NetGalley Notes
I received a complimentary copy of A Sliver of Darkness from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Wow! C.J. Tudor is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! This was the second book that I have read, but it may have been even better than the first. Both original and frightening, tales, this book of short stories is full of mystery and back-of-the mind fear that everyone harbors. Fantastic read. (I only wish there was more of it!)

Creative, description, and well-written.
Author CJ Tudor quickly pulls one into each short story and leaves you curious and craving for more.
Curious to know a whole lot more about “The Lion at the Gate”……….

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine books for providing me an advanced copy of “A Sliver of Darkness” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

This is the first CJ Tudor that I've read. I've heard of her books before but never actually picked one up and got to it. (Although now that I think of it, I might own one of her books...) Overall, I give this collection 3 stars, maybe 3.5 stars. I enjoyed most of them but for some of them I couldn't connect to the story at all. I think there's some real gems that could definitely be expanded a bit and made into novellas or full length novels. Each story has some kind of twist about it and some of them felt a bit forced, like Tudor just wanted to throw something in there but some of them are actually really good and interesting.

I'd recommend picking this up, it's a decent story collection and some of them definitely burrowed deep into my skin but expect one or two of them to fall a bit flat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Sliver of Darkness is a collection of ten short stories by C.J. Tudor. Ranging from apocalyptic to magical to straight up horror, this collection really shows Tudor’s full spectrum as an author. The author’s note at the beginning explains why this book of short stories is coming out and it did make me tear up a bit.

I loved every story in this collection. Some of them were more of a four star than five but all of them together make this collection five stars. There was one story that followed a character from one of Tudor’s previous books that I have not read yet so I didn’t connect to that story but I think anyone who knows that character will enjoy it.

I find that as far as short story collections go, I do prefer one collection written entirely by a single author. The stories just seem like they follow together better even though some of them were written years apart and completely different genres. This one is no exception. With short explanation from the author at the beginning of each story, we really see into what inspired her to write every thing which I really loved. There were a few stories that I wish would have been full length novels!

This is definitely something I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of short, ambiguous horror/thriller/sci-fi stories. Some of these stories felt like they could have been episodes of Black Mirror, which is the highest compliment I can think of. I will be purchasing a physical copy for me shelves as soon as I can!

I'm a huge fan of C.J. Tudor. I have all her books, and I'm so excited she's releasing a collection of short stories.
And I'm very appreciative of NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

Each story in this collection has an introduction from the author detailing her inspiration. I loved that glimpse into the writer's storytelling process. A big source of inspiration for this collection was the pandemic. so many of these stories are apocalypse themed or revolve around the idea of perfectionism.
As with any short story collection, some stories are better than others.
I'm going to highlight a few of the stories I liked the most:

End of the Line:
Is there anything quite as blissful as setting out to sea on a luxury cruise ship? The sun, the sea, the rest and relaxation. But what if the cruise never ended? What if you were forced to relive the same blissful vacation day after day? Leila has been forced to do just that for the past 50 years -ever since the Event- and the once extravagant experience has lost all its luster. But that's better than facing the reality of her situation. Doing that has severe consequences.

The cult-like mentality and level of Stepford Wives perfection made this story chilling. What good is luxury and life if it exists only in exile and loss of freedom?

The Block:
"No one remembers it being built. People remembered before and after. But nothing in between."

Danny and his friends decide break into The Block-a rundown, abandoned building in their neighborhood. But they'll soon discover the building isn't as abandoned as they thought and whatever lurks within its crumbling walls doesn't want anyone there.

The inspiration behind this story's inception is just as chilling as the story itself. And this story is pretty chilling.
This is more of a YA horror novel, but one that is incredibly atmospheric and claustrophobic. I love abandoned buildings, and I love the Lovecraft vibe this one had. That really set it apart from the other stories in this collection. Plus, the ending was very unsettling.

Completion:
This is another story that deals with the apocalypse. A plague has infected humanity and caused societal collapse. Amidst the poverty and putrefaction of death stands the Bragshaw Manor. The decay in the streets is nothing compared to the darkness that lays behind the manor's doors.

This story is a commentary on greed and the complacency of death.
The entire time I was reading this story, I was thinking about T.S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men. "This is how the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper."

Gloria:
This story brings together characters from two of Tudor's previous novels.
The story centers around Gloria (from The Hiding Place). After the events of that novel, Gloria is trying to get back to a normal life, but she feels haunted and disconnected from herself. When she meets a little girl named Alice (from The Other People), cracks start to develop and Gloria begins to realize everything she thought she knew is a lie.

Gloria is a ruthless character, and I enjoyed reading a story from her perspective.
Gloria and Alice were characters from two different books, but their separate stories connected nicely and made for an intriguing and unsettling read.

The Copy Shop:
This is another story with a Stepford Wives vibe that questions the price of perfection and if everything (including people) are truly replaceable.

A nice collection of thriller/horror-type stories, reminiscent of some of the spookier Gaiman or Stephen King shorts.
Most of the stories had a nice pay-off in terms of reading. All of the works are open-ended so your imagination is the only thing limited where the story goes from there and how much fright you feel.
The last story, which the author says she might some day expand on is the only one which feels incomplete. I would certainly enjoy reading the follow-up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
#asliverofdarkness #Netgalley

A wonderful fun filled thriller filled with C.J Tutor’s wonderful style. Immaginative and making this reader wish for a continuation to these short stories. It’s a quick and scary read recommendationed to those who love a frightening tale or two!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of these stories!

end of the liner - 5/5: i actually quite liked this. the lottery vibes. i can imagine this being a world we live in all too easily. not too far from where we are today really.

the block - 3/5: for what this was it was alright. cheesy almost. felt more young adult than i typically enjoy. also made me think a lot of 14 by peter clines.

runaway blues - 5/5: holy fk the twist! didn’t expect any of that. man WHAT this was actually real good

the completion - 1/5: i didn’t like this because the main character was vile, disgusting disgusting disgusting. could be a very cool story concept but only if he’s not in it … at least not as the main focus

the lion at the gate - 1/5: wait, what? i don’t understand the ending i guess.


gloria - 5/5: i really quite enjoyed this! i want more gloria! and alice! anything about a little kid with powers always gets me. i’m curious for the authors book that has gloria as a character in it now.

i’m not ted - 5/5: holy fk????? this was insanely amazing. i want to read more of this story, i need to know what’s going on. gave me cabin in the woods vibes almost. 1509 early on leading to 1510. cool af.

final course - 5/5: W O W. now that’s a story! can i request a full book, please? big bird box vibes but it was different…. little kids with powers is a trope i love and the entire atmosphere was daunting

the copy shop - 4/5: this was very interesting but needs more. as a novel i feel this would have come across better. needs more detail. reminded me of… needful things, maybe… the monkeys paw….. i don’t know, my mind was finding so many similarities while reading this but it was also something new…. something…. better


dust - 5/5: oh this was good! i got “the others” vibes. this would make a good novel and movie. the concept of being somewhere you think is one thing but it’s really another is scary… accountability is so important.


butterfly island - 3/5: this was an interesting one. i didn’t really like it, but it was a concept i’ve never read before. i am scared of butterflies and their creepy little arms and eyes tho, so i get the scare factor in this

This book is FANTASTIC. The stories are incredibly haunting, many of them unforgettable, and I immediately started reading other works by the author. I liked that the author made an introduction before each story about what inspired the story. It was fascinating.

First line: In January 2021, my dad passed away.

Summary: In a collection of short stories, C. J. Tudor gives the readers thrills and chills plus making us think. Ten short stories ranging from apocalyptic to a mysterious graffiti tiger are enough to keep the reader reading but also awake at night.

My Thoughts: This collection was so much FUN!! Each story was different and kept my attention. And some even kept my attention into the night, filling my dreams with nightmares. It was creepy, mysterious and thought provoking. I loved how the author started each story with the inspiration behind the tale. It gave each one a little bit more and an insight into an author’s thought process.

It is hard to choose which one is my favorite because they all had something great to recommend them. But I think some of things that will stick with me the most are the flesh eating butterflies and the humans infested with bugs. Bugs creep me out but this gives my phobia another level to think about. Yuck!

FYI: Do not read before bed. ;)

This is a great collection of short stories. It really shows the range of the authors ideas and style.

I did not realize this was a book of short stories, which I do not read, so I won't be in a position to review.

I am not the biggest short story fan. Mainly because I always want more from each story I read. This was the same way! I loved each one of these stories. Even the introductions ((that I felt were an added bonus)) made me want to read the story that followed. It added a personal touch to the book. I really enjoyed the story about the cruise, Ted’s story and Dust. I really hope Ted gets it at some point LOL! This is my second book by CJ and I’m looking forward to the other ones.

CJ Tudor does NOT disappoint, even her short stories are amazing. If you love her books, you will certainly love her short stories. I look forward to her next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for ARC. #ASliverofDarkness #NetGalley.

C.J. Tudor has done it again! There is no better female author writing horror and thrillers today. Tudor proved this by turning in an excellent collection of short stories. Even better, she wrote an introduction to each story to explain where the idea came from.

It’s sad that we lost a full-length novel in order to get these stories. But I also believe it must have been for the best.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This was an interesting collection of quirky short stories. Makes me want to read more from this author.

A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor is a short story horror collection. The stories include timeslips, doomsday scenarios, and killer butterflies.

My favorite stories from this collection include I'm Not Ted, The Copy Shop, and Gloria. Like any short story collection there were stories that I liked more and others that were not as great. Overall, I recommend this short story collection to horror fans looking for a quick read and a quick thrill. I can't wait to read more from C.J. Tudor.
.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to be chosen to get this ARC. CJ Tudor is just FABULOUS and one of my favorite authors. I have to be honest, I have never been a big fan of short stories. This blew all of that out of the water!! Great short reads that will knock your socks off!! Looking forward to her next release The Drift.

This book of short stories by CJ Tudor was excellent! Each one had something to do with an apocalypse of some kind or another.

I absolutely adored this book! Eleven horrific short stories! Each unique and outstanding in their own way. Thank you for allowing me to read this masterpiece.