Status Updates From The Map of Lost Places: Sto...

YOU HAVE EATEN OF OUR SALT by FATIMA TAQVI is a story of a grandmother raising her grandson. She has visions of his death and salt. Salt is her job to gather it where a sea once was. The story was okay. The ending was okay. The story had some good language. 3 out of 5

THE PROMISED VOID by DIMITRA NIKOLAIDOU is a story about a woman compelled to come to a place looking for a mural in her dreams. But when she arrives there is no mural. She feels faint and is injured in the fall. She wakes in a place of healing, or is it. The body hoor was good. The imagery was terrifying. I could have used a little more background to connect more to the character. A strong 4 out of 5.

Some readers could feel lost it is a lot of history about the hollow. The end is good and one you totally see coming. I like Brian Keene and it was the reason I picked up this book. I was interested in the history already. I give this story a low 5 out of 5.

NOTES TOWARDS A HISTORY OF LEHORN’S HOLLOW by BRIAN KEENE is a history of the hollow feature in his novels Dark Hollow and Ghost Walk. It also discusses short story on the hollow. The story connects to his Labyrinth series as well. The story is told in journal form and interview form. The story is long but flowed. I know Keene's works and was entertained. I feel like new readers will be interested.

THE DEATH OF BLACK FATIMA MUHAMMED AWAL AHMED is a story of djinns and enslavement. The djinns used to free then started helping the white man, who saw their power and wanted to enslave it. Fatima is a djinn but they make her bath with black soap to hid it, until she becomes sick with the power and visions. The story had beautiful language. But bounced all over the place and hard to follow. The ending was good. 3

IN NOBODY’S DEBT by JENNY ROWE is a story about Nathan worried about his missing brother Marty. Marty usually hangs out in warm South America, but his last video has him to cold Sweden. Nathan travels to Sweden to find out. He meets people that have seen him but seem to not know him. A woman Frega bring him to the lake and he hears the same song on his brother's video. The story is predictable but well told. 4

CODEWALKER by G.M. PANICCIA is a story in the future. Where a gamer wants to play games that feel real. There used to me games that could kill you they were so real. He finds a set of games that feel so real, he starts messing with it exposing the flaws. The game resets and player life does to where he can't tell where the game ends. Great ending, very effective. Slow at the start 4 out of 5. Best 4 star story.

CHUCKLE WET, CHUCKLE LOW by R.L. MEZA is a story about a mother teaching her son about a sacrifice and what it will provide. The story is great with a few twist and turns. This is the first story I would want expanded. There's plenty of room and the story left it open. I like that the story is told in two perspectives the mother and the sonOne of the best in this collection. I rated it 5 out of 5.

INVITING THE HOLLOW BONES by OCTAVIA CADE is a story about what it takes to be a legend. The story is more philosophical in nature, until the end. I love the ending of the story. But the way the story was took me a while to understand. I actually read it twice. It is the shortest story so far. I think the story idea is good, and the twist at the end. I rated it 3 out of 5

THE (LOST) TRIBE OF ISHMAEL by MAURICE BROADDUS is a historical/cosmic horror. The follows a student doing a dissertation on a free black community in Indiana in 1860 that disappeared. The tensions in the past echo today as the town wants to get gentrified. The cosmic element came a little out of know where but it worked. The story good but a little slow. I rated it 4 out of 5.

DEVELOPMENT/ HELL by SAMIT BASU is a story about a woman that keeps getting trapped in different bodies about to die from different creatures. The character rolls with it at first, then fights it and finally questions it. The ending is up for interpretation but I have a good idea what is going on. The story flows well and had some good twists. There's a nice bit of humor. I rated it 4 out of 5.

WHEN I COWBOY IN PUUWAAWAA by FERDISON CAYETANO is about a Hawaiian cowboy that is in Wyoming for a rodeo competition. He can't seem to cowboy the way he did in Hawaii. He gives up but finds his spirit animal on the way back. The story is a bit confusing to what is real and what is not. It took me a while to figure out what was going on. The story was unique. I did not like the ending. 3 out of 5.

