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Unfettered Hexes: Queer Tales of Insatiable Darkness
The anthology includes work from:
Rasha Abdulhadi
Sharang Biswas
C.B. Blanchard
Die Booth
Priya Chand
Tania Chen
H.A. Clarke
Kel Coleman
Amelia Fisher
Craig L. Gidney
Diana Hurlburt
Tamara Jerée
Ruth Joffre
Marianne Kirby
L.D. Lewis
Danny Lore
Hanna A. Nirav
Chelsea Obodoechina
Suzan Palumbo
Nicasio Reed
Almah LaVon Rice
Jordan Shiveley
Imani Sims
Cecilia Tan
R.J. Theodore
Elizabeth Twist
The book also includes:
Comics from Grace Fong & Caleb Hosalla
Story games from Mercedes Acosta & Allie Bustion
Art from Matt Spencer & Frances P
and the incredible cover from Robin Ha!
Rasha Abdulhadi
Sharang Biswas
C.B. Blanchard
Die Booth
Priya Chand
Tania Chen
H.A. Clarke
Kel Coleman
Amelia Fisher
Craig L. Gidney
Diana Hurlburt
Tamara Jerée
Ruth Joffre
Marianne Kirby
L.D. Lewis
Danny Lore
Hanna A. Nirav
Chelsea Obodoechina
Suzan Palumbo
Nicasio Reed
Almah LaVon Rice
Jordan Shiveley
Imani Sims
Cecilia Tan
R.J. Theodore
Elizabeth Twist
The book also includes:
Comics from Grace Fong & Caleb Hosalla
Story games from Mercedes Acosta & Allie Bustion
Art from Matt Spencer & Frances P
and the incredible cover from Robin Ha!
442 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2021
7 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 22, 2022
This book is a collection of short stories, comics and game plays that have something in common: queer witchcraft!
I liked some stories way more than others but that's the cool thing with collections. There is something for anyone.
I must admit, I didn't understand some stories at all. But I guess it's also some kind of spell. ;)
I liked some stories way more than others but that's the cool thing with collections. There is something for anyone.
I must admit, I didn't understand some stories at all. But I guess it's also some kind of spell. ;)
September 19, 2022
An excellent collection with a great range of stories in a variety of settings - but with so much delicious queerness and a variety of different magic and witchery. As with all anthologies, I didn't love all the stories, but Unfettered Hexes had an exceptionally high number of stories I really enjoyed! Great stuff.
October 29, 2024
nuance! variety! 16yo me would have relished a book like this :’)
December 30, 2025
"Unfettered Hexes: Queer Tales of Insatiable Darkness," is a collection of short stories, poems, invocations, and even comic strips that between the Queer and the macabre, the Queer and the spooky, the Queer and the Magickal, the Queer and the dark. Edited by dave ring, it has something for everyone, including some super cool sci-fi.
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Mr. ring, as well as some of the other wonderful authors of Neon Hemlock Press, at the most recent FlameCon, this past August, 2025.
Here are the contents, as well as some quick reviews notes on each entry:
"The Underworld as a Heart Meditation," by Imani Sims (a lovely, heart-wrenching poem)
"The Passing of Sinclair Manor, or The House of Magical Negroes," by Danny Lore (one of my number one favorites in this collection)
"Love and Light," by H. A. Clarke (don't let the title fool you; it is quite dark and macabre. Also, another favorite)
"This Deviant Flesh," by Diana Hurlburt (prose, and very enjoyable)
"The Bride," by Suzan Palumbo (another very good one; not quite for the faint at heart, especially if you are scared of inter-species marriages)
"Blood for Blood," by Chelsea Obodoechina (Chelsea Obodoechina has a new fan in me. This story was crazy good)
"FOR CLOSURE," by Tania Chen (some twists and turns I did not expect)
"Excerpts From Various Periodicals Found Within The Foundation of 246B Apex Rd. South," by Jordan Shiveley (technically, a graphic novella; indeed, it is pages of newspaper pages, but prose has been written in some of the "ads." Very clever, and very entertaining, too.)
"To Hell, With Hope," by Die Booth (Die Booth also has a new fan in me, and I very much enjoyed this short story; the twists and turns were quite surprising and enjoyable)
"Transgressions in the Past Tense," by Elizabeth Twist (I love me some time travel, and this time travel also has a Magickal theme)
"Effects of Altitude on the Blood Elevations of Love," by Marianne Kirby (Sci-Fi, super cool, super Magickal, and super enjoyable)
"Before, After, and the Space Between," by Kel Coleman (Necromancy, baby!)
