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Season of the Witch
Put away your childish ideas of brooms and pointy hats, cackling hags and bubbling cauldrons. From the Ashes brings you 19 tales of olde, and new alike, about witches and autumn. Potions are brewing and hexes are flying within these pages so gather under the harvest moon and prepare yourself to embrace the SEASON OF THE WITCH. Featuring fiction Barend Nieuwstraten III, Linley B. Marcum, Brian McNatt, Zaslow Crane, Rebecca Rowland, Robert J. Stava, Matthew Gorman, Deborah A. Coldiron, Colt Skinner, M Ennenbach, Sidney Shiv, London Blue, M. J. McClymont, M. Betterelli, Stephanie Scissom, RJ Roles, Leon Saul, D.A. Latham, James D. Balestrieri
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
432 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2022
65 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 7, 2023
Ever thought to yourself, 'Hey, there's not enough witchy books to satisfy my appetite'? Well worry no more sisters (and brothers)!! Season of the Witch is here to fill that void. Like earthy witches? Creepy witches? Modern witches? Sexy, gore-covered witches? This anthology has 'em all and more. From the beautiful and wholly appropriate foreword, to the very last page, this collection of nineteen spell-binding tales of witchery will captivate the imagination of every reader. There wasn't a dud among the pages but some stand-outs for me include:
1885 by Brian McNatt
The witches Kiss by Robert J. Stava
Lowly creatures by Sidney Shiv
Dark Beira by M.J McClymont
And top of the pile in my opinion was At What Cost? by RJ Roles.
Highly recommend this for any horror fan, especially those with an affinity for witches and the legends that follow them. Fantastic read!
1885 by Brian McNatt
The witches Kiss by Robert J. Stava
Lowly creatures by Sidney Shiv
Dark Beira by M.J McClymont
And top of the pile in my opinion was At What Cost? by RJ Roles.
Highly recommend this for any horror fan, especially those with an affinity for witches and the legends that follow them. Fantastic read!
May 15, 2023
I'm not sure if maybe my expectations were too high or if I'm tapped out on short stories at the moment, but a lot of the stories came across as incomplete or lacking in substance at the exception of one that just seemed too long for what it had to say.
That being said, there were a couple of pretty solid stories too, I was particularly fond of Lunacy by Linley Marcum.
That being said, there were a couple of pretty solid stories too, I was particularly fond of Lunacy by Linley Marcum.
August 21, 2023
Obviously this anthology is all about witches. Unfortunately it’s a subject that is soooo overdone in the horror story world.
None of these stories felt overly horrifying or unique. Some just didn’t feel fully developed due to the short length. A few I found to be a bit of a yawn-fest.
This was an anthology that would be good for anyone who likes more creepy or cozy horror Vs scary/extreme/splatterpunk reads. It may also be a book better read in the autumn or around Halloween so there is more of an accompanying vibe in the reader’s surroundings.
I absolutely adore the cover art and it’s what initially caught my eye.
None of these stories felt overly horrifying or unique. Some just didn’t feel fully developed due to the short length. A few I found to be a bit of a yawn-fest.
This was an anthology that would be good for anyone who likes more creepy or cozy horror Vs scary/extreme/splatterpunk reads. It may also be a book better read in the autumn or around Halloween so there is more of an accompanying vibe in the reader’s surroundings.
I absolutely adore the cover art and it’s what initially caught my eye.
December 27, 2022
Starting right off, the foreword by Natasha Sinclair and Ruthann Jagge will pull you in. It sets the tone for what is to come in the 19 short stories. All of the stories offer a wonderful witchy delight.
The first story, Black Rabbit by Marend Nieuwstraten III, is a fantastic and mesmerizing story. This is one of my favorites. There is a picture at the end of the story.
Lunacy by Linley B. Marcum is a revenge kind of story but so different from other types of revenge stories. Definitely one of the better ones I have read.
The third story, 1885 by Brian McNatt is right up there with Black Rabbit. The writing is amazing and the witch is very relatable. Hehe
Ecoven.org by Zaslow Crane is an okay story. Some witches need to save the town and use their powers to help.
Fifth, Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland is awesome. Gruesome and ghastly, so much fun!!
The Witch’s Kiss by Robert J. Stava is a well written story about magical items that can come to life.
Bobbing For Apples by Matthew Gorman has a plot twist I didn’t see coming! Pretty hard to do with a short story, but it worked well in this one.
The eighth story, Moon Through The Pine Boughs by Deborah A. Coldiron is a lost child type of story. Definitely a magical telling of this trope.
Another favorite of mine, A Room of Emerald And Clear Skies by Colt Skinner. It is such a sad story, but I loved it.
Within A Withering Eye by M. Ennenbach. Holy smokes y’all, this was magical! The writing, the style, the story, is just extraordinary and incredible. I need to read everything Ennenbach has written.
Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv is a different take on a couple going camping. Definitely different from the other types of this kind of story.
The Mud Witch of Dogtown by London Blue is a quick story. It felt a bit rushed at the end but it was still enjoyable to read.
The thirteenth story, Dark Beira by M. J. McClymont is a story of abduction. McClymont is a great story teller.
The Devil in the Dealer by M. Betterelli is an entertaining story about a witch’s creation. Karma is a good word for that story.
The Killing Moon by Stephanie Scissom (not to be confused with the song sung by Echo and the Bunnymen) has a supernatural feel more than the rest of the stories in this book.
The collector of these stories shares a short story with us. At What Cost? by RJ Roles. This is a story told over time. Generations have to deal with a witch.
All Hollow’s Rites by Leon Saul is a Halloween tale of kids finding some mischief.
The eighteenth story, Moonflower Coen by D. A. Latham is definitely the most gruesome of the stories.
And lastly, The Baynes by James D. Balestricri is a love story set during the Civil War.
So all of these stories are fantastic. RJ Roles and Jason Myers has put together a fantastic collection of witchy stories that everyone will enjoy.
The first story, Black Rabbit by Marend Nieuwstraten III, is a fantastic and mesmerizing story. This is one of my favorites. There is a picture at the end of the story.
Lunacy by Linley B. Marcum is a revenge kind of story but so different from other types of revenge stories. Definitely one of the better ones I have read.
The third story, 1885 by Brian McNatt is right up there with Black Rabbit. The writing is amazing and the witch is very relatable. Hehe
Ecoven.org by Zaslow Crane is an okay story. Some witches need to save the town and use their powers to help.
Fifth, Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland is awesome. Gruesome and ghastly, so much fun!!
The Witch’s Kiss by Robert J. Stava is a well written story about magical items that can come to life.
Bobbing For Apples by Matthew Gorman has a plot twist I didn’t see coming! Pretty hard to do with a short story, but it worked well in this one.
The eighth story, Moon Through The Pine Boughs by Deborah A. Coldiron is a lost child type of story. Definitely a magical telling of this trope.
Another favorite of mine, A Room of Emerald And Clear Skies by Colt Skinner. It is such a sad story, but I loved it.
Within A Withering Eye by M. Ennenbach. Holy smokes y’all, this was magical! The writing, the style, the story, is just extraordinary and incredible. I need to read everything Ennenbach has written.
Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv is a different take on a couple going camping. Definitely different from the other types of this kind of story.
The Mud Witch of Dogtown by London Blue is a quick story. It felt a bit rushed at the end but it was still enjoyable to read.
The thirteenth story, Dark Beira by M. J. McClymont is a story of abduction. McClymont is a great story teller.
The Devil in the Dealer by M. Betterelli is an entertaining story about a witch’s creation. Karma is a good word for that story.
The Killing Moon by Stephanie Scissom (not to be confused with the song sung by Echo and the Bunnymen) has a supernatural feel more than the rest of the stories in this book.
The collector of these stories shares a short story with us. At What Cost? by RJ Roles. This is a story told over time. Generations have to deal with a witch.
All Hollow’s Rites by Leon Saul is a Halloween tale of kids finding some mischief.
The eighteenth story, Moonflower Coen by D. A. Latham is definitely the most gruesome of the stories.
And lastly, The Baynes by James D. Balestricri is a love story set during the Civil War.
So all of these stories are fantastic. RJ Roles and Jason Myers has put together a fantastic collection of witchy stories that everyone will enjoy.
June 27, 2023
I love a good themed anthology. It's always so interesting to see how different authors interpret the prompt. Like any anthology, it's a mixed bag but by and large I enjoyed all the stories.
Black Rabbit by Barend Nieuwstraten III ⭐⭐.5
Lunacy by Linley B. Marcum ⭐⭐⭐.5
1885 by Brian McNatt ⭐⭐⭐⭐
eCoven.org by Zaslow Crane ⭐⭐⭐.5
Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Witch's Kiss by Robert J. Stava
⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Bobbing for Apples by Matthew Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Moon Through the Pine Boughs by Deborah J. Coldiron ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Within A Withering Eye by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mud Witch of Dogtown by London Blue ⭐⭐⭐.75
Dark Beira by M.J. McClymont ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Devil in the Dealer by M. Betterelli ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Killing Moon by Stephanie Scissom ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
At What Cost? by RJ Roles ⭐⭐⭐
All Hallows' Rites by Leon Saul ⭐⭐⭐.5
Moonflower Coven by D.A. Latham ⭐⭐
The Baynes by James D. Balestrieri ⭐⭐⭐.5
Black Rabbit by Barend Nieuwstraten III ⭐⭐.5
Lunacy by Linley B. Marcum ⭐⭐⭐.5
1885 by Brian McNatt ⭐⭐⭐⭐
eCoven.org by Zaslow Crane ⭐⭐⭐.5
Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Witch's Kiss by Robert J. Stava
⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Bobbing for Apples by Matthew Gorman ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Moon Through the Pine Boughs by Deborah J. Coldiron ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Within A Withering Eye by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mud Witch of Dogtown by London Blue ⭐⭐⭐.75
Dark Beira by M.J. McClymont ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Devil in the Dealer by M. Betterelli ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Killing Moon by Stephanie Scissom ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
At What Cost? by RJ Roles ⭐⭐⭐
All Hallows' Rites by Leon Saul ⭐⭐⭐.5
Moonflower Coven by D.A. Latham ⭐⭐
The Baynes by James D. Balestrieri ⭐⭐⭐.5
July 15, 2023
Loved this one! So many good stories by some amazing authors!
August 23, 2023
Just ok for me
Normally I'm excited to read an anthology because unlike a full length book, if one story isn't to my liking I can anticipate finding one that I really enjoy to counterbalance it. Unfortunately if the anthology is thematic and the theme isn't something I like, it's like a salmon swimming upstream. That's kind of what this book was. From the start I felt doomed. Although there were stories that I enjoyed, none of them were redemptive for me (save one). It was just a lost cause because I don't care for stories about witches, monsters, goblins, demons, none of that. If I find a story that I actually like that covers any of that, it's a delight for me. Sadly this book was unable to meet that criteria. On a positive note, I'm sure for people that like stories about witches this is probably perfect because the stories are well written, just not my cuppa.
Two noteworthy stories for me were A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies. It was an emotional story but so good and I probably liked it because witchcraft didn't play a huge part in the story itself. On the other hand Within a Withering Eye just about did me in with the rhyming demon. Good grief! I could have gone my whole life without that nonsense. Was it relevant to the story that the demon spoke in rhyme?
Normally I'm excited to read an anthology because unlike a full length book, if one story isn't to my liking I can anticipate finding one that I really enjoy to counterbalance it. Unfortunately if the anthology is thematic and the theme isn't something I like, it's like a salmon swimming upstream. That's kind of what this book was. From the start I felt doomed. Although there were stories that I enjoyed, none of them were redemptive for me (save one). It was just a lost cause because I don't care for stories about witches, monsters, goblins, demons, none of that. If I find a story that I actually like that covers any of that, it's a delight for me. Sadly this book was unable to meet that criteria. On a positive note, I'm sure for people that like stories about witches this is probably perfect because the stories are well written, just not my cuppa.
Two noteworthy stories for me were A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies. It was an emotional story but so good and I probably liked it because witchcraft didn't play a huge part in the story itself. On the other hand Within a Withering Eye just about did me in with the rhyming demon. Good grief! I could have gone my whole life without that nonsense. Was it relevant to the story that the demon spoke in rhyme?
May 24, 2023
A really solid collection with a lot of variety. Like any anthology, there are stories that are going to play better with specific readers and some not as much. Here are some of my favorites from this collection:
Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland: This one is the most fun I had. Reminiscent of some of the more shlocky early King stories in Night Shift or Skeleton Crew.
A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner: The biggest emotional gut punch of the collection.
Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv: This is the one that spooked me the most. Maybe it's most relatable to me as a Virginia resident that spends a lot of time hiking in the mountains being described here. Will definitely have me checking over my shoulder the next time I hit the trails.
Moonflower Coven by D.A. Latham: My first story by Donna, and wow, what a gore drenched blast.
All in all, there's a lot to enjoy here and I would recommend picking this collection up!
Crash Course in Brain Surgery by Rebecca Rowland: This one is the most fun I had. Reminiscent of some of the more shlocky early King stories in Night Shift or Skeleton Crew.
A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner: The biggest emotional gut punch of the collection.
Lowly Creatures by Sidney Shiv: This is the one that spooked me the most. Maybe it's most relatable to me as a Virginia resident that spends a lot of time hiking in the mountains being described here. Will definitely have me checking over my shoulder the next time I hit the trails.
Moonflower Coven by D.A. Latham: My first story by Donna, and wow, what a gore drenched blast.
All in all, there's a lot to enjoy here and I would recommend picking this collection up!
September 4, 2023
Its so hard to rate short story collections. I'm going to go ahead and rate it five stars because I loved most of the stories. My three favorites are:
Moon Through the Pine Boughs by Deborah A. Coldiron. (fabulous name)
A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner
Within a Withering Eye by M. Ennenbach
Bobbing for Apples by Mathew Gorman, although I need to say that there is no such thing as a crochet needle. It would have to be crochet hook or knitting needle.
I also loved At What Cost? By RJ Roles. I would love to see it expanded upon into a novella or a full length novel.
A special shout out to Moonflower Coven by DA Latham for making me puke in my mouth.
Moon Through the Pine Boughs by Deborah A. Coldiron. (fabulous name)
A Room of Emerald and Clear Skies by Colt Skinner
Within a Withering Eye by M. Ennenbach
Bobbing for Apples by Mathew Gorman, although I need to say that there is no such thing as a crochet needle. It would have to be crochet hook or knitting needle.
I also loved At What Cost? By RJ Roles. I would love to see it expanded upon into a novella or a full length novel.
A special shout out to Moonflower Coven by DA Latham for making me puke in my mouth.
June 25, 2023
BOH Indie Brawl.... Witches witches and then more witches.... If the topic is witches, there's probably a story about it in this book. A couple of my faves were about a witch trying to appear youthful, an Internet coven of witches saving a town, a hilarious story about rowdy teens bobbing for apples, and a caregiver that was with a group of friends that used to tease a witch.... If you dig witches, you'd enjoy how each author in every story has a different writing voice, keeping the reading 'fresh',.
July 8, 2023
Witch stories aren’t really my thing so I was hesitant going in to a whole compilation of witch horror stories. Man, I’m so glad to say that I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. The stories are all about 20-30 pages and I thoroughly enjoyed all but 2 of them. That’s really hard for a collection to achieve no matter what the subject but I kept getting hooked after the first page of nearly all of these stories and really enjoyed the ride. 4.6⭐️
July 22, 2023
This anthology on witches was nice to read in between my other ongoing books. Giving this 3 stars but for me unfortunately it is edging a bit more towards 2.5 stars. There were some good stories in there that I enjoyed, but I found the majority didn't really draw me in, and some were even a slog to get through despite being so short. Still-- if you like witch stories, it's definitely worth checking out. Plus this book cover is absolutely stunning.
July 28, 2023
I'm not a huge fan of witch stories as I find them too similar so I wasn't overly looking forward to this book crammed full of witch tales.
Surprisingly they are all very different and offer something new and fresh in a number of cases. A true witch fan would love this, as that's not me I can comfortably say this is a solid 3.75 rounded to 4*.
Surprisingly they are all very different and offer something new and fresh in a number of cases. A true witch fan would love this, as that's not me I can comfortably say this is a solid 3.75 rounded to 4*.
August 1, 2023
There were a lot of stories here. A lot of good stories with several different types of witches. Some I cared for more than others.
I especially enjoyed the stories written from the witch's point of view. There was even one with a male witch.
Great for the Halloween season, or any time you want to read a short story about something witchy.
I especially enjoyed the stories written from the witch's point of view. There was even one with a male witch.
Great for the Halloween season, or any time you want to read a short story about something witchy.
July 22, 2023
amazing!
This is a fantastic collection of short stories about witches. Usually, with collections, I like some and dislike others. I thoroughly enjoyed every single story in this book!
This is a fantastic collection of short stories about witches. Usually, with collections, I like some and dislike others. I thoroughly enjoyed every single story in this book!
September 7, 2023
I wanted to like this book, I really did but I had to DNF it. I read a little over half of it and that was struggle alone… I’m sorry for those who did enjoy it but there are just so many ways you can tell a witch story before they become boring. It’s a no for me
September 14, 2023
There are so many amazing witchy stories to be found in this Anthology. As a witch myself I enjoyed these stories so much! And the Foreword at the beginning was so heartfelt!
Perfect book for autumn/spooky months.
Perfect book for autumn/spooky months.
September 19, 2023
I don't read many anthologies at all, but I'm thinking I need to change that. Perfect fall reading. The title and cover art pulled me in and the stories kept me flipping those pages. Really enjoyed this.
May 1, 2023
While I didn’t love every story I’d say I loved a good 95% of them! That is really rare for me with anthologies so I’d call this one a win!
May 10, 2023
can’t go wrong with witches
I loved reading all the stories and different peoples takes on witches. I really enjoyed the historical fiction ones but they were all great
I loved reading all the stories and different peoples takes on witches. I really enjoyed the historical fiction ones but they were all great
May 28, 2023
It might just be that my expectations were too high with this one. Most of the stories felt incomplete or lacking something.
July 2, 2023
I loved this book and reading all the different stories about witches. Highly recommend!
July 19, 2023
I definitely enjoy the different stories in this book!!!!!
July 30, 2023
Freaky
This book will be great for Halloween. I didn't find a story I didn't like.
Moonflower Coven is very disturbing lol.
This book will be great for Halloween. I didn't find a story I didn't like.
Moonflower Coven is very disturbing lol.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews