Slash-Her

by Janine Pipe, Cynthia Pelayo, Laurel Hightower

21 women from across the world came together to evoke their inner Lizzie Borden and re-invent the slasher. Some embrace the tropes; others rip them to shreds. These powerful tales are provocative, contemporary and need to be told. Featuring own voices, you will discover the pen is mightier than the machete.
Serial killers, revenge, lust and even the supernatural are just some of the elements in SLASH-HER.
Like the authors, these stories are strong.

They are bloody and they pack a punch.
Are you ready?

“It's a book the horror community needs and deserves to have - a love story to us horror nerds and to our beloved horror genre.” Kelli Maroney – Chopping Mall

“It’s got the blood, it’s got the guts, it’s got the heart and it’s got truckloads of here’s 21 stories for the slasher fan, all written by slasher fans.” Stephen Graham Jones – The Last Final Girl and My Heart is a Chainsaw

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Feminism

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Trading a police badge for a pen, Janine cites her life-long love of horror as the catalyst for creating crazy and creepy stories. She also writes non-fiction with Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers released in 2022 and The Making of The Descent coming 21st August 2025.
Janine is an independent filmmaker having directed 4 short films combining her love of action and real life experience from policing.
She is a script editor and director for hire and also a film journalist with FILM HOUNDS.

Reviews

[Rachel the Page-Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slasher horror anthology, completely written by women, sounded right up my alley. After getting my hands on the ARC, I had a feeling that I’d love this book, and I wasn’t wrong! Gory, gruesome and full of girl power, this was definitely one for me.

1. THE GRUKKEN – Sarah Budd
Here we go - the book is off with a bang! This was a very short story about a mother’s revenge after her son is bullied. Don’t mess with a mama bear (or wolf); you’ll lose every time. 3.5/5

2. YOU’RE DYING UP THERE – Somer Canon
I’ve been Twitter/Instagram friends with Somer for years, so I can’t believe this is the first time I’m reading her writing! I loved this story about horrific things happening in your classic ‘90s coffee shop. My only complaint is that I wanted more … more killing. Think of all the wannabe beatnik poets we could’ve been saved from. 4/5

3. HOW TO POSE THE DEAD – Holly Rae Garcia
When a photographer reaches her limit, a Karen gets what she deserves. This is an anthem to all who have to deal with the nightmare of the public, and a very well-written story. 4.5/5

4. HOOKING UP – Laurel Hightower
Some men are so gross, and this is another well-written story of a woman who’s had enough of the typical bar-scene guy. This reminded me a little of the movie “Promising Young Woman”, which I also loved. 4/5

5. PREDATOR – Sarah Jane Huntington
If “Mean Girls” ended not with a trust fall, but murder, you’d have something close to this story. Sometimes people just aren’t nice, and they need to go! Gossiping bitches, line up… 3.5/5

6. THE COLLECTOR – R. J. Joseph
Sex so good that it can kill … this wasn’t one of my favorites in this anthology, but it was a decent story. 3/5

7. #THEVACATIONERS – Kenzie Jennings
This one, I didn’t care for too much. The plot was loose, as was the writing. I could almost see where it took a wrong turn, and it never really recovered. 2/5

8. PRO KNIFE – Vivian Kasley
As the title would suggest, this one is about abortion, but overall it’s about people who think they have the right to judge and bully others. I was pumping my fist with this one! It’s so nice when a bully gets what’s coming. 5/5

9. LEFTY – Mai Kil
Wow! I’m not sure this man’s crime was worth the punishment, but he definitely got his. This had a slight YA feel, which negatively affected my rating. 3/5

10. LEGEND OF THE NAMELESS ISLAND – Red Lagoe
Another story with a YA feel … it’s just not my style. I’m not big on ghost stories either, but this was well-written. 2.5/5

11. BUS STOP – Julia C. Lewis
The apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree, especially when it comes to bullies. When some little brats hurt her child and the other moms laugh, one mother gets her revenge… 4/5

12. CAMP HARMONY – Anne M. Marble
A classic slasher camp story, with a little twist. Nothing special, but still decent. 3/5

13. TUPPERWARE PARTY – Villimey Mist
This is one of the funnier stories in the book. Tupperware parties are so boring - but not this one! You definitely don’t take advantage of a woman’s hospitality, then sleep with her husband. (It’s a cautionary tale, really.) 5/5

14. RAILROAD – Briana Morgan
A short story about revenge - quick, but neat. There wasn’t much to this one. 3/5

15. THE TOE SCENE (EXTRACT - THE MUDER GIRLS) – Christine Morgan
Most of the stories in this anthology are about revenge, and this one is, too. I’m not sure what this guy did to deserve it, and I wish that subject was broached, but that was my only complaint. I’m sure it was something! 4/5