"Undercity Spellwork," by C. B. Blanchard (Witch for hire; and the fact that I read an article earlier today about 2025 being the Year of the Etsy Witch is no coincidence)
"Where the Light Had Been," by Priya Chand (Fantasy with a Witch Queen character. Also, Chand, the writer's surname, is Sanskrit for "Moon." Chrandra Is the Hindu God of the Moon)
"Sutekh: A Breath of Spring," by Sharang Biswas (Ancient Egyptian Magick meets video game technology, and yes, an instant favorite)
"Talalora," by Caleb Hosalla (a very cool comic strip)
"Not Death, Not the Storm," by Tamara Jeree (death, the afterlife, more Ancestral Magick than Necromancy, and so deep and moving, too)
"As the Sea Drinks Our Salt," by Amelia Fisher (Magickal and Witchy pirates)
"The End of the Line," by Grace P. Fong (a very enjoyable comic strip)
"Night of the Erupting Dead," by Almah LaVon Rice (probably the shortest short story but it still packs a punch; African and Indigenous Elementals are the main type of character in this short story, and in spite of the length, very rich and fulfilling of a short story)
"The Witch of Kaa-Iya," by Ruth Joffre (Indigenous Magick and some thrills, chills and suspense thrown in with good measure)
"Sacred Heart," by THE Cecilia Tan (Cecilia Tan. Enough said.)
"Antelope Brothers," by Craig L. Gidney, also known as Craig Laurance Gidney. Fun fact: I met Mr. Gidney at a book event with THE Trebor Healey at the Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, or "The Bureau," for short in Manhattan/NYC. One of my books to read in 2026 is Mr. Gidney's "The Spectral Hue." (oh, and yes, another favorite selection from this collection)
"Dizzy in the Weeds," by L. D. Lewis (Imagine a Magickal Relic Hunter a la Pam Grier's Jackie Brown; I LOVE badass women, especially badass Black women)
"Human Reason," by Nicasio Andres Reed (one of the things I enjoyed most about this short story was the fact that it features Filipino characters. Also, that the Magick in this particular culture is always passed to the women, but this one man is the rarity, having a power his gender is not supposed to have)
"The Trappings of Routine," by Hanna A. Nirav (sometimes, reversing a Hex can be costly, in more ways than one)
"The Coven of TAOS-9," by R J Theodore (another instant favorite; Ley Lines and Magick on a spaceship, near a wormhole. Talk about potent!!)
"The Obstacle Bargainer's Lorica," by Rasha Abdulhadi (a deliciously dark poem)
"Exterior," by Mercedes Acosta and "Hold the Dark," by Allie Bustion (both of them are games, written as short stories. Think of a Queer, dark and Witchy version of "Desperation," by THE Stephen King, as well as its twin novel, "The Regulators," written by the late and great Richard Bachman. The fact that a deck of playing cards is used for "Exterior," and a Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck for "Hold the Dark," was chef's kiss for me).
Incidentally, I have a copy of the "Unfettered Hexes Oracle Deck," which was illustrated by Matt Spencer, a Queer and Trans artist, who also illustrated the book's interior art. And yes, I have used the Oracle Deck already with clients.
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Mr. ring, as well as some of the other wonderful authors of Neon Hemlock Press, at the most recent FlameCon, this past August, 2025.
Here are the contents, as well as some quick reviews notes on each entry:
"The Underworld as a Heart Meditation," by Imani Sims (a lovely, heart-wrenching poem)
"The Passing of Sinclair Manor, or The House of Magical Negroes," by Danny Lore (one of my number one favorites in this collection)
"Love and Light," by H. A. Clarke (don't let the title fool you; it is quite dark and macabre. Also, another favorite)
"This Deviant Flesh," by Diana Hurlburt (prose, and very enjoyable)
"The Bride," by Suzan Palumbo (another very good one; not quite for the faint at heart, especially if you are scared of inter-species marriages)
"Blood for Blood," by Chelsea Obodoechina (Chelsea Obodoechina has a new fan in me. This story was crazy good)
"FOR CLOSURE," by Tania Chen (some twists and turns I did not expect)
"Excerpts From Various Periodicals Found Within The Foundation of 246B Apex Rd. South," by Jordan Shiveley (technically, a graphic novella; indeed, it is pages of newspaper pages, but prose has been written in some of the "ads." Very clever, and very entertaining, too.)