Salt by K.S. Walker is a ghost story about a black family moving to Michigan from Alabama. The imagery was very well done. The dialogue was great the way it nailed the southern dialect. I like what salt represented in the story. The story was decent but a bit slow. The ending was crazy but good. I rated it 4 out of 5.

A Realm Alive After Dusk by Ai Jiang is a story of a concubine and enoch who are brother and sister and work for the emperor. They scheme to get more power and find it in death, with a clever twist. The story was well written, beautifully described, and clever. One of my favorites. The story was historical fiction with ghost. I rated it 5 out 5.

All Praise the Durians by Joshua Lim is the best story so it is well paced and focused. The story is about a lover of durian ,the spikey fruit. He tries the best durian he has ever tasted but lies about it to win a bet. Before the bet he swore to Bota who blesses the durians that he would not lie. Later he finds out there is a deal, and it might just take his life. 5 out 5. I've been waiting for a story to wow me.

I think this story won't be for everyone, and I wish it was more clear. But, I think the story mostly worked for what the author set out. I rated it low 4 out of 5.

Place of Lost Stories by Rick Larson is about fleshing out a story. Flesh meaning both to sift and skin. In this story they're the same thing. The plot is a big metaphor writing a bare bones story. Some parts of story you keep and some parts you kill. I liked the horror elements, and were bummed we only get glimpses. This story has the most promise. The ending was okay. It confirmed the events were in the head

Three Ways to Break You by Beth Dawkins is about a town that you can not leave, unless you successfully, lie, cheat, and steal. It is a metaphor for the only way you can escape where you from is to be a horrible person. I enjoyed this story up until the end, I don't understand why it was so quickly escalated, with out due cause. But I do like how she is still in the same place at the beginning. A low 4 out of 5.

The Salt is a story about the end of the world and the start of a new one. The book leans heavily into the Old Testament text. The story Lot and how his wife turned m Sodom and was turned into salt. The story was very slow and hard to get into. The ending was the best part of the story and pays off some of the long setup. I rate it a low 3 out of 5.

The present day story was okay, the sexual assault seemed a little out of nowhere. I would have wanted to see one more scene before it where he tried something. Or it could be that the sprits wanted the same fate. I did like this story it was my favorite so far. I rate it a high 3 out of 5

Silverheels is a ghost story. It starts out with girl getting out of a tent in the middle of a graveyard of a ghost town. She hears a violin being played in the distance. Then we jump back in time when a stagecoach arrives and a young violin player arrives. The story parallels the two stories, with the ghost trying to protect the girl from a similar fate. The story had a good idea, I liked the flashbacks.

Hulderhola is a story that takes place in Norway. The story is about a legendary magical creature called the Hulder. Think of a forest neff. The Hulder is beautiful and naked. She can marry you, she can defend you, and she can destroy you. I loved the folklore of the Hulder. I liked the ending it was a little too vague, but I think I figured it out. This story flowed very well. 3.9 out of 5

This Side of Living is about a distant cousin visits her family in KwaNtuthu which means the place of smoke. She meets every cousin but one who is missing. Her diary is found and they learn a legend of the place if you do not leave before you turn 17 you will remain forever in the town. She starts hearing screaming everyday at 3:00 towards the woods. I liked parts of the story I enjoyed the lore. 3 out of 5

The end was okay, but it felt rushed and it did not have to be. I felt the dialogue was to similar, especially the men. I could not tell them apart. This story has potential but on the end just did not like it. 2.3 out of 5

Blood in Coldwater is a long short story about a man that wants to get revenge on a town that he almost drowned in when he was 12. The story started way too fast. Within the first page we learn about the drowning, the revenge, and the town buried beneath the lake. For such a long short story it could have taken its time. The best parts are when the story slows.

The story started very strong and had my attention. The end was okay. It is vague. I think it was about making a monster with self doubt. I do feel the story in an allegory to divination and card reading. I wish this story nailed the ending. 3.4 out of 5.

Girlboss in Wonderland,USA is about a girl that comes up short with her tickets for a prize makes a deal with the woman behind the counter. The girl keeps returning throughout the years, but the price for the prizes increases. The prizes are now succeeding in sports and getting a promotion but what she has to give up increases. It started off innocent with an eyelash and now it is a piece of her liver and an ovary.