A Worthy Homage To The Horror Anthology Classic!

There is a lot to love about this John Taff edited anthology that calls up the spirit of the classic, Dark Forces, which was edited by Kirby McCauley. This is a wonderfully assembled group of stories that span the breadth of the horror genre. There are monsters, fears, fantasies, and mysticism. And all are written by a well rounded group of horror favorites, as well as a few that were lesser known to me.

Most of the stories included are novella length. This is not a collection to fill a few moments here or there, but rather a collection to savor as you suspend reality repeatedly while working your way through.

I listened to the audiobook and the quality is excellent. The variety of authors and settings is mirrored in the variety of artists who perform the readings.

My favorite stories were:

The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes, which reminds us that oftentimes the truest horrors are those that almost take us under, but unknowingly drift by.

The Familiar’s Assistant by Alma Katsu, a refreshing take on one of the oldest monsters in the genre.

The Sanguinalist by Gemma Files, which flawlessly interweaves crime fiction and horror in an unforgettable way.

This is a collection that I have been looking forward to reading for months, and I must say that it does not disappoint. A must read for modern horror lovers.

Dark Stars

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

What a gathering of writers and I’m sorry to say that I just didn’t enjoy it that much and I found most of the stories not very scary at all.
A few stories that stood out were A life in Nightmares, All the Things He Called Memories, and Mrs. Addison’s Nest.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher's for an advance copy of this title.

Dark Stars, an homage to 1980s horror in light of its current resurgence, is a unique anthology of horror stories by both familiar and unfamiliar horror authors. But to call these stories short is a very long stretch. I listened to the audio version of this anthology and was left wanting from it. I loved that each story had it's own narrator to add to the uniqueness, but each story was also nearly 45 minutes to 1 hour long at 1.5x and felt like too much of a time commitment to be called short.

The stories themselves were okay at best. They ranged from just a little spooky to downright vulgar. I appreciated the uniqueness of them, but some I wanted less of (many felt rambling) and some I wanted way more of. Such is the way with anthologies, but was especially true this one.

Overall, underwhelming and a little flat to me. I wish some of these stories had been adapted into full novels with more detail and depth.

3.5
Thanks to #netgalley and #Nightfirepublishing for an ARC of this book. I am a big horror fan, but not such a big anthology fan. I am often left wanting with short stories. This was the case here. I enjoyed the stories, but for some, the endings didn’t satisfy me. Three and a half stars is not a bad rating, it just didn’t blow my mind.
One of my favorites was The Familiar’s Assistant. I have always loved vampire stories. The ending for this left me wanting so much more!! It seemed rather abrupt. This would’ve been a good novella. I want to know what happened!
PapaEye was also good. This had a folky horror vibe for me and I liked it. I found All the Things He Called Memories disturbing and creepy. Quarantined with someone you come to not trust….yikes! Like a pandemic isn’t stressful enough!
I liked The Attentionist but the ending fell flat.
A Life in Nightmares was very confusing and I had no idea what was going on.🤷🏼‍♀️
I particularly enjoyed Challawa, super creepy feel and Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate which satisfied my need for a wrapped up ending.

I really enjoyed this collection. There were no stories that I disliked. John Langan’s Enough For Hunger And Enough For Hate and Stephen Graham Jone’s All The Things He Called Memories were the two highlight stories in the collection for me. Highly recommended for any Horror fan.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media who sent me an ARC audiobook of this title in exchange for my honest review.

What I liked:
- Each story is read by a different narrator
- Love horror and anthologies so to combine the two seemed like a perfect fit for me
- Some of the great writers of this generation
- Love that they can write any horror story without a theme

What I didn't like:
- I absolutely hated the first story in this anthology so it made it very difficult to want to continue after that experience
- Some stories the points were lost because of so much rambling
- I feel like it could of been edited more and still would have got the point across
- This audiobook is a serious time commitment, with each story being about 45min to an hour long

As with most anthologies you will love some stories and dislike others, so this book gets an overall three star rating from me. That doesn't mean that I dislike the book as a whole it simply means that some stories worked better for me and others didn't. I'm sure most people will have a similar experience.

In the foreword, Josh Malerman states that “horror is having a moment”. I think this statement is very true. Horror is making a come back, in so many new ways with so many new writers. Horror has grown branches of sub genre, stretching its reach to readers who wouldn’t normally read it. It’s been so much fun to read and discover these new dark thoughts, and even more fun when they’re all together in one book.
Dark Stars is a horror anthology that contains short stories written by some of todays greatest writers. Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, and even Caroline Kepnes, contributed to the book. Each writer brings a different approach at horror, touching those sub genres. Cannibalism, Vampires, stalkers, and unstable reality are a few of the horrors we encounter. Some are gory, some are scary, some just mess with your head. All of them are great.
Listening to this book was an added bonus. There is a ton of narrators, all perfect for the story they read. If the book had been told by just one narrator, I don’t think it would have been as good. Multiple authors demands multiple narrators! Each one nailed the tone of the book, and what I pictured the characters to sound like. Bravo on casting.
The one thing I hate about anthologies, is that the stories are too short. By the time I’m invested and wanting more, it’s over. A few of these should definitely be made into longer books.

This was such a disappointing listen. None of the titles is what I'd consider horror. None of them felt like they were written by experienced authors. I persevered hoping each subsequent story would redeem the rest, but I was disappointed and feel a little resentful about wasted time.

Enjoyment: 4
Total rating: 3.93

Taff did a brilliant job finding some of the best current horror writers and commissioning an updated anthology that delivers horror in its many facets.

I thought that all the stories were well written and narrated by a strong ensemble cast. I feel that every horror reader will find a story they love, but because horror preference is nuanced, readers will like some more than others, and my rating reflects that. I can, however, honestly say that I didn't dislike any of the stories, even those in subgenres I don't gravitate towards when choosing novels.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of Dark Stars.

Average Rating: 2.82 leaves out of 13
Genre: Horror/Anthologies
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: Eh

First want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review! Next this is going to be a LONG review since I will be reviewing each story. This won't be like my normal rating since there are more than one story/authors/etc.

The very beginning took up way too much time talking nonsense about why they came together and and what horror was or is. We don't need that. I could understand if each author had a snippet at the end explaining their story and how they felt about being in this group project. Then the very end made literally no sense as to why it was even in the dang book as well. It was just a mess and a bit sloppy.

So for the beginning and end I give it a 0/5.

Now for each story's review. There may or may not be spoilers in them so read at your own risk.

-The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes

I don't know if I would call it scary or not? Sure the situation is scary but it wasn't too bad. Nothing very extreme happened. Maybe they are starting off light and will progress into the darker stuff? Also I hate the older sis. She is crap. I guess I can say I get where the main gal was coming from with finally have the attention she thought she needed. I kind of even liked the ending. So with some thinking, because I had been going back and forth on this the whole time, I will be upping it to a 3 instead of a 2.5.

Rating: 3/5


-The Life in Nightmares by Ramsey Campbell

This was a god awful bore. Did I keep skipping 30 secs through this? Yes. Nothing about this was horror. A smidge creepy maybe. 2% at most.

I believe I even said, "Giving me off brand Harry Potter with no magic."

If this is how the books downfalls I should call it quits now. (Note: I didn't quit.)

Rate: .5/5


-Papa Eye by Priya Sharmal

This was a lovely story. I adored it but it wasn't horror. It was sad & beautiful. If I could put colors to it I'd have to say a dark night blue with gold. There might have been a detail or two that could've been gore-ish? But it wasn't scary. I think this short should be on its own or in an entirely different book.

It's a 4 because it's so good but not horror. (Edit: I will be going down a bit because this book is about horror and it wasn't giving it to me. I still love the story though!)

Rate: 3.75/5


-Volcano by Livia Llewellyn

It was... okay. It wasn't so much scary but it was creepy. I just wish I knew what the hell was going. For a second, when making the final review, I forgot what the story was even about. Uhm... gosh what do I even say about this? It seemed like the girl was a vampire but then it wasn't? I don't know why I rated it so high because I don't know what the monster/creature is or what it actually does. Aliens? Who the hell knows. The atmosphere is creepy but that is about it.

Rate: 2/5


-All the Things He Called Memories by Stephen Graham Jones

Wow... so this was a slow burn but towards the end it hit you in the gut. Probably by far my favorite so far. My mouth had hung open towards the end in shock. I think I would even like to she this as a short horror film. It is about this couple during quarantine and the wife starts a science experiment that was proven correct, for both in a way I guess.

Rate: 4.5/5


-Trinity River’s Blues by Chesya Burke

This story wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. Coming from someone who lives in Louisiana I expect more from the subject in this story. They did a good job writing it but it lacked the seasonings. (Edit: I am lowering the score to 3 since when I think about it now there wasn't anything standing out about it.)

Rate: 3/5


-The Familiar’s Assistant by Alma Katsu

This was very gothic but like... a sleepy gothic, something that would fit well on a foggy/rainy day. This is supposed to be more for horror stories, though a good chunk of these stories don't really hit horror.

Rate: 3/5


-Swim In The Blood of a Curious Dream by John FD Taff

What to say to this? It wasn't scary. Mostly it was just sad except towards the end then it was just creepy. I think of it as the movie MaMa... but without the jumpscares and like MaMa wasn't so much as haunting but like... having visitation rights. Weird as hell.

Rate: 2.75/5


-The Sanguintalist by Gemma Files

This would be an AMAZING fantasy story. I would rather read it under that genre and it be longer. It wasn't scary or spooky, a little creepy but that is about it.