"To Hell, With Hope," by Die Booth (Die Booth also has a new fan in me, and I very much enjoyed this short story; the twists and turns were quite surprising and enjoyable)
"Transgressions in the Past Tense," by Elizabeth Twist (I love me some time travel, and this time travel also has a Magickal theme)
"Effects of Altitude on the Blood Elevations of Love," by Marianne Kirby (Sci-Fi, super cool, super Magickal, and super enjoyable)
"Before, After, and the Space Between," by Kel Coleman (Necromancy, baby!)
"Undercity Spellwork," by C. B. Blanchard (Witch for hire; and the fact that I read an article earlier today about 2025 being the Year of the Etsy Witch is no coincidence)
"Where the Light Had Been," by Priya Chand (Fantasy with a Witch Queen character. Also, Chand, the writer's surname, is Sanskrit for "Moon." Chrandra Is the Hindu God of the Moon)
"Sutekh: A Breath of Spring," by Sharang Biswas (Ancient Egyptian Magick meets video game technology, and yes, an instant favorite)
"Talalora," by Caleb Hosalla (a very cool comic strip)
"Not Death, Not the Storm," by Tamara Jeree (death, the afterlife, more Ancestral Magick than Necromancy, and so deep and moving, too)
"As the Sea Drinks Our Salt," by Amelia Fisher (Magickal and Witchy pirates)
"The End of the Line," by Grace P. Fong (a very enjoyable comic strip)
"Night of the Erupting Dead," by Almah LaVon Rice (probably the shortest short story but it still packs a punch; African and Indigenous Elementals are the main type of character in this short story, and in spite of the length, very rich and fulfilling of a short story)
"The Witch of Kaa-Iya," by Ruth Joffre (Indigenous Magick and some thrills, chills and suspense thrown in with good measure)
"Sacred Heart," by THE Cecilia Tan (Cecilia Tan. Enough said.)
"Antelope Brothers," by Craig L. Gidney, also known as Craig Laurance Gidney. Fun fact: I met Mr. Gidney at a book event with THE Trebor Healey at the Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, or "The Bureau," for short in Manhattan/NYC. One of my books to read in 2026 is Mr. Gidney's "The Spectral Hue." (oh, and yes, another favorite selection from this collection)
"Dizzy in the Weeds," by L. D. Lewis (Imagine a Magickal Relic Hunter a la Pam Grier's Jackie Brown; I LOVE badass women, especially badass Black women)
"Human Reason," by Nicasio Andres Reed (one of the things I enjoyed most about this short story was the fact that it features Filipino characters. Also, that the Magick in this particular culture is always passed to the women, but this one man is the rarity, having a power his gender is not supposed to have)
"The Trappings of Routine," by Hanna A. Nirav (sometimes, reversing a Hex can be costly, in more ways than one)
"The Coven of TAOS-9," by R J Theodore (another instant favorite; Ley Lines and Magick on a spaceship, near a wormhole. Talk about potent!!)
"The Obstacle Bargainer's Lorica," by Rasha Abdulhadi (a deliciously dark poem)
"Exterior," by Mercedes Acosta and "Hold the Dark," by Allie Bustion (both of them are games, written as short stories. Think of a Queer, dark and Witchy version of "Desperation," by THE Stephen King, as well as its twin novel, "The Regulators," written by the late and great Richard Bachman. The fact that a deck of playing cards is used for "Exterior," and a Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck for "Hold the Dark," was chef's kiss for me).
Incidentally, I have a copy of the "Unfettered Hexes Oracle Deck," which was illustrated by Matt Spencer, a Queer and Trans artist, who also illustrated the book's interior art. And yes, I have used the Oracle Deck already with clients.
October 12, 2025
This is a true gem of an anthology.
Diverse authors and varied themes and settings, gorgeous illustrations, a smattering of comics, poems and storytelling games(!) in between the prose, outstanding editing, and most importantly:
stories ranging (IMHO) from good to great to phenomenal.
Seriously, I can't recommend this one enough - it's just that good.
Diverse authors and varied themes and settings, gorgeous illustrations, a smattering of comics, poems and storytelling games(!) in between the prose, outstanding editing, and most importantly:
stories ranging (IMHO) from good to great to phenomenal.
Seriously, I can't recommend this one enough - it's just that good.
December 15, 2021
I'm a little biased, but I also genuinely enjoyed every offering in this collection. Short fiction, poetry, RPGs; mixed-media and comics; gorgeous art and seductive prose; global fantasies, outer-space hijinks, and high-seas stakes--there's truly something for every reader in this anthology.
January 6, 2024
Another absolutely phenomenal anthology of queer SFF/H from neon hemlock -- highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews