Real Review: 3.5 / 5 Stars

These 3.5 stars were very hard for this horror anthology to earn, seeing as most of the stories in this anthology either bored me to tears, didn’t feel like horror stories at all, or made so little sense to me I just gave up and skipped to the next one. So the stories I’m going to mention here are the one that stood out for me the most and the one that earned this anthology the 3.5 stars it ended up rating.

First of all, the pole holding up this whole tent, in my opinion, is Stephen Graham Jones’ “All the Things He Called Memories”. It’s not a complicated story or setting. It’s not even a new topic. But it’s a timely one of a childless couple stuck at home in isolation during the recent pandemic who are bored and just looking for stuff to do. The wife is a psychology professor working remotely, though, and wants to run a potential remote experiment by her husband about people’s deepest, darkest fears: the ones they’ve never talked about before, the ones they never acknowledge, their own personal boogeyman. Let me tell you, nothing is scarier sometimes than what some people can get up to when they are bored beyond reason.

Caroline Kepnes’ “The Attentionist” isn’t a perfect story. It could use some good ol’ spit shine and maybe a couple of more eyes on it, but it has one heck of a premise, some seriously interesting characters, and a whole lot of horrifying things to say about how impressionable teenage girls are to what other teenage girls say. How much they want to impress one another and be one another and imitate one another. And, in the end, how far they will go to outshine one another. It was screwed up and I loved it.

“Challawa” by Usman T. Malik gave me some really great “Midsommar” vibes, but with more inevitably and sadness. That’s what was horrific about it: the main character had to lose so much, go through so much, and put other people through so much to reach a horrific end to which she was always intended. It’s incredibly atmospheric and teeming with stories of barbaric colonialism, and you are held by the hand and led through this story along with the main character all the way to the end, like you are meant to witness this.

“Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate” by John Langan isn’t so much a horror tale to me as a modern folk tale, but I guess that’s up for conjecture. It’s also truly suspenseful, as these two characters: villain and hero, are confronting one another on a lake of ice as the hero tries to confirm the villain killed her brother and also find out where the body is, so she can take it home for a proper burial. The villain has secrets, but so does the hero. So it’s only a matter of time before something breaks: what, or who? Why? What are the secrets? This story stood out to me not because of it being horror, but because it’s just a really well-written story where a hero and a villain have a stand-off. If I could describe it the way I really want to I’d be spoiling it, but yeah.

Anyway, those are the stories that stood out. The others I could take or leave. But you sure could give this anthology a shot. You may find even more to love in it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tor Nightfire for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley. As always all opinions are my own. Thank you to Tor Nightfire for reaching out to me and providing me with an ARC of this book. I loved it!

This is a compilation of a dozen horror stories from some of the great horror writers of today. If you are like me and have not read all of the authors this is a great way to experience them all! Each of the stories took me 30 minutes to an hour to read, and while I didn't find any one of them particularly terrifying, they all had some sort of creep factor of gave me that what did I just read sense of unease that I want from a horror story. I thought all of them were well written and well developed despite them all being short stories. I feel like there is a story for everyone despite the type of horror you gravitate towards. There are varied levels of violence and gore in each story, with some being more psychological and some are mores straight forward.

I don't think I disliked a story in the collection. I really enjoyed the variety of the collection and getting to experience all of the various writers. If nothing else this has inspired me to check out each of the authors and see what horror offerings I've been missing. If you are a horror fan I highly recommend this!

I'll read anything @tornightfire puts out, honestly, and DARK STARS is their newest anthology of horror fiction.

Many big names are in the table of contents, but I want to focus on the impact that women in horror have made in this anthology (and on my nightmares).

DARK STARS features stories by: @carolinekepnes @priyasharma1000 @livia.llewellyn @almakatsu Chesya Burke and Gemma Files (you can find these last two on Twitter).

Kepnes' "The Attentionist" opens the anthology, and it's my favorite story. It's a 90's teen nightmare where a girl accepts repeated obscene phone calls from a stranger because her family thinks she's getting attention from a boyfriend.

Teen girls have been slashed and bashed in horror for too long. I loved Kepnes' take because teen girls have agency -- even if their choices are f*^ked up.

People try to tell my 2.5yo daughter that she has a "boyfriend" or that she's "flirty." Kepnes' dials this societal pressure for girls to be attractive and attached to boys up to ear-splitting decibels. Her characters give in to this pressure...in appalling ways.

Champion #WomenInHorror and get yourself a copy of DARK STARS published by Tor Nightfire, edited by John F.D. Taff and for sale now at your local indie bookstore!

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and @netgalley for the e-ARC.
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #horrorbooks #horror #horrorbookstagram #scarybooks #womenauthors #DarkStars #NetGalley #TorNightfire #HorrorCommunity #HorrorFam #HorrorFan #spookybooks

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror by John F.D. Taff is an impressive, eclectic collection of horror from 12 of today's most well-known authors. According to the description, the stories "run the gamut from traditional to modern, from dark fantasy to neo-noir, from explorations of beloved horror tropes to the unknown—possibly unknowable—threats." I was excited to see names I recognized like Caroline Kepnes, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, and Josh Malerman. I was also interested in the editor's goal of popularizing the normally niche genre of horror and attracting the attentions of the general reading public.

Here is an excerpt from "The Attenionist," the short story by Caroline Kepnes, the author of You:

"The first time he calls, I’m not there. I’m not home to answer. I’m down at the beach. It’s 1993 when alone means alone. The beach by our house is small and stupid if you ask my sister. It’s just a pond and it’s just me. I don’t know that he’s calling. I don’t know that someone out there is thinking of me, trying to find me.
That is all I want, to be wanted, pursued, and I’m getting what I want and I’m not there to know it.
Reg is home. She doesn’t come to the beach because she doesn’t like to be away from the phone. Once I heard my dad tell my mom that Reg has the soul of a beauty and the body of a worker. My mom told him he was terrible, but she also laughed. Reg is hopeful, hungry. Her eyebrows grow so fast that she has to pluck them every day and she picks up on the first ring because that’s who she is. The ringing phone is Reg’s favorite sound in the world and the irony is that to answer the call is to silence those bells."

Overall, Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror is an absolutely amazing collection of horror. One highlight of the collection is the first story "The Attentionist" by Caroline Kepnes, which is worth the price of the whole book alone. I've watched You on Netflix, and I haven't read any of this author's books before. After reading this short story, I think I've been missing out! The story revolves around two sisters and how they desperately wait by the phone for their crushes to call them. It feels like a slice of the 90's until the end, when something sinister happens that sent chills down the spine. It made me feel every single emotion, including nostalgia for the past.

Another highlight of this collection is Alma Katsu's thrilling and original take on vampires. My second favorite story must be Josh Malerman's short story though. I've read a few of his books before, but nothing I read was quite like this. His short story is about a group of four boys (or maybe men?) who are stuck in a monster's lair. The monster has taken the form of their school-teacher trapping them in detention. This story will appeal to fans of Stranger Things, and it will have you wondering the whole time if it's a dream. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of horror, you won't regret checking out this book, which is available now!

Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror edited by John F.D. Taff is an anthology of twelve tales. The blurb explains that this anthology was created as an homage to the 1980 classic horror anthology Dark Forces which was edited by Kirby McCauley. The tales within this collection certainly have a certain vibe to them!

My favorite tale from this collection was Trinity River’s Blues by Chesya Burke. I definitely need to read more of their work very soon!

I would recommend this one to fans of slower horror; Horror you can kick back and relax and read, without feeling like you need to read as quickly as possible to see what will happen next.

This read was more like floating on a lazy river in the middle of the night. While you can’t see what’s coming around the next turn, you know that you will get there just as quickly as you were meant to.

Get ready to experience different sub genres in horror with this anthology and there were quite a few known authors so it did set my expectations high. There is everything from gore of cannibalism to stalking to vampires and it was interesting to wait to see what new element was going to be the theme in each story. The build up in each story made them even more intriguing.

Interesting mix and phenomenal collection for horror junkies but some were as scary as I expected them to be!

There is nothing I enjoy more than discovering an anthology that has authors I know and love, along with some who are new to me. Dark Star is a collection of twelve stories written during that trying year,a/k/a 2020. I like to read short stories between books as sort of a palate cleanser. While it took me a while to finish, these were all unique tales.
The thing that impressed me the most was how each author grabbed my attention on the first page. That is not an easy skill to master and I have given really good reviews to books that have taken me 50-100 pages to hook me. But this is all about the stories and I thought I would highlight my three favorites.
All These Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones had me convinced the story was headed in one specific direction. Then, holy sewing machines, it turned into something I did not see coming. A couple alone at home during the pandemic and their memories.
Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream by the editor F.D. Taff. A widower and his young son are trying to move on after cancer took Hildy(their wife and mother). But on their way to a fresh start, they find out that she isn't quite done yet. Creepy, so creepy!
Volcano by Livia Llewellyn was a new to me author. A perpetual and aimless college student gets a summer job on campus, sewing curtains and cushions. Deep in the bowels of the university, she finds what she has always been looking for. I have read this one three times and I am still not sure I get its meaning and each time I have picked up on something else. Kudos to the author for really making me think.
I will be glad when I start seeing other people posting about this collection on bookstagram because it is definitely worth having someone to talk them over with.

Dark Stars is a horror anthology from some of the biggest new names in Horror. I love horror, I especially love horror short stories, and I've wanted to read many of these authors but haven't gotten a chance to so when I was sent this ARC I was really excited.

Unfortunately, this collection wasn't for me. Horror covers a wide range of topics and this didn't hit on many I like. I enjoy horror that speaks to important topics like abuse and racism but I prefer those stories in longer formats. In short format I like ghost stories or really high anxiety horror, which this didn't really give me.

My favorite story in this collection was The Familiar's Assistant by Alma Katsu. All the other stories were good, just not what I was seeking.

I do recommend this collection to anyone wanting to try new horror authors or those trying to discover what they like in horror.

I read this collection of horror stories slowly, and then I re-read several of them. The title fits the book perfectly as this is *really* dark horror. The pacing for most stories is very slow so that the true horror is revealed in bits and pieces until the picture is complete. In many of these stories, life appears to be normal until it isn't. One thing I really liked is that this isn't just the usual cast of things that go bump in the night. The case of characters includes a wendigo, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, serial killers, people who self-harm in horrible ways, and some new to me.

My personal favorites were "The Attentionist", "The Sanguintalist" and "Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate". "The Attentionist" is set before the time of cell phones. The whole family was excited when their older daughter got a call on their landline from a boy, particularly the younger daughter. The older daughter was terrified. "The Sanguintalist" is an outstanding story, where the central character is a forensic necromancer who commands blood. I hope this author writes more stories about this character. In "Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate", one of the central characters becomes a Wendigo who has to be stopped.

I received an ARC of this book from publisher MacMillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley. It was a pleasure to read and review this book.

Buckle up, because like reading this book was a whole journey, this review is going to be the same. Fair warning, there’s a huge rant coming, so I apologize in advance.I have so many thoughts, but to put it simply, this book is a serious time investment. It is LONG! This took me so long to read and in then end it was just okay. Is this my favourite book? No, was it bad? At first, yes; but then it got better. I will probably forget it later, as it wasn’t really memorable but it was okay. My final rating for it is 3 ⭐️

I was very excited to read this because of the names attached. I mean Caroline Kepnes? She wrote “you”! My plans for this book, were grabbing some popcorn and staying up all night to read it, I was so excited, and then it just ended up being boring in the beginning. Seriously, it wasn’t good until 40% 🙃
The writing style in some of these stories is simply BAD. They try to hard to sound “smart” and it comes across as pretentious and obnoxious, if I’m being honest, for some of these stories, I was completely lost. I had absolutely no clue what was happening, the writing was so confusing and boring, I just stared at the words, completely confused 😕

I’m going to give each short story a review. I’ll put my star rating and then say a sentence or two, on my feelings for it. The good thing is that this is an Anthology series. Which means it’s by multiple authors, and since horror is such a vast and diverse genre, I feel like if you don’t like everything in this book, maybe you’ll like something. That’s what happened with me, the majority of the stories in here, I hated, but some were actually pretty decent. Okay, enough rambling, let me get to the ratings!


𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩
⭐️⭐️

- god I hated this! But At least, I understood it, which is more than I can say for some other stories, so I give it 2⭐️. It was ok. A story about a stalker, and honestly, I think it was scary because it’s something I could see happening. I hated the older sister Reggie. And honestly the younger one too, but whatever, this was meh.


𝘼 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨
⭐️

- if I could give this 0 ⭐️ I would. Seriously? This made no sense. It was boring af and like I don’t even know what I read. At some point, it was giving me “ A Quiet Place” vibes, but like in a really bad way. This was boring, it made no sense, and I want my time back. Sheesh. It was absolutely horrible to me.


𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙖 𝙀𝙮𝙚
⭐️

- Again, I was super confused. The writing was bad, and pretentious. I couldn’t understand a single thing, and I don’t know why in all the reviews I’ve seen, so many people like this story. To me, it was just words with no plot. I seriously didn’t understand a thing.

𝙑𝙤𝙡𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤
⭐️⭐️

- this was where things started to get better. I didn’t really like it, because again, I was super confused, but this had some really creepy/scary vibes. It was unsettling and I was on edge. I don’t know what I read, but gosh, I was definitely creeped out.

𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙃𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- FINALLY! Something good! I loved this story! The twist at the end 🤯
- Loved this story! I loved the writing, and it was cool. I was scared and on edge, and the whole mystery behind everything was phenomenal. I felt like I WAS the main character. This was just so good, and honestly it deals with Fear and how our brains handle that emotion. I loved it!

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧’𝙨 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙨
⭐️⭐️⭐️
- jazz and a girl who sees dead people? Honestly, this was cool! I really enjoyed it! The writing was fun, and it was interesting. I was immediately hooked from the first sentence. I liked this.


𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧’𝙨 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Vampires, you say? This was so wild, from start to finish. I was intrigued and I really liked it, Eric was an interesting main character, and I feel like this showed how maddening the idea of obsession and attention can get.


𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- this concept is so interesting! I mean, it’s true, once someone dies, we remember them, but I’ve never really thought about our loved ones, wanting to come back for us. What if they remember us, and want to spend time with us. Super cool, this was creepy and unsettling and I kind of really want a sequel or something, that ending has me intrigued. I want to know what happens next. This also deals with the theme of loss, and I just thought it was super well done! This was my fav story in the book!


𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩
⭐️⭐️
- I liked the representation. We had a trans character and that was nice to see. We also had a different culture, as lala is Indian. This was dark magic and deals with a necromancer. I did like this, but I was also confused, so it wasn’t my favourite. I was a bit lost, and even by the end, im still not sure I completely understand. It was okay.


𝙈𝙧𝙨. 𝘼𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣’𝙨 𝙉𝙚𝙨𝙩
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- loved this! It was creepy and unsettling! I could sense the fear of the 4 boys and yes I really liked this. It gave me “ The Breakfast Club” vibes, and I loved the friendship. This was interesting and super wild! I liked it!


𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- I love that this book isn’t all American. This was set in Pakistan. As someone, whose from there, I loved seeing the language and the folklore. I loved it. This is basically the movie “ Midsommer” if it was set in Pakistan. I loved it, the end was 🤯

𝙀𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- ahh is it a horror book if there’s no cannibalism? I don’t think so haha. This book is DARK. About a man, who has done some wild things, to his ex wife and her boyfriend. Yea this is a big yikes, and it is gruesome! If you like your horror, full of gore and blood, you’ll love this.


Overall, like I said. I don’t LOVE everything in here. But some of the stories I enjoyed. I’m sure everyone can find something they like.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @Tornightfire for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Many of these were so realistic that they literally were a part of my nightmares. The social horror aspects were the scariest bits in my opinion.
The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes was such a strong story about coming of age and stalking. This story evoked such emotion and creepiness.
All the Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones is a psychological horror that will bring back those quarantine terrors of 2020.
Overall these stories are an homage to horror which Were creepy, atmospheric and scary

DNF 32%
I got to the fifth story, and I had to stop. I knew I wasn’t going to get into said story and I only enjoyed two of the preceding ones. The stories seemed to just be too out there for my tastes and frankly, not horrific. I wanted to love this one because I love horror anthologies, but this one just fell flat for me.