Rate: 2.5/5


-Mrs. Addison’s Nest by Josh Malerman

This story was pretty good compared to some of the ones before it. It had horror and creepiness to it. If I could sum it up with a comparison I would say a mix between IT and Caroline. I liked it.

Rate: 3/5


-Challawa by Usman T Malik

Ahh this was magical and horrific. My favorite so far. The husband of the female lead had me feeling some kind of ANGRY. Hate him. Just HATE him and his whole existence. The narrator and writing of this story was impactful.

Rate: 5/5


-Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate by John Langan

This one seemed longer than the others but it was pretty creepy and disturbing. I think my jaw dropped once. This one dealt with a Native American creature. I love the details the author gave it. The gore in it was just right as well.

Rate: 3.75/5

A great book of horror short stories worthy place on anyone's book shelf narrations were very good not a dud story.
I received this audiobook from the publishers via Netgalley for a review.

These stories are all weird as hell, it’s certainly pressing the boundaries of horror. The second tale was really surreal, constantly changing times and places.



It was fine, some great tales and some not so great, but to be honest nothing blew me away, the last and first were probably the best.

The narrators were all good.

Dark Stars is a horror anthology that I’ve had my eye on for a while now. It has a little bit of everything in this one. Fans of horror will be able to easily find a few that resonate with them and tick off all of their horror-loving boxes. I went back and forth between the physical copy and audio for this one and I really enjoyed both formats. There were different narrators for most of the stories and each of them was as entertaining as the last.

There are a few writers in this that I’ve read before and thoroughly enjoyed- Stephen Graham Jones and Alma Katsu primarily, and both of their stories were some of my favorites in this book. Alma Katsu went a different direction than I’m used to with her usual stuff. She writes historical horror typically (which I love!) and her contribution to this book was a vampire story that I enjoyed immensely. She is proving to be a well-rounded horror author to me and that makes me even more excited for The Fervor to come out next month!

One thing I love about anthologies is getting the exposure to authors I haven’t read before. I get a “sneak peak” of their style and storytelling and am able to find some new favorites along the way. Some authors I will be seeking out more because of this particular anthology are John Langdon, Caroline Kepnes, and Priya Sharma.

Thank you so much to @tornightfire for the finished copy and RB media for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

Dark Stars is a horror anthology with 12 stories told by modern day masters in horror the likes of Josh Malerman and Stephen Graham Jones so safe to say I was very excited about this book.

It starts with a lovely introduction from Josh Malerman and then immediately swan dives into concrete.

The first story The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes is quite possibly the worst story I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. A story told primarily about two teen sisters that possess loathsome personality’s to the point that I thought they were the villains for the bulk of the story in which very little actually ever happens. I nearly DNF’d.

The next few stories were ok , not particularly horror in my mind but ok.

Then we get to the story Volcano By Livia Llewellyn. This is when things improve, This story was different and eerie. A collage girl gets a job as an upholsterer and finds her way into places she should not be , along with a co worker. That’s all I’ll say so as to not ruin it for you.

The few stories after this are quite good though many long winded and tedious. Thats my biggest gripe with this collection, To many of the stories are very long winded and then wind up going nowhere.

There are a few decent stories among them but overall very light on the horror and rather forgettable. With the names attached Im surprised to say It’s only a 3 star read for me. But there’s definitely something here for everyone even if they aren’t all hits.

I did very much enjoy the different narrators for the individual stories, that really made it easier to listen to a few stories back to back.

DARK STARS -NEW TALES OF DARKEST HORROR edited by John F.D. Taff
As Josh Malerman says in the forward, “Horror is having a moment.” We are living in a time of seeming unlimited options as horror fans. There is no end to the different sub genres that are available. This is great for fans who are always able to keep the stories feeling fresh. This anthology is perfect for mixing it up and keeping it dark. Stalkers, cosmic, historical, dreams, vampires; the settings and plots are nicely varied as are the authors.
A lot of these authors are well known all stars such as Caroline Kepnes, Ramsey Campbell, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, Josh Malerman, and John Langan. My favorite story was called Trinity River’s Blues by Chesya Burke because I was just hypnotized by the smooth storytelling. Although all of them are good.
These stories take place all over the world making it feel like you are on a nightmare vacation at times.

This collection was good, but not great.

Definitely worth listening to but not something that I see myself going for a round two, you know what I mean?

The narrations and foreword were wonderfully done and I have absolutely no complaints about that.

The reason why I give three stars is because there were some parts that I thought were wonderfully done, but others that simply fell flat for me. Not badly written by any means, just not my particular brand.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author's for gifting me audiobook. Umm it says Horror in the title...there is nothing scary or suspenseful with th we stories. The authors just rambled on with nothing happening.

