Great collection of stories from an even greater collection of authors. Black speculative horror is a genre that I’m beginning to enjoy more and more so this was definitely right up my alley

A strong horror anthology that both invents new haunts and puts unique spins on familiar tropes. As always with anthologies I preferred some stories more than others; absolute standouts for me were the stories by Ashia Monet (i love fucked up church interfacing & imagery & righteous gore), Liselle Sambury (i love insane girl group friendships), Joelle Wellington (a girl simply has the right to mutually obsessive madness with a haunted house) and Circe Moskowitz (ouch :( my favourite zombie outbreak story ever. such good character work)

An exciting mix of horror, thriller, fantasy and adventure. An anthology that focuses on Black authors and Black characters which feels essential and refreshing! All ten stories are brilliantly written and individually hold there own. There’s a bit of everything for all horror fans, darkness, gore, zombies, ghosts, voodoo and more. The anthology kicks of with an edge of your seat thriller “Lights” by Kalynn Bayron, a murder thriller with a sick twist expertly executed in such a short story. We are also introduced to some upcoming and exciting new authors such as Joel Rochester who brings an eerie ghostly take on a Frankenstein story.

REVIEW

All These Sunken Souls hits like hell and doesn’t stop. Every time I thought I’d surely found the standout story in the collection another came along and vied hard for the position, leaving me with three choices and no desire to choose favorites. So I shan’t!

It's rare a story seems to speak to me from the page—as though it's taken on a life, an audible voice, of its own. “Be Not Afraid” by Ashia Monet, “The Consumption of Vienna Montrose” by Joelle Wellington, and “Mother, Daughter, and the Devil” by Donyae Coles, spoke. The narratives are fresh and unique while conversing with tropes, stories, and histories that came before them. They feature beautifully crafted female characters written with depth and tenderness.

Save one, every single short story was as least three stars, with most of them being four or five stars for me. The exception was a matter of purely taste–I didn’t enjoy the first five pages, skimmed ahead, and realized that my issue (the prose style) persisted throughout. So I skipped it. (I only mention the fact I DNF’d this one story for transparency’s sake, as this was an ARC.)

Broadly speaking, this collection features tropes and themes I love love LOVE in horror. Body horror (tooth, flesh, and bone), names (and the lack of them), houses (sentient or otherwise), biblical imagery (of the accurate angelic sort), folk tales and ghost stories (told and acted), and the comfort–yet also the horrific pain–of isolation.

And that’s not all, of course. But you’ll have to explore the rest yourself in October.

For my individual star ratings for each short story, see my Storygraph review.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you like horror, you absolutely must read this collection. Doubly so if you have interest in diverse horror, horror short stories, or, like me, just love a visceral, still-dripping piece of character-driven horror prose.

Thank you to Amberjack Publishing for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in All These Sunken Souls, it will be released 17 October 2023. Find more information via the editor. If possible, support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org!

Normally, when there's a collection of stories, I find myself liking some more than others. Not this time though. Each story in this book was engrossing. I was genuinely sorry to come to the end of this book. I loved the fact that there was a horror story for different preferences.

Thank you Amberjack Publishing for the opportunity to review this book

even though I'm not someone who enjoys a lot of horrors, I found this book really engaging and fun, everything story was so creepy and well-written. this is a perfect book for someone who wants to start reading horrors but doesn't know where to start from

Here's the thing with anthologies: I'm not going to feel the same about every story in the collection. I enjoy seeing what people do with a theme, and I like finding new writers or seeing different styles of work by authors I already know. While not every story in here did it for me, I will say that the majority of them did, and the few I didn't love were a matter of personal subgenre taste.

I enjoyed that the stories each fit into a different horror genre. "Lights" was unsettling from two angles; "All My Best Friends Are Dead" felt like a creepypasta; "The Consumption of Vienna Montrose" has the sort of gothic feel I'd expect from Shirley Jackson, and so on. There's no unifying feel to the stories other than the horror element, so it has a little something for everyone. The result has the same effect as the CW series "Two Sentence Horror Stories" in that it's a snack station of horror tropes. My favorite story was "Be Not Afraid" because I love a good body horror tale, but "Mother Daughter and the Devil" was a close second. Having just read another themed YA anthology that didn't quite work for me, I really appreciated the range of stories in ALL THESE SUNKEN SOULS.

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and I'm glad that it will be out in time for Halloween. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an eARC; my review is being left voluntarily and the opinions are my own.

I really struggle with rating anthologies but I enjoyed this one and it was really nice to see names that I was familiar with all in one place! Some of these could’ve been stronger but they were very creative.

I love this anthology! Each story was chilling in their own, unique way. Some stories plain scary, others more the unnerving kind of scary. There are two stories that made a lasting impression; the one with the teeth and the one about Frey. I don't want to say more, because I don't want to accidentally spoil something. But you'll know which stories they are when you read them.

I am looking forward to reading more from each of these authors; both the established and the debut authors. We need more Black stories from Black authors and I sure as heck would love to read more Black horror.

This will be a perfect read for Spooky season and I urge everyone to put this on their tbr!

Anthologies are so hard to rate but I'm landing in the middle on this one. Loved the first few stories but had to skip a few that were a little drawn-out.

I love horror short stories, so I was very excited when I was approved for this ARC! Thanks to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.