Looking at the authors in this book, I knew it was going to be something special the moment I requested it. My instinct on good books is rarely wrong, and this was no exception. Every story in this collection packed a different gut-punch that left me anxious and figuratively gasping for air when I reached the end.

Maybe this confession makes me a bad horror fan, but for many of the authors in here, this was my first time reading a story by them. While I knew many of the names, I'd still not gotten far enough into my TBR to read Josh Malerman, or Caroline Kepnes, or Stephen Graham Jones, or many other notable authors in this collection. If you're interested in horror, but aren't sure where to start, or who to start with, this collection is a really great jumping-off point to explore different styles of horror and discern which authors you might want to pick up more of.

Many of these stories have left lasting impressions on me, and I still think about them while going about my day. Each story somehow fit together despite being its own separate entity, an expertly woven masterpiece that took me through enough ups and downs to need a crash cart. I read each story in order, as I'm not a person who jumps around when I read a collection or an anthology. If they're given to me in a certain order, I read them in that order. In some cases, this can lead to a story or two feeling 'too similar' but not in the case of these. Each one was so uniquely told and offered such a wonderful variety of horrors.

I'd originally set out to read this anthology one story at a time, as I usually do with anthologies or collections. Read a story or two, splicing them between some longer works. The further I got into these stories, the harder it got to put down, especially when I saw those familiar names when I flipped the electronic page.

Some notable favorites here were "The Attentionist" by Caroline Kepnes--a haunting story that I'm still thinking about it, well after finishing the book. It's a slow burn that left my skin positively crawling. "All the Things He Called Memories" by Stephen Graham Jones--a layered creepshow that kept adding until I thought I was going mad. "Trinity River's Blues" by Chesya Burke was such a gorgeous story, and I will be running to get my hands on her other works. And "The Sanguintalist" by Gemma Files--I'd heard the author's name before, and after nothing but this story, I can say I'm a huge fan of her work. Another author I'll be running to get my hands on more of

There isn't a bad story in this entire anthology, and there was such a wonderful variety of horror touched upon, and a really diverse set of authors selected. No matter my current mood or horror craving, there was a story on these pages that fit it.

Spooky, moody, atmospheric!

My favorite was the first story by Caroline Kepnes: pitch black and creepy from the first page. The best horror stories (for me) leave the reader feeling unsettled, and Kepnes' entry does just that. This was a fun and diverse assortment of scary stories from great authors. I would love to read a second volume!

What do horror writers do during lockdown? They write! This bewitchingly dark collection of 12 stories is the product of an idea in the mind of Editor John Taff mixed with the weird situation in 2020. Who expected the entire world to basically shut down for an extended period? So bizarre....but the perfect backdrop for horror. Perfect timing for Taff to turn his idea into an actual project!

12 stories. Vastly different stories. Everything from slow burn to AHHHHHHHH!!!!! As with any story collection, there were some that I loved and some that just didn't resonate with me at all. But that's perfect -- it means this is a varied and diverse anthology. These stories are imaginative, different and chilling. Some of the writers are new to me -- I love books and stories from "new to me'' writers to my TBR pile. And some of these stories were by writers that I've read before. It was awesome to read a bit of short fiction by familiar storycrafters to see what creepiness they could impart in the brevity of short story. I'm happy to say that although some of the stories weren't scary for me or didn't pull me in like some others did, I did enjoy each one. I loved the fact that these tales are not merely variations on a single theme or style....but each is unique and completely different.

I read one story per day for 12 days. And after reading each tale, I did my usual clicking around on the internet to find out some info on each author and their collection of writing. My TBR is a bit bigger and my enjoyment of horror a bit more varied since reading this collection. That's the gift of short stories....you get a taste of the writer's style that leaves you wanting more!

My favorite story? Mrs. Addison's Nest by Josh Malerman. Followed closely by The Familiar's Assistant by Alma Katsu. Malerman's story is different and creepy-strange. I liked it because it's weird and the ending is vague. It leaves much to the imagination. Who really trusts a high school librarian? I kept thinking of one school librarian I had growing up that had creepy vibes....sucked me right into the story because I kept seeing her as Mrs. Addison in my mind. Alma Katsu's vampire tale is short, but develops into a coldly undead nightmare. Loved it!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this anthology from Macmillin/Tor-Forge. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A fantastic collection of cosmic horror from an All-Star group of horror writers. A few stories fell a bit short for me or seemed like they would have been better as longer-form fiction. TOR continues to knock it out of the park with their horror titles this year. Can't wait for my collections this good.

Dark Stars, edited by John F.D. Taff, is a collection of short horror stories.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire (and in particular Jordan Hanley),  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis and Opinions:
As always, I will review each story individually.  Note that there is a forward by Josh Malerman which was quite interesting (if a little long).  Then there is an introduction from John Taff, who brought all these stories together.  An afterword is written by Ramsey Campbell, and some notes on each story from the point of view of each author.  There were actual stories in between all of that....

Here we go....

...

The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes  .... Sisters, one needing constant attention from boys, and one with a stalker.  The sister aspect was rather funny at times.  I loved it.   5 stars.

A Life in Nightmares by Ramsey Campbell  ... A childhood nightmare follows a young boy throughout his life, and his nightmares.  I think that was what it was about -- hated it, but it could be because I just didn't get it.  1 star

Papa Eye by Priya Sharma ... A physician re-locates to a remote island, where some of the traditions from long ago prevail. Loved it!  5 stars

Volcano by Livia Llewellyn ... Not even sure I understood this one (maybe a black hole?)....but it was creepy as hell, and I enjoyed it.  4 stars

All the Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones  ... A couple, stuck inside during a pandemic, decide to amuse themselves by telling the other of their worst fear.  The wife, a scientist may be conducting an experiment. Her upholsterer husband seems to be the target.  This was wonderfully spooky.  I loved it!  5 stars

Trinity River’s Blues by Chesya Burke (American) ... A young woman who can see and talk to ghosts, invites one too many into here life.  I loved the fact that her best friend was a dead country and western star.  Great story!  5 stars

The Familiar’s Assistant by Alma Katsu (American) ... A young man who has had a rather rough life goes looking for a vampire.  Great premise and story!  5 stars

Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream by Joh F.D. Taff ... A man and his 5 year old son are heading to Illinois after the death of his wife.  But she still wants to share custody.  WOW...that was good... 5 stars

The Sanguintalist by Gemma Files ... A magician takes in and talks to the blood of the recently deceased to discover what killed the victim...and tries to vindicate them.  Interesting (if a liittle long)... 4 stars

Mrs. Addison’s Nest by Josh Malerman ...  Four friends relive the day they served detention in high school, where they meet Mrs. Addison.  Interesting, but missing something.... 3 stars

Challawa by Usman T.  Malik ... A journalist and her husband are invited to India to see his brother's new project.  A  visit to the old cremation grounds has both the guide and the journalist sharing ghost stories.  This was just okay.  3 stars

Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate by John Langan (American) ... A sister wants to avenge her brother's death.  A tale of the Wendigo.  The story was good, just too long, and paragraphs that went on forever... 3 stars

...

As I read each story, I continued to be amazed that there were so many that I was giving 5 stars.  Definitely more hits than duds.  Seldom in a collection do I find that many outstanding tales.  Yes, I had heard of some of the authors, but not all, so that was great -- I now have a few more authors to follow.

This was epically creepy and filled with stories from authors I love and admire. Each story in this book was perfectly crafted to keep you on the edge. Some of these were twisted and some were darker than others, but they all fit so well in this collection.

There's nothing better than a dark anthology, at least in my opinion. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror. Working together for this anthology, you'll find John F.D. Taff, Josh Malerman, Stephen Graham Jones, Priya Sharma, Alma Katsu, John Langan, Caroline Kepnes, Usman T. Malik, Chelsya Burke, Livia Llewellyn, Gemma Files, and Ramsey Campbell.

Overall, I found this to be a really strong collection. I love the way they all tied together, as well as the overall theme and atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the names that appeared here, including a few of my favorite horror authors (Josh Malerman, Stephen Graham Jones). As with every anthology, there are some short stories that I loved and others that I felt fell flat. Out of all the stories in this collection, I think the last one was my favorite: Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate by John Langan.

The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Warnings: Stalker, verbal abuse, gaslighting
“The first time he calls, I'm not there. I'm not home to answer.”
Yikes. The Attentionist is very much a terrifying read. What makes this story so scary is that it is too real. There's no magic, no larger-than-life monster. Instead, we have a very human monster and too real family drama.

A Life in Nightmares by Ramsey Campbell
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
“He often reads in his room, but never in the dark.”
This title ended up being more literal than I expected, as A Life in Nightmares reads as a string of nightmares. Unfortunately, they all happen to the same young boy, adding in terror with each arrival. It made it difficult to tell what was real and what was a dream (nightmare) by the end.

Papa Eye by Priya Sharma
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“What makes you think anything's wrong with you?”
Papa Eye is an atmospheric and creepy read, which is probably why I loved it. I loved the way Priya Sharma played with preconceived notions and assumptions in this story. Honestly, I would have loved to see it go just a little bit longer.

Volcano by Livia Llewellyn
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Have you ever been in danger?”
Volcano is another compelling addition to this anthology, one that had me questioning things at first. But once the truth is out, it's impossible to look away. I would love to see a bit more added to this one – not just length, but perhaps just a touch more depth?

All the Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“It was about that actual dark kernel festering inside each of them, and its composition, its origin.”
As a huge fan of Stephen Graham Jones, I knew I was going to love All the Things He Called Memories. And wow, did I! It's a haunting story, one that delves into the psychology of nightmares – and then takes it ten steps further. Don't read this one if you want to get a good night's sleep anytime soon.

Trinity River's Blues by Chesya Burke
Rating: ★ ★ ★
“Trini saw dead people. It was somewhat of a cliché, but she was the real thing.”
I went into Trinity River's Blues with high expectations. With an opening sentence like the one above, how could I not? It took a while for the story to pick up, taking the time to set the tone and scene before things got...dark.

The Familiar's Assistant by Alma Katsu
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
“I'm standing on the doorstep to the vampire's house.”
Ouch. The Familiar's Assistant is every bit the dark vampire tale this anthology needed. Yet it still hits hard. There's something very chilling about the way the scene is set, and that conclusion...wow.

Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream by John F.D. Taff
Rating: ★ ★ ★
“Because, as I've learned, separation doesn't diminish the love a child has for their parent.”
Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream is an interesting and emotional read, one that relies heavily on character-based storytelling methods. Despite all of this, I did find myself losing a connection here and there.

The Sanguintalist by Gemma Files
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
“And the Name said unto Cain, Thy brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.”
I really love the core concept of The Sanguintalist – a forensic necromancer for higher. It sounds exactly like the sort of urban fantasy series I would dive into, given half the chance. Of course, this is a horror anthology, so things get pretty dark very quickly.

Mrs. Addison's Nest by Josh Malerman
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
“REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE”
Like many short stories I've read in the past, Mrs. Addison's Nest feels as though it starts (and ends) in the middle. The action has already started, leaving readers running to catch up with the plot. It's an interesting choice for a horror tale, but it is effective here. Though I do wish we had a bit more time to know and appreciate the characters – it would have added to the impact.

Challawa by Usman T. Malik
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
“There's a ghost in the hut,” said the guide, smiling. “Better watch your back in there.”
If you're looking for a well-written and heavy-hitting plot, look no further, Challawa is here. This is probably the strongest written short in the anthology, which is saying something. I adored the set-up and building tension.

Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate by John Langan
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Walter Ivorsson: the name she had said so often these past weeks its meaning had ebbed and flowed, sometimes reducing to a series of syllables, consonants, and vowels yielding sounds of no more significance than the cough of a deer, the scream of a fox, other times expanding to contain all the pain for which this man had been responsible.”
Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved this whole anthology, but Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate is by and far my favorite from the collection. It's dark, it's twisted, and that ending! Chef's kiss! It's perfect. Exactly the sort of conclusion this whole anthology deserved.

As is bound to happen in an anthology, I loved some stories and didn't connect with others. I did enjoy the variety in this collection and how the writer's could really flex their creative muscles.