Such a great collection of stories!
I enjoyed rereading the ones from the previous novels. The new additions were such entertaining stories, especially the one by Mr. King.
And for those like me who can't get enough of Sarah M. Eden's books, this is totally for you!

* I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.*

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a compilation of the penny dreadful episodic stories that were interspersed in between chapters of the Dread Penny Society series. I actually have to wish that I had a hard copy of these stories because they were so interesting, imaginative, and diverse. But what truly charmed me about them though was their use to break up the atmosphere of the novels. Or at times enhance or parallel the story. I love the mental breaks and diversion they created at times. Some were gothic, some were romantic, some were dramatic, some were humorous and at first they threw me for a loop until I realized what they were (the writings of the fictional characters who were the members of the Society) and then I started to look forward to them.

It is cool to publish them together, outside of the original series... but again, the real charm for me was to have these little bonbons interspersed in the original series itself.

4 stars out of 5

Although I haven’t read the Dread Penny Society series, I was intrigued by the concept of an anthology written in the style of Victorian penny dreadfuls (and that cover is stunning!). I was really impressed by the way that Sarah M. Eden wrote the stories as if they were written by different authors, and I found that they each had a distinctive voice. The collection is varied, spanning from gothic romance tales to light comedic stories and just about everything in between. There’s definitely something in here for everyone. Contrary to many other reviewers, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Mr King stories (although I did really enjoy The Governess and The Fugitive), as I preferred the creepier stories with a smaller focus on romance. My favourites were undoubtedly Terminus and The Dead Zoo as they truly captured the eerie suspense typical of gothic short stories. I also really liked the writing style of The Vampire’s Tower as it felt like a perfect mix of the picaresque and the paranormal. The illustrations are also stunning, and I’m sure the cloth-bound hardcover copy will be gorgeous! This book has definitely convinced me to read the rest of the series as well. I would definitely recommend this to any fans of gothic and historical tales!

With thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for providing an ARC.

Wonderful series, I had guessed at the plot several times, but was always surprised. Ms. Eden really has the gift of a storyteller! Give her novels a try, you won't be disappointed

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review..

This beautiful, cloth-covered hardcover collector’s anthology compiles all the penny dreadful short stories from Sarah M. Eden’s five-book Victorian romance series. Included in this edition are three new, never-before-released stories.

Each short story is written in the style of the Victorian fiction that became so popular during that time period. From ghost stories to adventures to mysteries, Sarah weaves these gothic tales among her romantic storylines, making it the perfect way to celebrate the Dread Penny Society series.


Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book for free, I am not wildly fond of anthologies but this was a good one that pulled me in.

Ever since I read the first Dread Penny Society book, and increasingly so after the subsequent books, I wished that the serialized "penny dreadfuls" could each be available as a complete story, and even better if they were all compiled together. With this book, the author and the publisher fulfilled this great wish, and I looked forward to this as soon as I came to know of it on Sarah Eden's page.

I loved these stories though I enjoy the dread penny society novels much more. One of the most commendable things about these is that Sarah has given a distinctive style to each of the authors. All of them are entertaining, but "Mr. King" is my favorite. Just as an aside - Mr. King's first appearance at the society meeting was one of the most amusing incidents I have come across in a book.

I received and ARC from Shadow Mountain through Netgalley, and thank them for this copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I am keenly waiting for the last book of the series, and it was a great sorrow to me that my request for an ARC of The Queen and the Knave was declined.

I love the idea of this book and really enjoyed reading all of these stories. Based on the old Penny Dreadful books, each one is a different story and genre. From thrilling adventures, romance and spooky supernatural stories, there really is all sorts here. Each one is supposedly written by a different author and as such has its own style
Each tale is short and quick to read, but the whole thing took me a while to get through, that was simply because I dipped into this every so often, reading a new story in between other books.
I had quite a few favourites amount this collection. The Dead Zoo really stands out, not only because it was such a fun read, but also because it is set in the kind of museum that I now work in, or at least the older side of our museum started life as a museum-like this.
These stories were all fantastic and I loved them. There were a few Americanisms that crept in and threw me out of the story a little. (The one that really stood out was the taffy candy that a sweet shop owner was selling, I had to look up what it actually was, certainly not a term you'd hear in Britain, but there were others too.) Overall though, this didn't detract from the book and I really enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Such a creative literary experience! If you’ve enjoyed this series, you are familiar with the hidden gems interspersed throughout each book. All of the penny novels are collected together in one collection. I treasured them all the first time around while reading the corresponding novel, but all of them gathered together in one book is a treat! Sarah M. Eden truly demonstrates her writing creativity by penning each novel from the various author’s voice and perspective. There is a wide variety of romance, mystery, gothic, and life lessons through fiction. There are three new ones not previously published in the novels that were just as fun and creative. This feels like a celebration of penny novels enjoyed long ago. Life lessons are still applicable and fictional stories still delight. Even if you’ve not read the series, you will enjoy this collection of short stories.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I loved the Dread Penny society and was excited to see all the "penny dreadfuls" combined in one book!
Some of the stories were more interesting than other but overall they were very entertaining. Some of the stories read like fairytales & others like horror stories.
My favorite was The Lady and the Highwayman man, personally and the one about orphans. They read more like historical fiction and had humor.
I can't wait to see this in print!

I've been obsessed with the dread penny society series since I read the first book, so I'm so excited the penny dreadful novels we all know and love are getting their own book.

I loved the new, never before released stories. I also love the design of the book. I'm so excited it'll be hard cover and I can't wait to put it on my shelves.

My niece and nephew are young enough they might not fully understand the stories, but I'm definitely planning on using these for bedtime stories.

Overall, this book is the crowning jewel to a wonderful series. I'm sad to see the dread penny society series end, but this book of penny dreadfuls is a great way to end it.

I loved these stories as they appeared in the Dread Penny novels, and it was great fun to reread them. I really liked the new additions as well.

*Review copy courtesy of Shadow Mountain. Opinions are my own.*

"This beautiful, cloth-covered hardcover collector's anthology compiles all the penny dreadful short stories from Sarah M. Eden's five-book Victorian romance series. Included in this edition are three new, never-before-released stories.

Each short story is written in the style of the Victorian fiction that became so popular during that time period. From ghost stories to adventures to mysteries, Sarah weaves these gothic tales among her romantic storylines, making it the perfect way to celebrate the Dread Penny Society series (The Lady and the Highwayman, The Gentleman and the Thief, The Merchant and the Rogue, The Bachelor and the Bride, and The Queen and the Knave)."

Oh, cloth-covered collector's edition? Yes please!

The Dread Penny Society by Sarah M. Eden, 400 pages. SHORT STORIES. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2023. $26.
Language: PG (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Penny dreadfuls were popular short, serial stories in the United Kingdom, and Eden has tried her hand at writing several. While these short stories are read in installments throughout Eden’s series “The Dread Penny Society,” this compilation allows readers to get the complete penny dreadfuls all together. Ranging in style, as if written by different authors, and tone, readers never know what’s going to happen next.
These short stories lose some of their power in mirroring and giving insight into Eden’s focus characters in the Dread Penny Society series when they are taken away from the context of those novels Eden originally put them in. However, I did enjoy being able to read the stories in full without waiting for the next installment. Putting the penny dreadfuls together also better illustrates Eden’s skill in writing vastly differing styles.
The majority of characters are implied English and Irish. The language rating is for use of British swears, the mature content rating is for criminal mischief, and the violence rating is for weapon use and fantasy violence.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I had read all but the last three stories already from other books. I really liked two of them. I didn’t know what to think of the last story. These are quick easy reads.

This was an easy to read collection of Victorian stories with a variety of different subjects and I liked that they all shared a paranormal theme but that the genres of the stories varied. There were romances, mysteries and ghost stories to be found within. I particularly enjoyed the story about the school for ghosts - it was a very lighthearted and mischievous spin on a ghost story! The romance stories were predictable and short, but if you’re looking for something that’s a bit of fun and throws romance into a whole host of paranormal historical situations then they’re a good read, if not lacking a bit of chemistry and the time normally needed to build a connection between two characters. Overall, a good collection with some unusual and interesting stories.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I love the penny dreadfuls... I love how Eden has the ability to completely change her writing style (depending on the "author") I love how "Mr. King"s Dreadfuls always reflect what is happening in the main story but in a little lighter fantasy setting.

A fun collection of Penny Dreadfuls! I love the diversity found within these fun Victorian era serials!

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

I've enjoyed all the Dread Penny dreadfuls by Sarah M Eden, so imagine my delight when I saw this would have all of them AND three new stories. These showcase the author's storytelling skills because each dreadful is written by a character she created for the Dread Penny Society novels. Also really fun is that you can read each penny dreadful in longform insteand of dispersed within the larger tale behind the fictional author composing them.

I was given an ARC via netgalley.

I love that Eden has all the Penny Dreadfuls from her series, The Dread Penny Society, all compiled into one book. Now I can reread each of them on their own without having to search through the series for each chapter. It is so incredible that Eden was able to not only write an incredible series, but at the same time write several different penny dreadfuls as if from different authors! She's amazingly talented and I love all her books. I will definitely have this compilation on my bookshelf alongside the rest of the series.

This is a great add to Sarah Eden’s Dread Penny Society. The short stories were all fun and enjoyable to read. I have enjoyed learning more about the Victorian Era through all of her stories. The amount of research she must have done to write these and the other books is amazing. I would highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for an ARC copy for my honest opinion.