16. THE BUTCHER ON BLUE JAY WAY – Haley Newlin
Let me just say, putting a slash-a-thon story into the setting of a butcher shop was a fantastic idea. That’s about as gross as it gets for me! 4/5

17. I HATE SLASHERS – Cynthia Pelayo
This was one of the better-written stories in this book, with a very clever style. Who doesn’t hate influencers and the perfection they try to shove down our throats? #blessed 4/5

18. THE CRIMSON BRIDE – Mocha Pennington
This has a totally different feel than the rest of the stories in this book, as it’s about a black transgender woman. A woman is a woman is a woman though, and we all know what a woman scorned can be like… 4/5

19. A HELPING HAND FROM PETER PAN – Stephanie Rabig
A little YA, but it’s about a 12-year-old ghost who “helps” people in her own way. I wouldn’t have minded this being longer; it was a good premise! 3.5/5

20. THE ONE WHO WON – Ali Seay
This is one of the longer stories in the book, and it was a good, gory tale of revenge. 3.5/5

21. SPELLBOUND – Antonia Rachel Ward
I love when anthologies end on a high note! Amusement parks are creepy. Amusement parks at night are creepier. Amusement parks at night with a killer loose … the creepiest. 4/5

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology. It’s rare to see so many female horror writers at once, and each author brought something fresh and original to the table. There will always be a couple of stories that aren’t to your taste in anthologies, but I only gave one story a two-star rating, so that says something about the quality of this one. Four stars, and I strongly recommend this to my horror gals out there!

(Thank you so much to Janine Pipe and Kandisha Press for the ARC!)

[Emily Lorié · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology features over twenty slasher-themed stories written by incredibly talented female authors. It includes stories about relatable women across the board: mothers determined to protect their children at any cost, girlfriends/friends seeking vengeance, serial killers, final girls, and so much more. All the best horror tropes were covered in this compilation in my humble opinion.

I was absolutely blown away by the talent oozing from this collection. I enjoyed every single story and would have a hard time picking favorites. These women pulled at my heartstrings, rattled my nerves, evoked emotions typically reserved for real-life scenarios, and made my stomach churn at times.

This is, by far, my absolute favorite anthology. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!

🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

[Austrian Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Slash-her through Mother Horror, Sadie Hartmann, who was kind enough to forward a copy to me in return for an honest opinion and review. My thanks to both her and the editors of the book, Janine Pipe and Jill Girardi for the review copy.

Slash her, as one can glean from the title, is a compilation of slasher tales. Primarily with female protagonists, and also primarily from the perspective of the slasher. I have to say, before going into the book, that I’m not a genre fan – slashers in movies aren’t really my thing, I think the visceral fear of being chased by another person whose sole intent is that I die, is traumatic. The violence is generally not justified, or at worse, not understandable. The logic is absent (in films) – it appears like mindless violence, obsessive hate.

The justification for that violence is key, paramount to the telling of the tale, and that key factor is where most of the writers in the anthology spend their talents. A lot of the answers the writers came up with were similar in theme – revenge violence – a previous wrong – a score to settle. Others went in a totally new direction – A helping hand from Peter Panby Stephanie Rabig was a welcome respite, a boy ghost helping people commit atrocities they would never have considered – what a nice guy – all the while not knowing or understanding the horror he inflicted. Great perspective.

Cynthia Pelayo’s I hate slashers was another highlight, a comment on social media and slashers alike, divorcing the reader from the violence and almost making me sympathize with the standpoint that killing social media influencers was a noble cause. Ali Seay’s The one who won was wonderfully constructed, whilst it was – again – a story of revenge killing, the reveal of each individual’s crime in the original killing was slowly protracted from the story, to make each killing stand out against the others.

The butcher on the blue jay way by Hayley Newlin and The toe scene from Christine Morgan were both well done, though the latter was an extract from a longer work. Well written enough that I will be checking out both of their longer work, Take your turn Teddy has been patiently waiting on my kindle since I fell in love with its cover on release day – Ladies, I’m coming for you both. February, I hope.

Briana Morgan also provided a cracker for the anthology, I loved Railroad – very good, Briana. Villemey Mist provided a killing spree at a Tupperware party, the violence sudden and unexpected, almost comical in the setting, I wish we could have had a few jokes about the blood wiping right off the Tupperware – see how versatile it is? Nevertheless – again – a change of pace that made the gore somehow more palatable.

Stand out a story in the collection was You’re dying up there from Somer Canon. The prose was outstanding. The perspective is a delight, the construction of the story is magnificent. Somer, you’ve gone to the top of my list of Authors to check out. I loved the voice, the mood, the straight no-nonsense description of the violence, but the storytelling took the prize. The Anthology shined, but this elevated it all, and as the second story in the book, really whetted my appetite right at the beginning.

I have to say that I had reservations at the beginning of the book – there was a run of straight-up revenge-porn-gore-slasher shorts that touched on some sensitive side themes, there was sex, religion, straight-up gore. I made notes like “Splatterpunk – gore galore” or “Well written, but gore heavy” for example, and that’s going to turn some readers onto the book, and others away, but in all honesty, you know what you are buying from the name of the anthology alone.

I’m giving this a 4 out of 5 ⭐ ‘s, due to those stories I singled out that either put a signature spin on the genre or whose individual voices spoke to me. This book is brutal, gory, but intelligent, witty, and full of heart. I’d recommend reading the stories individually, one a night, just before you go to bed. Spread them out, enjoy them individually.

[Nina The Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Jessica Barlowe didn’t set out that morning with the intention of killing six people, but sometimes there’s just so much bullshit a woman can take before she starts itchin’ to give a little of it back.”

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Honestly hell hath no fury like a woman….period. This anthology was such a fun and gory way to spend my #WomenInHorror Month and if you are someone who loves reading about vengeance and violence at the hands of women, you’ll probably enjoy the hell out of this book!

I loved diving into stories from indie horror authors I’ve been reading for a while, as well as being introduced to new authors and getting a feel for their literary voice. This is a mixed bag of stories that are brutal, bloody, stomach-churning, and, at times, even darkly humorous! From hook-ups gone wrong to resilient Final Girls to vengeful mothers/wives/girlfriends/brides! All readers will come away with a handful of grisly favorites.

Some of my personal favorites included:

-The Toe Scene by Christina Morgan
-I Hate Slashers by Cynthia Pelayo
-You’re Dying Up There by Somer Canon
-The Crimson Bride by Mocha Pennington
-Tupperware Party by Villimey Mist
-Lefty by Mai Kil
-Pro Knife by Vivian Kasley
-The Butcher on Blue-Jay Way by Haley Newlin
-How to Pose the Dead by Holly Rae Garcia

Lovers of slashers, anthologies, and an all around gory good time will want to pick this collection up!

(Thank you to Kandisha Press, editors Janine Pipe and Jill Girardi, and author Haley Newlin for my lovely review copy!)

[H.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection features twenty-one new takes on the slasher genre (or, should I say, slasher genre) and creepy cover art by Gemma Amor.

I’ve seen a lot of slasher films, but I haven’t read many books in the slasher category. It’s difficult to translate a subgenre of horror that relies so much on visceral, disturbing images to text, but the authors in Slash-Her succeed. Their stories feature gore and vivid, sometimes disgusting (in the best way!), imagery. This collection is fast-paced and imaginative, and the authors pull no punches. Body horror, torture, and gruesome murder abound.

Slash-Her has specific trigger warnings for each story at the back of the book. I’ve seen a few publications do this recently, and I think it’s an excellent idea because it gives readers the option of checking for content warnings. If you’re more of a fan of quiet horror, all the stories in this gory collection may not be for you, but I’d still encourage you to check the trigger warnings and proceed with caution.

The stories in this anthology are modeled after slasher films, and they play with and against the tropes and conventions of slashers. Some are more straight-forward slashers, whereas others refigure the slasher genre in unexpected ways. For example, in the vast majority of slasher movies, the killer is male. But in this anthology featuring women writers, many of the killers are women. It’s always refreshing to push that boundary, though there were a few stories where I would’ve liked to see a little more of a twist on the gender-flipped killer.

There’s graphic violence consistent with the slasher genre in some of these stories, but I personally didn’t find it as gratuitous or potentially upsetting as the violence in a lot of the slasher films I’ve seen (especially the American ones made in the 70s-80s). This is partially because the implicit (and sometimes explicit) feminist slant of many of these stories directly challenges the way women’s bodies in particular are sexualized and brutalized in slasher films. The majority of slasher films are still written and directed by men, and it’s always refreshing to see these types of stories recentered in the lives and perspectives of women.

I also loved getting insight into the minds and feelings of the killers and victims in many of the stories in this collection. Film is a visual medium, and it’s excellent at showing what happens and how it happens, but in my opinion text is a better medium for showing why something happens and really digging into interiority. In slasher movies, there’s usually some backstory that accounts for the killer’s over-the-top rampage, but it can sometimes feel insufficient. The killer functions more like a force of nature than a person, inexorable and implacable. This can be thrilling to watch, but it doesn’t always translate well to text.

In Slash-Her, many of the killers feel like real people to me. Their motivations and feelings (usually) didn’t excuse their violence, but I appreciated the added depth it brought to the stories. Similarly, the victims and final girls were more complex characters and less one-dimensional in many of these stories than they would’ve been on film.

I enjoy slashers, so I liked all of the stories in this collection, but there were a few gems. Some of my favorites leaned into the weird, humorous, and absurd nature of the slasher, such as “You’re Dying Up There” by Somer Canon, “Tupperware Party” by Villimey Mist, and “Spellbound” by Antonia Rachel Ward. Canon’s story is filled with 90’s nostalgia and features a series of open-mic nights gone horribly wrong. I loved the suburban setting for Mist’s over-the-top slasher which shows that nowhere is safe, and your neighbors can’t be trusted. And Ward’s story, set at an amusement park inside a mall? With a leprechaun mascot? That’s a slasher waiting to happen.

“Legend of the Nameless Island” by Red Lagoe will probably stay with me longest. This story plays with how eager we are to assign roles and label people, especially girls, with a single overarching personality trait. This is a common trope in horror movies, especially in slashers (the jock, the nerd, the virgin, etc.), but it’s also unfortunately true in life, which made the story really resonate with me.

A favorite from an author whom I hadn’t read before was “The Crimson Bride” by Mocha Pennington. Pennington has a really beautiful grasp of language, especially when it comes to depicting anguish and rage. The ending will stay with you!

Some stories in this collection started down a familiar narrative path, but twisted in unexpected and exciting ways, such as “The Collector” by R. J. Joseph. The final story in the anthology, “Spellbound” by Antonia Rachel Ward, also had a slightly unexpected and open ending which worked well as a conclusion for the collection as a whole. Ward’s final girl realizes that she wants to live. This is true of the final girl in any slasher: despite what she suffers, she wants to fight and survive.

Overall, an excellent collection, especially for the slasher fan!

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

SLASH-HER: A Women of Horror Anthology edited by Janine Pipe and Jill Girardi is a collection of hard-hitting tales by an amazing group of horror writers! Buckle up before diving into this one as these women have brought darkness and brutality to the table in full bloody force.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the one and only, Mother Horror, thanks to her wonderful newsletter that allows readers to snag a copy. This did not affect my rating in any way.

As for the heavy topics I mentioned before, the final edition of this book will have a list of content warnings for each story at the back of the book. I would definitely recommend checking those out before diving head-first into the tales if you have any sensitivities. I personally had one story that was triggering to me for two different reasons that left me in a bit of a dark place afterward.

That being said, I had a blast reading this collection! The range of stories here was incredible, and I loved that the central theme that tied them all together was the bloody and horrific slasher tropes. For some of the tales, they started out so sweet that when things went sideways, they still caught me off guard even though I know what I had signed up for going in. What fun!

My favorite tales from this collection include:

YOU’RE DYING UP THERE – Somer Canon
HOW TO POSE THE DEAD – Holly Rae Garcia
TUPPERWARE PARTY – Villemey Mist
THE BUTCHER ON BLUE JAY WAY – Haley Newlin
A HELPING HAND FROM PETER PAN – Stephanie Rabig
THE ONE WHO WON – Ali Seay

If you’re a fan of slashers, this is certainly an anthology to keep an eye out for! SLASH-HER is expected to launch from Kandisha Press in March 2022.

More here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...

[Michael Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of slasher-style stories, all written by female authors. I was kindly given an early copy for an advance review by one of the authors, and I devoured this book over the span of several days.

If you are a fan of the slasher genre, this book deserves to be next on your TBR list. All of these stories are bloody and violent and intimate. Some of them felt intensely personal, with themes of revenge and frustration being common among them. There were some very creative and disturbing methods of inflicting pain and death within these stories, full of descriptions that made me cringe and squeamish in the best of ways.

Female voices are overshadowed in the horror genre, and that really needs to change. There are some truly fantastic stories in this collection, and I urge you to get a copy for yourself when it releases next month.

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing anthology! SO many fun stories and talented writers came together to tell stories about my favorite subgenre! More to come, but I know soooo many people who will devour and love this one... and THAT COVER by the always-invredible Gemma Amor is everything! Get on this!

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mother protects her son no matter what the cost. A photographer gets her revenge. These and many more stories to give you chills by very talented authors await. Heart pounding read.

[D.K. Hundt · Rating 5 out of 5]

SLASH-HER – WOMEN OF HORROR ANTHOLOGY – Twenty-One Short Stories

‘It is also dedicated to all those iconic women out there kicking-ass…’ – LOVE THIS!

‘21 women from across the world came together to evoke their inner Lizzie Borden and re-invent the slasher. Some embrace the tropes; others rip them to shreds. These powerful tales are provocative, contemporary and need to be told.’

Edited by Janine Pipe and Jill Girardi

The following are a list of my favorites:

‘THE GRUKKEN’ – by Sarah Budd

‘[T]he Estate was built around the beating hungry heart of Grukken woods. Sealing it in where it was left undisturbed.’

‘With time the forest had grown over the paths until everywhere was protected with Nature’s thorns and spikes.’

‘YOU’RE DYING UP THERE’ – by Somer Canon – Love This One!

‘In the grand scheme of things, when one considers all of the ways that employment in this great country of ours can easily turn into absolute shit, I have to admit that the Beat n’ Bean was a pretty good job. Well, I mean, until…’

‘HOW TO POSE THE DEAD’ – by Holly Rae Garcia

‘[I]f you wanted a unique shot, you needed a unique perspective, an angle most other people didn’t get.’

‘HOOKING UP’ – by Laurel Hightower

‘“Has anyone ever told you, you’re beautiful?”’

‘His tone tells me he expects me to blush and modestly declaim. His expression is earnest, his mouth curved in a half-smile, his eyes soulful like he thinks he’s Jordan Catalano.’ – Love!


‘PREDATOR’ – by Sarah Jane Huntington

‘It’s true that a person can only resist their true nature for so long until the mask slips.’

‘THE COLLECTOR’ – by R. J. Joseph – Whoa!

‘They’d fallen into step with one another one evening at the beginning of fall term and now that the holidays were around the corner, Tanita wanted more from the afro wearing dude who made her heart flutter with the low timbre of his voice and particular choice of sparse conversation. The less he said, the more she wanted to know about him.’

‘#THEVACATIONERS’ – by Kenzie Jennings – Love That Ending!
‘If it’s peace and quiet you’re looking for, our condo community boasts soundproof walls and blackout curtains in every condominium so that you can relax after a day of fun on the beach.’

‘PRO KNIFE’ – by Vivian Kasley – My Heart!

‘Melinda pummeled the pillows on her bed with her fists, then paced the floor of her bedroom. She reminded herself again that she was only eighteen years old and had her whole life ahead of her.’

‘LEFTY’ – by Mai Kil – Dark. So Very VERY Dark.

‘Sam’s back pocket was buzzing again. She pulled the phone out and buried it in the bottom of her backpack, letting the call go to voicemail, along with the rest…’

‘LEGEND OF THE NAMELESS ISLAND’ – by Red Lagoe – That Was Good!

‘It’s easier to brand a girl with a label, burning flesh and scarring her for life, rather than trying to get to know her. Truth is, most people don’t care to see beyond a single character trait.’

‘BUS STOP’ – by Julia C. Lewis

‘They say doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results is insanity. But what happens if you don’t have a choice?’

‘TUPPERWARE PARTY’ – by Villemey Mist – That Was Good!

‘The time of the party was upon them. No kids in the way. None of those high shrieks that made anyone grind their teeth and wish they’d just drown in the summer pool. No one had time for that…’

‘RAILROAD’ – by Briana Morgan – My Heart!

‘An alert chimes from the phone’s speaker…The countdown app flashes confetti and rainbows accompanied by trumpets. It’s time.’

‘THE BUTCHER ON BLUE JAY WAY’ – by Haley Newlin – That Was Good!

‘HATE SLASHERS’ – Cynthia Pelayo – That Was Good!

‘We are here to rid ourselves, free ourselves from all of these manipulative people. You asked for a way, and you were open to all of my suggestions, and each of you has delivered. I know...’

‘THE CRIMSON BRIDE’ – Mocha Pennington – There’s a glitch in my copy, and I wasn't able to read this one.

‘A HELPING HAND FROM PETER PAN’ – by Stephanie Rabig

‘THE ONE WHO WON’ – by Ali Seay – That Was Good!

‘SPELLBOUND’ – by Antonia Rachel Ward -That Was Good!

Thank you Sadie Hartmann and Kandisha Press, for providing me with an eBook of SLASH-HER at the request of an Honest Review.

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I have a story in this collection. My review is for the rest of the tales in this book and excludes my own story.
I read the majority of this in one sitting, I just couldn't get enough. Horror, particularly slashers, tends to be a male-dominated world. Each of the fierce women in this anthology has proven repeatedly that that should not be the case. They more than hold their own and in my opinion, reach the sky with their exceptional talent.
There is something for everyone here, psychological slashers, gore, thrills, revenge, deep emotions, fury, rage, and so on. It's wonderful and truly something amazing to read.
I get tired of weak female characters, always falling over and walking straight into the paths of killers, screaming, and generally being portrayed as a cliche. This book proves we have bigger balls than our male counterparts and we are seriously not to be messed with.
Special mention to Janine Pipe for putting together such a fantastic anthology. It's brutal, stunning, full of depth, and truly wild.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a must read for the celebration of women in Horror month. Lots of powerful stories written by powerful female indie authors. I love to support this amazing community. I was given a digital copy for review.

Some of my favorites:

The Grukken by Sara Budd was a folk-horror story mixed with vengeance. A mother, feeling unable to protect her young son from pain and bullying; summons a monster from folklore.

I’m an avid Airbnb user so #Vacationers by Kenzie Jennings was frightening. You always wonder who stayed there before you, are the hosts actually serial killers? Maybe I’m the only one who thinks that…I liked the feminist kick to this story. Girls who find they share the same “hobbies” and form a group of killers. But can you really trust a murderer?

Nothing is more vicious than a group of girls, especially a group of three. Legend of the Nameless Island by Red Lagoe was brutal and gory with lots of isolation horror and some revenge thrown in.

The Butcher on Blue Jay Way by Haley Newlin will stick with me a long time. A group of sex workers, friends and mothers are being threatened and murdered by an unknown stalker. What really got to me is the main character who was just trying to get home to her daughters. She couldn’t turn down a free meal for her children. Sad and moving but with lots of horror and blood.

Such awesome slasher stories! If you like horror and slasher horror in particular get this anthology for sure!

[S.J. Townend · Rating 5 out of 5]

After an excessively long Christmas holiday season cooped up inside with extended family, this fine collection of female-lead slash-tastic stories was precisely the escapism I needed (I guess that says a little something about me *awkward fidget*. I promise I've never slashed anything more sentient than an ex's Jaguar tyre).

What an amazing energy vent this anthology from Kandisha Press (@JaninePipe28 and @Jill_Girardi) is with its murderous, vengeful ghosts, seemingly unsuccessful witches, broken-hearted lovers, blood-filled slashing frenzies, super un-heroes, payback queens, and quiet, thoughtful (and unthoughtful) slaughterings—there’s a slasher story for everyone in this collection.

If you like horror, you won’t be disappointed, although, I believe in honesty (except where car tyres are concerned, that's our little secret, okay?) so I'll put this out there: Slash-Her is definitely not a collection for the feint hearted. It's pretty graphic.

Most of the tales involve strong (and, being honest again, largely rather unhinged) lead characters taking down enemies with sharp, shining blades, resulting in bucket loads of blood, splatterings of vomit and intestines, and a rather high body count. Great stuff. Exactly what it says on the tin. Might want to eat your dinner first before turning to page one though.

I loved every story (not a dud amongst them) and read the whole book from start to end in two sittings. It makes for a well-received change to have the tables spun, with the women delivering the torture and the fatal injuries—in the fictional world, of course. Girl Power. In the words of the majestic Spice Girls: I wanna slash, I wanna slash, I wanna slash, I wanna slash, I wanna slash, I wanna slash, I wanna slash-a, slash-ahhhhhhhhh!
Ahem. Sorry about that.

My personal favourites include:

Hooking Up by Laurel Hightower—Lovely mid-way twist that kept me guessing. Also, written with elegance.

Predator by Sarah Jane Huntington—I worked as an estate agent. For about a month. Need I say any more? Loved it!

Pro Knife by Vivian Kasley—a woman should always have the right to choose. Such an important message in this story.

Lefty by Mai Kil—A great twist, well-developed characters.

Spellbound by Antonia Ward—I used to be a ‘witch’ in my teens (didn’t we all?) and I’ve always been scared of roller-coasters so this story spooked me up a treat.

The Crimson Bride by Mocha Pennington—Wow. Personal fave. This story is exquisitely written and the emotional pain expressed through the prose really sang to my heart. Hauntingly beautiful, and also,—spoiler alert,—a BRUTAL finish. I'll definitely be checking out more stories from MP.

I did have slight reservations before starting the book that a collection of female-lead slasher stories might become a little samey, but there was so much diversity and creativity in this anthology (of course there is, it's written by gals, why did I ever doubt), the common thread of death-by-blade really didn't bore at all. All twenty-one stories totally 'cut' the mustard (sorry). It really was one of my favourite anthologies of 2021. (You know you're going to get top notch horror when you read something put together by Kandisha Press though, don't you?)

If you're after a punchy, fresh, bloody, murderous collection, support women in horror. Buy and enjoy this book. Highly recommended.

[Janine Pipe]

I am obviously hugely biased as I chose these stories but I truly believe each and every author is amazing and each story deserves to be in the world for people to read.

[Ola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I start? First off, this was an extremely pleasurable experience. All 21 stories hold their own merit and bring great substance to the written slasher genre. Every story had something to take away from it, all while centering women’s and transwomen’s own voices. It was such fun delving into one my favorite horror subgenres 21 different times but with a little bit of a twist - this time us women are doing the killing. I’m obsessed with the final girl trope, and all these stories spun that trope and threw it out the window in the best way! we are the slashHERS. 🔪🩸
#womenofhorror


My favorites of the lot were - How to Pose The Dead by Holly Rae Garcia, Pro Knife by Vivian Kasley, Legend of the Nameless Island by Red Lagoe, Hooking Up by Laurel Hightower, Tupperware Party by Villimey Mist, The Butcher on Blue Jay Way by Haley Newlin, I Hate Slashers by Cynthia Pelayo, Spellbound by Antonia Rachel Ward. Even the ones that didn’t make it to my favorites list were still extremely fun and rewarding to read; I just cannot list them ALL as my favorites. Or can I? Here’s to slashin’!

[Jesse Bollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is very rare to find an anthology that is perfect. Most anthologies are mixed bags, some stories are great while others fall on the wayside. Sometimes you find an anthology with only one or two stories that you truly enjoy. I can honestly say though, that this is a perfect anthology. Every story was unique and special in its own way. I loved every single story. Reading this book was a sheer pleasure and joy. Not only did I find some great new authors from reading these, my nightmares will be haunted with some of the images they invoked.

[Hanna Newlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun and wicked read! Each story was very unique and satisfied all of my SLASHER cravings.

With a touch of feminism, blood, and guts SLASH - HER is sure to excite any horror fan.

A few of my favorites include:

🔪Pro Knife

🔪Legend of the Nameless Island

🔪 Tupperware Party

🔪The Butcher on Blue Jay Way

[Jude Walko · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some great horror stories from a lot of different women voices.

You are pretty much guaranteed to find quite a few to your liking. It's pretty easily digestible as well, as it is an anthology and any one given story isn't too long, meaning there are lots of pausing points. Even so, the entire novel was a fairly fast read.

My favorite story by far was "The Crimson Bride" that just seemed to be superbly written, and in a class all of its own. "The Collector" probably being one of the more disturbing and "The Butcher on Blue Jay Way" racking up the nostalgia points.

"Pro-Knife" and "The Tupperware Party" greatly cathartic for the "Karens" of the world, and "I Hate Slashers" full of cutting edge parody dripping in sarcasm (see what I did there).

All in all something for everyone and a firm reminder, DO NOT piss off the women in your life =)

[Annabelle Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!! Thrills, blood spills and dangerous ladies. Some of these stories were dark, some a little humorous and some violent. I liked them alot all but ultimately Tupperware party, Predator and Legend of the nameless island were my favorites. GET THIS or regret it!!

[Doug Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slasher - a horror movie, especially one in which victims (typically women or teenagers) are slashed with knives and razors. Oxford Online Dictionary

I love the fact that horror is such a big tent encompassing so many different types of work. This anthology is a great example of the slasher movie genre put to paper by some of today’s most talented writers, all of whom happen to be female.

This book is not for the squeamish. The blood flows from every page, and a couple of these stories are brutally dark, but true to the slasher genre, these are all stories of revenge and justice brought about by the victims of abuse and mistreatment. Do they over-react? Well of course, but that’s the fun, right?

The stories are as varied as the authors who wrote them, and while not every story was my favorite, these are all quality stories that are worth the read.

I particularly enjoyed Hooking Up by Laurel Hightower, Legend of the Nameless Island by Red Lagoe, Railroad by Briana Morgan, and The One Who Won by Ali Seay.

Overall, this is an excellent anthology of slasher horror by Kandisha Press, featuring some truly exceptional and talented modern day horror writers.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Benito Corral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kandisha Press is a women owned, independent horror press that since 2020 has put out the stellar Women Of Horror anthology series. Each volume has been a must read. And with the ongoing success of the series, Kandisha Press has become an indie publisher that readers can trust will put out phenomenal, wonderfully curated work by the baddest women working in horror today.

And the hits just keep on coming with the latest offering from Kandisha: SLASH-HER, a new anthology that explores the classic genre trope of (duh) the slasher.

I F**KING LOVED THIS BOOK!

SLASH-HER is practically perfect in every way. And I'll admit to having some concern that the stories would eventually be too similar as my reading went on, but NO. Each of the authors managed to put a unique spin on their tales that kept me turning page after page.

This book is the unicorn of anthologies, where often times the collections can be a mixed bag. Not SLASH-HER! Each story is absolutely top shelf. My favorites did include:

HOW TO POSE THE DEAD by Holly Rae Garcia

TUPPERWARE PARTY by Villimey Mist

THE BUTCHER ON BLUE JAY WAY by Haley Newlin

I HATE SLASHERS by Cynthia Pelayo

BUY THIS BOOK! The women have really brought their A game to the table and this new volume of horror from Kandisha Press is not to be missed.

