I found this to be an unexpectedly powerful group of short stories that were filled with traditional elements of horror, but which seemed to probe deeper into the mind and heart of the reader. This was done, as I explain below, through the use of emotionally charged story telling, all built around gothic themes of horror, death, and love, which were ordered in such a way that the reader is repeatedly pushed into the depths of despair, with just enough light given to catch your breath.
This reading is an emotional roller coaster that explores natural, as well as supernatural, horrors. The lead story PENANCE by Lindsay King-Miller is devastating as it investigates our perceptions of ourselves and those we love. THE LAKE IN WINTER by Emily Cohen, ARBOR HILLS by Deana Lisenby, and LIKE MINDED by Cindy O’Quinn all explore mostly natural events with tragic consequences for the characters and the reader.
Much like The Twilight Zone series often did, these authors take the elements of gothic literature (horror, death, love, romance) and place them in (mostly) un-Gothic settings. These are not necessarily stories set in 1800’s cathedrals filled with priests and vampires. These are stories filled with gloom and mystery and perfect unhappily-ever-after endings. MERCY by Catherine McCarthy, A KINDNESS OF RAVENS by April Yates, AN ENDLESS KIND OF NOTHING by Alexis DuBon, and HENRY by Mo Moshaty are prime examples of story telling that fills the reader with dread and then reveals the depths into which the characters have tumbled, sometimes completely unaware until it is too late to change course.
The last piece of the puzzle that makes this such an excellent anthology is the quality and ordering of the stories. This anthology is truly a greatest hits album of gothic short stories. There were things that I loved about every story. Naturally some impacted me more than others, but this is a quality collection. Given that Alex Woodroe had a great foundation, she went further in arranging the stories in a way that leaves the reader breathless. As I made my way through the tales, I felt as if someone was holding my head under water and then briefly letting me catch my breath before plunging me into the depths again. And this group finishes strong. There is no filler to be found.
In short, if you are looking for horror that will break your heart and then hastily put you back together so that it can break your heart again (maybe suffocating you as well this time), look no further. If you’ve ever thought about giving short fiction horror a try, this would be a great place to start.
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![A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales by [Alex Woodroe, Alexis DuBon, Anna Fitzgerald Healy, Catherine McCarthy, Cindy O'Quinn, Deana Lisenby, Emily J. Cohen, Erica Ruppert, Helen Glynn Jones, Jen Mierisch]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41SxFP+93kL._SY346_.jpg)
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