After taking a quick peek at the contributor list, I made some popcorn and was ready to stay up all night. It actually took me several days to finish and after devouring the pages I was surprised at how much creep-fest fun was packed into this one book!

With such a talented array of writers in this collection of spooky tales . . . this anthology is a must-read for anyone who enjoys this genre.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of Dark Stars for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars

After the first short story I didn’t enjoy the book. The concept was a great idea. But it’s truly did not enjoy this one at all. Thank you for the book.

It's too bad this book didn't come out in November because it is the perfect Christmas gift for any horror lover in your life! In this collection are stories from some of the leading horror authors today including Josh Malerman, Alma Katsu, and Stephen Graham Jones. The stories are novella length and perfect for sinking into for an afternoon or evening of terror. I really enjoyed the variety here and it is the type of work that I'd like to have a beautiful hardcover copy of to leaf through on dreary days. As with any anthology, there are stories that didn't work for me and ones that really did, but overall, this is an excellent collection filled with work from some of the brightest stars of the dark and creepy. Go get your hands on a copy!!

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, NetGalley, and the authors for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved it. Full of creepy, atmospheric dark tales by the best in the horror business. Diverse and dark in storytelling. Something for everyone within these pages.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Dark Stars is an eclectic mix of slower paced thrills with quick bursts of chills. There's more meat on it's bones than I expected, as the tales are more fully fleshed out than typical short stories.
I was hooked from the opening lines of Caroline Kepnes The Attentionist, a chilling psychological thriller about two sisters, that pulled me in with it's leisurely start before hitting like a freight train at the end. Another of my favorites was A Life In Nightmares by Ramsey Campbell in which it's hard to tell where reality begins and dreams end with one young man's fear of not being able to understand others, or of not being understood.
Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream by John F.D. Taff encompasses so many things that I love in a good story. Grief, a road trip, weird weather, supernatural events. I won't say more so as not to spoil it for you I will only say...WOW!
Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate by John Langan was another favorite even though I could not quite figure out at first why a woman would have such a strange way of approaching someone she believes has murdered her brother. But oh my goodness the beginning makes perfect sense at the end.
I enjoyed all of the stories but these were my favorites.
Recommended for all who love dark fiction whether you are looking for anything from vampires to ghosts to psychological thrillers there is something in here for you.

Hits and misses, as to be expected with an anthology. Some of the authors I was excited to read from turned out to be lesser favorites but I'd still reccomend it to horror fans.

Thank you TorNightfire and NetGalley for this gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Super creepy and horrific anthology! I couldn't put some of these stories down because they were so twisty and good. They really played with your mind. Vampires, serial killers, and pandemic horror -- oh my! I loved the originality of the stories and the variety of authors.

Highly recommend to all horror lovers out there!

Here is the link to my review on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca8FEk5rt9x/?utm_medium=copy_link

This anthology just didn’t work for me. The only stories I kind of liked were Stephen Gram Jones’ and John Taff’s. The rest I were not remotely interested in and they were hard to get through. A few weren’t remotely horrific at all. To be fair I usually don’t like ghost stories or vampires and there was a lot of that in here.

I loved this! There are so many wonderfully written short stories packed in this novel. Trinity River’s Blues was definitely one of my favorites. The characters, the atmosphere, and the writing. I was hooked all the way through the book. If you read horror/thrillers, you need to read this.

Thank you Netgalley for this incredible arc!

Dark Stars edited by John F.D. Taff is a great anthology of horror short stories which is perfect for this time period bc horror is in.

The main thing that stuck with me about all these stories was not only how unique they each are but how easily they each slide into strange and horrific ideals. So many different types of disgusting to terrifying scenarios that really made me think of not just that specific story and it's characters but the big picture as well. Looking at life through a haunting lens which brought out many different feelings for me.

I definitely recommend this as an entrancing horror read. I personally love short stories of the horror genre. It seems to make the point of each story even more powerful.

Lots of trigger warnings here. Sexual, emotional and physical harm. Prepare yourself.

Out on March 22nd!

I did not care for or understand the majority of the stories in this collection. There were ultimately maybe 3 that interested me which made reading the whole collection difficult and taxing. Between them all they confused me, disturbed me, hurt my head to read and just made difficult to finish.

Some of the reviews for this book said it was too long. Yes it is long. But I think that is GOOD when the stories are excellent, shocking, thrilling, and horrifying and incredibly fresh. My favorites were as follows:

John Taff's "Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream" -- A father and his 5year old son are on their way to their new house, months after the mother has succumbed to cancer. A blizzard from out of nowhere traps them in a travel stop in the middle of the night, along with a big fat man who can't stop vomiting and a sketchy woman wearing a hoodie who proclaims that "Death is a kind of a divorce." Is it? If so, how to divvy up the custody? In this unlikely pergatory situation, Mom reappears...and she wants her son back.

Livia Llewellyn's "Volcano" -- This was the scariest book in the collection, the scariest thing I've read in years.. Never will you look at industrial sewing machines the same way again.

Stephen Graham Jones's "All the Things He Called memories" -- Addresses the loneliness and isolation within a couple, during the COVID pandemic. You can never really know someone. Also involves industrial sewing machines. No kidding!

Usman Malik's "Challawah" -- American husband gets his comeuppance while on a business trip to Pakistan with his wife, who is Pakistani herself. His intention to build a crematory on holy ground does not go over well with the locals. A colonialism revenge myth comes to life.

Mrs. Addison's Next by Josh Malerman -- what a creeper! A witch lives in a hole in the woods, and keeps four boys/men captive psychologically for over thirty years. Even as they go about their lives, they are stuck in the woods in a different "frequency" -- knowing the witch will return and waiting for their confrontation with evil.

Those were my favorites. But this was a wholly fresh take on horror with so much originality bursting from the seams. I adored all the stories and have a couple new authors I can't wait to look for more work by. Another very cool thing about this anthology is that it ends with each author discussing briefly their inspiration for their story.

Thank you VERY much, this will be a hit with my horror readers!

As far as anthologies go, I have a tenuous relationship with short story collections no matter the genre. As of late I've had pretty okay luck, though in the past there have been plenty of times where short stories haven't gelled with me. DARK STARS kind of fell in the middle, as it didn't blow me away, but it didn't turn me off. There were some stories that I really loved, like Caroline Kepnes's THE ATTENTIONIST, Stephen Graham Jones's ALL THE THINGS HE CALLED MEMORIES, and Usman T. Malik's CHALLAWA. With THE ATTENTIONIST I thought that Kepnes (as always) conveyed toxic sisterly interactions with misogynistic expectations of society really well, and threw in some BLACK CHRISTMAS-esque stalking for good measure that freaked me out. For THINGS HE CALLED MEMORIES Jones brings out the unknown horrors of isolation during a pandemic, and how it can mess with your head and make it hard to know what is real and what isn't. And with CHALLAWA (my favorite in the collection), Malik explores the very real horrors of the effects of racism and colonialism in a small community in India through folklore and myth. There were other stories that I liked well enough (special shout out to Alma Katsu's THE FAMILIAR'S ASSISTANT), but there were others that just didn't work for me at all. This was either because of writing style, confusing narratives, or flat out appropriation.

All in all, DARK STARS had some really strong stories, and others that didn't work. THe nice thing about anthologies, however, is that your mileage may vary depending on taste! So horror fans really should seek this out regardless.

I really enjoyed that this anthology is one that expands on the idea of what horror truly is. There is so much more depth to many of these stories and the collection really shows the reader all that horror can entail. No, I am not a diehard horror fan, but I do love the genre so a few of these stories didn't quite work for me but they were enough to show me that horror can come in many forms. Most of the stories I didn't find scary but there was a spooky vibe to them all if that makes sense. I did gain smoe new to me authors from this anthology and I really enjoyed many of the stories. The writing is wonderful and engaging, and the selection is wide and varied. The authors did a fantastic job, and the editor did an amazing job of creating a very inclusive and spooky vibe with the diversity of this collection.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

This collection of dark horror tales has no particular theme [other than horror], so authors are free to write their stories unencumbered by pre-established requirements. Twelve authors write tales of dark hallways, monsters, tales of summer flings, dead men walking, and an island harboring unimaginable power. Each is, in its own way, creepy and chilling. It’s a treasure trove for readers who enjoy horror tales.

