get dark quickly. The Cursed Stag is extremely unique and absolutely enthralling. Visser builds a world that I’ve never seen built in a horror story. The attention to detail and depth of the exposition truly paint a picture of the world these girls live in. The story is chock full of tidbits and knowledge about that time period, without seeming purposefully educational. On top of all of that, Visser is able to craft a tale that turns from hopeful, to bleak, to absolutely atrocious.
Sinkhole- Dale Parnell: In the middle of the night, Kieran wakes up suddenly, unsure why. As he is exploring his house to check for trouble, he notices a large sinkhole has appeared in his backyard. Unable to tell why it showed up, or how deep it is, he finds his attention being lost in the darkness of the hole. As the story progresses, Kieran’s obsession over the hole begins to consume him, to a very dark end. The slowly creeping decay of the mind is one of my favorite forms of horror, and Parnell brings home the whole anthology with this piece.
The Elements of Horror: Earth anthology was a very pleasurable, somewhat quick read. I flew through the stories, and they held my attention and kept me turning the pages. Well chosen and well edited, this anthology had some absolute gems. Picking a top three was tough work, with so many solid stories. I will certainly be looking forward to the next anthology in the series.
December 26, 2019
I didnt take to this at all. There were a couple of stories that made no sense at all, a couple that were good and the rest were half decent.
Not sure if it was the topic for this anthology, or maybe the mood i was in when reading but i found it quite a struggle to finish.
That's not to say i won't give the others in the series a go though.
Not sure if it was the topic for this anthology, or maybe the mood i was in when reading but i found it quite a struggle to finish.
That's not to say i won't give the others in the series a go though.
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