[Daniplx · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 bloody stars to Slash-Her, An Anthology of Women in Horror-a fantastic last read for Women in Horror Month!
🔪
This is a gory, fun, and blood soaked anthology with stories by some fantastic women authors. I loved how the stories didn’t follow the typical slasher tropes, but played with them and added many layers to the genre. The women in these pages are complicated, dark, good, evil, predator and prey; you don’t always root for them, but you end up understanding many of them-and maybe that’s the scariest part of all.
🔪
My favourite stories were:
-How to Pose The Dead by Holly Rae Garcia
-Legend of the Nameless Island by Red Lagoe
-Bus Stop by Julia C. Lewis
-I Hate Slashers by Cynthia Pelayo (my favourite of the collection and probably one of my all time favourite horror short stories)
The One Who Won by Ali Seay (also one of my new all time favourites).
🔪
As with many anthologies the stories were hit and miss for me, but overall I really enjoyed many of them.
🔪
If you enjoy slashers I would definitely recommend picking this one up, you’re bound to find at least a couple of stories that give you chills and some that are just pure fun!

[Mario Guslandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is exactly what the title promises: an anthology of violent horror, splatter and gore. Not for the squeamish, obviously.
If you like graphic horror this is the book for you.
If you prefer more subtle, disturbing atmospheres, creepy hints leaving a lot to the reader’s own imagination, you won’t find many reasons for rejoicing.
I will simply mention three stories which, whatever your inclination and your taste , do stand out as well accomplished, well told pieces of dark fiction.
“ Hooking Up” by Laurel Hightower, very effective tale of graphic horror where predator and prey keep exchanging roles; “ The Collector” by RJ Joseph, an intoxicating mix of sex and violence told in a steady ,vivid narrative style;
“ Pro- Knife” by Vivian Kasley , a strong story where a young woman takes revenge on the pro-life supporters who had harassed her on the day of her abortion.

[Christina B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
•
Spoiler Free Review
•
Women in horror are more than prototypical final girls and Slash-Her proves that in a variety of gory, graphic, and dark ways🔪
•
While all the stories are bloody and violent (especially to eyes 👀), they vary in tone and emotion so there’s something here for every horror fan. Like most collections, every story wasn’t for me but I enjoyed many and a few stood out as favorites: Hooking Up by Laurel Hightower, The Toe Scene (Extract - The Murder Girls) by Christine Morgan, The Butcher on Blue Jay Way by Haley Newlin, The Crimson Bride by Mocha Pennington, and The One Who Won by Ali Seay.
•
I appreciate the copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[LuAnn]

I received the new Kandisha Press anthology as an ARC from Mother Horror. This is a nice collection to have on hand to scratch an itch for fantasy revenge, and general female angst, often due to societal constructs. Standouts for me were the shorts by Laurel Hightower and Ali Seay. Wishing much success to this collection upon its release!

[Wyrd Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies are some of my favorites to read in the horror genre. At its core, every horror story has its start at a group of people huddling in the dark, telling stories about the terrors that await them in the great unknown. Anthologies often represent that same dynamic in the form of modern publishing. Their biggest drawback, however, can be variation in quality. It’s simply a danger in the form itself: not every story is going to be a showstopper. It takes very careful editing to create an anthology with few dips.

Sadly, Slash-Her: An Anthology of Women in Horror has this all too-common problem. While this anthology collection boasts quite a few great stories, there do manage to be enough more lackluster entries to make it a mixed experience.

Read the rest of the review here.

[Norman Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no other book that I can think of that I could think of that was the perfect ending to Women in Horror Month. I love slasher stories and there were 21 very good slasher stories by a hell of a lot of great female writers. My three favorite stories were "You're Dying up there," by Somer Canon, "Hooking Up," by Laurel Hightower and "The Butcher on Bluejay Way" by Haley Newlin, but I really enjoyed every story.

[Matt Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an awesome collection! So many great stories. So many different takes on slashers. Several of these would make for excellent slasher flicks.

[Kelly Brocklehurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Haley Newlin for an advanced reader's copy of this book!

SLASH-HER is an anthology of slashers written by women. I love slashers, so it was right up my alley. I hadn't read most of the authors featured in this book before, and this was a great introduction to them. My favorite stories were Hooking Up by Laurel Hightower, Railroad by Briana Morgan, The Butcher on Blue Jay Way by Haley Newlin, and I Hate Slashers by Cynthia Pelayo.

There were two stories that I absolutely hated and should not have continued reading - not because they were bad, but because they were my least favorite kind of horror story. This was a completely personal preference and me knowing my limits but reading those stories anyway. This is not a reflection on the writing quality of those stories.

Overall, this is a solid, fun collection.

[Wendy Dalrymple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slash-Herrific!

I loved this anthology just as I anticipated I would. Lots of familiar names and new names for me to discover too. Hooking Up and The Tupperware Party were my favorite!