This book has a wide range of horror short stories from different authors. There is a little bit of something for everyone from the bloody, to the gory, to the downright chilling. I love a good anthology series as I am introduced to new authors within and always come out with some new favorites. This series definitely will have me checking out some of their previous books.

I loved that different people narrated each. Their voices brought another level of depth to the stories themselves.

I want to thank NetGalley, John F.D. Taff and RB Media, Recorded Books for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

I am strictly rating the audio aspect of this story, as I also received a digital ARC. Loved the use of so many diverse narrators, it really added to the stories themselves. With a powerhouse of authors contributing to this anthology, it is only fitting the audiobook would also have a powerhouse of narrators.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

This series of horror short stories from different authors of the genre has a little bit of something for everyone. I’m slowly diving deeper into horror as a genre and getting to know the subgenres and such that I might need to avoid or the ones I want to be totally signed up for. All of the stories fit well and none of them dragged so that even the ones I wasn’t a fan of felt like were quick and could be moved onto the next in a bit.

I managed to scare myself with my own keys when listening to this so its definitely effective. I had genuine chills during at least one story.

I’m going to try and give quick thoughts on each story with as little spoilers as possible but since they are so short, know that anything is basically a spoiler and that I always encourage going into horror as blind as possible (unless you are looking for TW! In which case do that if you need!).

The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes
4.5 Stars
I really loved this one and thought it was a great start. There was something so ominous about the threat of a man to a young girl throughout the story that had me nervous as to where it was going. But also, it was really funny at parts? I genuinely laughed out loud at some of the quotes. I know these characters are extremist versions of teenage girls but something about it felt real with the horror through the lens of low self confidence and desperation in teenage girls. I was not a huge fan of the ending though and thought it could have used an extra umph.

(Oh crap! She wrote You! Will definitely be checking out that book as it is on my shelf of shame)

A Life of Nightmares by Ramsey Campbell
3.5 Stars
A man wakes up from a nightmare, into another real nightmare. Or does he?
This definitely went down a path I wasn’t that interested in but! It was effectively creepy while doing it. The first part especially was super unnerving, especially on audiobook.

Papa Eye by Priya Sharma
3 Stars
A doctor moves to a small island to take care of its inhabitants and discovers signs of an odd religion.
This was not what I expected and I don’t feel I can review it properly without revealing too much. Well written and establishes itself and its world quickly. But yeah, don’t want to say too much.

Volcano by Livia Llewellyn
2.5 stars
A mess of a college student discovers a black hole?
I don’t know what happened here. I did learn that this could be considered cosmic horror and I’m not a fan cause I don’t understand what happened here. Still well written though.

All the Things He Called Memories - Stephen Graham Jones
5 Stars
Pandemic quarantine horror! Ah this creeped me out so bad! A man stuck in quarantine with his scientist wife suspects she may be experimenting with him. After this and The Last Good Indians, he is quickly becoming a must read.

Trinity River Blues - Chesya Burke
3 Stars
A woman who can see ghosts is cursed by one.
I think I would have enjoyed this as a whole novel but as it was it felt like a very short glimpse into a whole world that wasn’t particularly scary. Very crossroads deal vibes.

The Familiar’s Assistant - Alma Katsu
3 Stars
A man decides on suicide by vampire
I felt like we didn’t explore the more interesting aspects of this story like the guy’s background enough. While creepy in a messed up way I didn’t really feel that scared at any point.

Swim in the Blood of a Curious Dream - John F.D. Taft
4 Stars
A man takes his son a trip after the recent death of his wife
I didn’t know what was going on through most of this story again but it was VERY creepy. I mean rest stop bathrooms are a nightmare enough. I wish I could have gotten more of it, especially past the open ending.

The Sanguinstalist - Gemma Files
4.5 Stars
A blood mage (?) investigates the murder of a woman
This one does not fuck around with explaining ANYTHING to you. But I want this to be a whole novel in this world of magic. I don’t think it was really horror? But I was there for it.

Mrs. Addison’s Nest - Josh Malerman
4 stars
Four childhood friends face their biggest fear
This one reminded me of King probably the most. The repetitive and mind bending prose actually worked for me here even if it made the ending all blurry. There were way too many characters though that I could not in any way tell apart.

Challawa - Usman T. Mallik
3 Stars
A woman visits a small town in her home of Pakistan with her husband
I never saw Midsommar but I think this is Midsommar? With way less white people. But the part about the phosphorus is a real life nightmare for me personally so I was terrified. I think folk horror (a new term I learned!) is also not for me.

Enough for Hunger and Enough for Hate - John Langan
5 stars
A woman confronts a man about her brother’s possible death
Loved this one. A great suspense build. The justification of abuse and all the way to murder from a killer was interesting without even the extra added bonus at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I think all the many narrators did an amazing job and I would completely recommend this as an audiobook.