Novellas included here are “The Attentionist,” by Caroline Kepnes; A Life in Nightmares,” by Ramsey Campbell; “Papa Eye,” by Priya Sharma; “Volcano,” by Livia Llewellyn; All the Things He Called Memories,” by Stephen Graham Jones; “Trinity River’s Blues” by Chesya Burke; “The Familiar’s Assistant,” by Alma Katsu; “Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream,” by John F.D. Taff; “The Sanguintalist,” by Gemma Files; “Mrs. Addison’s Nest,” by Josh Malerman; “Challawa,” by Usman T. Malik; and “Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate,” by John Langhan.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley
#DarkStars #NetGalley

How could I not adore this book? Short stories written by some of the heavy hitters in the horror world, my favorite being Stephen Graham Jones. I could not put this anthology down and felt there was not a bad story in the bunch. 5 horrifically wonderful stars!

WoW! This was a phenomenal anthology. These authors did a wonderful job crafting tales such a these stories here in DARK STARS!
I am just stunned right now. Don't have the word's honestly. This is one of the best I've ever read.
And if I'm being truthful this is my first horror/scfi-fantasy SS read. And let me say.... This book rocked my world. Dark Stars was full and complete with some of the best, most satisfying horror stories I've ever laid eyes on. I was intrigued by the description and premise, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this good!
There were a lot of elements that seemed to draw me deeper into the world.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”


Tor Nightfire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date. Yhg

I really enjoyed this book! I liked how there was multiple authors that have told many great stories before, especially these short stories. Some of the stories lost me here and there, but overall I enjoyed them. I especially liked the first one about the young girl whos sister knew she was being preyed on and showed jealousy that her little sister was getting all of the attention. That ending was sinister.

Alright everyone, I'm burnt on horror. This collection of horror stories is good though.

I can say I haven't read anything like a lot of these stories. Some are better than others, as with any anthology or collection. And some are more on the bloody side than others. It's an interesting mix of themes and the entire book will leave you feeling a little more paranoid than usual if you're home alone.

There's a mix of cultures which was a bit of a refresher to be honest. There is gore also so be careful. I sort of think that's why I'm burnt out. Gore can only be scary for so long and it's something that as a reader has pushed me away from the genre. Even in movies.

Not to say body horror isn't great when done well. I just reviewed a book that had body horror and that could sort of be classified as gore but it was well done and fresh to me.

I think I'll be avoiding horror for a little while after this.

Some of the stories are easier reads, some are very slow starts and the pacing was a bit of a pain. There is one story that's hard to follow because it involves someone not knowing what's real and what's a dream. So it got a little twisted to follow.

All in all, it's a solid collection for a horror fan.

I give it a four (4) out of five. I received this arc in exchange for a honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

This collection truly has something for everyone. I've been a horror fan for more than forty years, and a reviewer of the genre for going on ten. Dark Stars has several stories birthed from the corners of the genre I have yet to fully understand. The genre has changed significantly since I first fell in love with it. All the chest tightening, anxiety inducing moments, grab your seat scenes and everything else horror fans love is present, plus several stories set in newly emerging sub genres. The horror genre has been stretched, widened, and morphed out of new perspectives giving Dark Stars a larger feel. With a dozen stories to cover, I've decide to touch on a few that really left an impression on me.

When I see John F.D. Taff in a TOC or in any way connected to a book, I'm all in. The King of Pain brings it in this collection, as he consistently has for me since I discovered his short story collection, Little Deaths. (my review is here) His story, Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream, hit me square in the feels. It's a tightly written story that leaves you filled with uncertainty and anxiety in the small space of that rest stop.

Another heavy hitter for me in Dark Stars was from Josh Malerman, another author I've become a fan of over the past three years or so. Mrs. Addison's Nest was a mind bending tale. One page into the story and I didn't know what was happening, but I knew it was worth reading to find out. His quartet of characters made for great story telling from multiple views. Josh Malerman does what he does so well in his stories, quickly creating a world and tipping it off it's axis.

Last, but certainly not least for me was the story, All the Things He Called Memories, by Stephen Graham Jones. This was so tightly done it was claustrophobic. It was creepy and it had me looking over my shoulder hoping not to see what might be. I dug the way he put the reader in the story. I could feel the tension rolling off the protagonist while living in the pandemic, and his day to day life in a small apartment.

I can't say enough about the quality of writing in Dark Stars. This is a must read for anyone needing a different take on the horror genre.