(Just before posting this review, I discovered that this book is currently free until Halloween! If this book looks good to you, click here . Promo coupon: DA68M)
When I saw this come up for review, I grabbed it. I've always had a fondness for anthologies and this one did not disappoint. The theme of this collection is dusk. "...dusk is the time between the light and the dark. A time between times." These tales are loosely connected by that thread. There's a nice introduction by Jack Ketchum and that made me excited to continue. Speaking of which-I'm not going to mention and rate every story, I'm going to briefly talk about the tales that stood out for me.
Shadows of the Lonely Dead by Alan Baxter: I enjoyed this tale of a hospice worker; it reminded me of John Coffey from The Green Mile. 3.5*
A Woman of Disrepute by Icy Sedgwick: This was a gothic style story with a Jack the Ripper feel. I thought this one ROCKED. 4.5*
Burning by Rayne Hall: I normally dislike tales with lessons to be learned, but I liked this one quite a bit. It didn't shy away from the ugliness-it presented it all in its horrible glory. 4.*
Ministry of Outrage by Chris Limb: This story was wildly imaginative and I loved it. 5*
Reasons to Kill by J.C. Michael: I've read a ton of vampire tales in my time, but this one stood out just the same. I loved the idea of vampire nests. Okay, not totally original, I know, -but this nest and these vampires are a bit different than the norm. 4*
Digging Deep by Ramsey Campbell: A story about being buried alive. 'Nuff said. 5*
Hope Is Here by Karen Runge: "THE SUNSHINE GROUP: WE ARE HERE TO MAKE THE WORLD A CLEAN AND HAPPY PLACE!" This was another favorite of mine. Sadly, it doesn't feel like it's too far out of the realm of possibility at times. 5*
Would To God That We Were There by Tom Dullemond: Another story about a psycho in space. It worked for me. 4*
Negatives by Wendy Hammer: A cool tale about an abandoned amusement park with a secret. 4*
Fit Camp by Shane McKenzie: My friends have been urging me to read more from this guy. After reading this crazy story about a kid at fat camp and his great decision that went bad, I'll be doing just that. 4.5*
Quarter Turn To Dawn by Sarah Read: I don't even know what to say, this story was messed up. A hotel, a volcano and people turning into...? 4*
The Way of All Flesh by Angela Slatter: A turn the tables type of story. I enjoyed it. 4*
Overall, this was an enjoyable collection. I especially liked that there was a good number of contributions from female authors and they were GOOD. I will be tracking down to read more from these authors in the future. Recommended to fans of anthologies featuring a wide variety of stories and authors.
Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this anthology to honestly review for www.Horrorafterdark.com and this is it.
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