“All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology” (2023) is a collection of 10 stories from various authors, edited by Circe Moskowitz. The blurb says that this book “tackles a genre that historically has tokenized and exploited Black characters and opens discussion on how horror translates into the current time we live in”. Amazing!

The first half of the book set a very high bar, as it starts with the most solid stories of this volume. Then I thought it dipped in the middle, as these were my least favourite stories - but it ended with a bang! So I think the order of the stories was a pretty good editorial choice.

There’s something for everyone here: haunted houses, zombie apocalypses, ghosts, monsters… It’s labelled as YA, but some of the stories were plenty gory!

My rating by story:

“Lights” by Kalynn Bayron: 5⭐ A monster eager to feed meets his match when stalking a family. Unexpected and creepy.

“Be not afraid” by Ashia Money: 5⭐ A miraculous entity arrives at a church. This one reminded me of “Midnight Mass”! It deals with racism and Christian hypocrisy.

“All my best friends are dead” by Liselle Sambury: 5⭐ Bloody Mary with a delightful, terrifying twist!

“The teeth come out at night” by Sami Ellis: 4⭐ A student on a tight budget tries to get some money for her college fund by taking something she shouldn’t.

“I love your eyes” by Joel Rochester: 3⭐ Secrets come out when a happy couple celebrates their anniversary in a secluded mansion. This one had an interesting resolution, but the execution fell flat for me because at no point did I buy into the relationship.

“The consumption of Vienna Montrose” by Joelle Wellington: 3⭐ A young woman inherits an old house from her grandmother.

“The landscape of broken things” by Brent Lambert: 3⭐ In this dystopia, the seers that once helped humanity are now treated as a menace, and a teen struggles to save his mother.

“Mother Daughter and the Devil” by Donyae Coles: 3.5⭐ This has such a solid premise about generational trauma, but it was a little too meandering.

“Papa Pearlie” by Ryan Douglass: 3⭐ A young man visits the patriarch of the family and discovers a secret about his handmade dolls.

“No harm done” by Circe Moskowitz: 5⭐ A teenager meets her long-lost twin right as the zombie apocalypse begins. A unique take on this trope!

Overall, I was delighted with this anthology and can’t recommend it enough to any horror fans looking for their next scare!

I will forever be excited about authors from marginalised communities reclaiming the horror genre. The moment I heard tell of a Black horror anthology, coming out this 👻spooky month👻 no less, I just about lost my mind. And that cover absolutely slays!

I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and I think it is perfect for both readers who are new to horror and horror veterans. The stories are chilling and can get unhinged (which is personally very fun), and they span such a wide range of themes and tropes, from action-packed slashers to atmospheric Gothic tales that I think readers new to horror will have so much fun exploring. There are a few stories here that I absolutely want an entire novel of as a fan of Lovecraftian horror and Gothic tales; Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet, The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington and Mother, Daughter, and the Devil by Donyae Coles. My wish is for a new horror reader to dive into this and come out of it being really attached to specific stories and thereby embarking on a journey of finding similar spooky tales.

And oh the heart and soul that are poured into these stories. Are they really fun stories? Yes. Are they also so real and sometimes heartbreaking? Oh yes, using horror as a medium for creating awareness and exploring real world horrors is probably one of my favourite things about art and literature. These stories highlight both daily fears and generational trauma suffered by marginalised, particularly Black and queer communities, and I cannot stress more how important it is that literature like these are encouraged.

Thank you Amberjack Publishing and NetGalley for this digital advanced reader copy, these opinions are my own.

I love a good horror anthology - and All These Sunken Souls is good. The stories cover a large range of different types of horror, from the typical monsters, to slashers, to gothic curses. Many are rooted in urban legend and mythology, but from the distinct perspective of those stories in black history (particularly that of African Americans). As the title indicates, all of the authors and their characters are black; this is an own voices collection.

Now, I swear I'm being honest when I say I don't think there was a dud in the bunch. I actually read through this pretty briskly because I enjoyed each story that much.

Lights by Kalynn Bayron - A slasher story with a fun twist. It felt tropey but in a nostalgic way, and Bayron wrote it in a way that feels like a friend telling you a story. Love the twist, even though it's easy to spot it coming. 3/5

Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet - I don't even want to name the specific horror genre for this story because it'll give it away... but this was one of my favorite stories in the collection. Oh my gosh, I would love a full-length novel of this. Monet, as a writer, reminds me a lot of Alix E. Harrow, where it almost feels like reading a fairy tale. I love it and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more by her. 5/5

All My Best Friends Are Dead by Liselle Sambury - a fun twist on a popular urban legend. It's very Are You Afraid of the Dark but Rated R. I can see this being made into a movie. That ending! Oh my gosh! 4/5

The Teeth Come Out at Night by Sami Ellis - a spooky take on southern myth, this one was another of my favorites and probably one of the scariest entries. It also features a unique spin on a well-known story, with a sympathetic protagonist who winds up surprising the reader. Ellis does a great job on sharing just enough with the reader to keep you on edge. 5/5

I Love Your Eyes by Joel Rochester - a gothic tale set in the UK, giving Crimson Peak vibes and I love it. I think this is another story that is a bit trope-y but again - it's an homage in the best way, like a warm hug. Very enjoyable and reminiscent of turn-of-the-century horror (though it is set in present day). 4/5

The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington - I don't even know how to describe this one aside from... gothic. lol. Wellington has managed to write one of the most uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing horror stories I've ever read. Another favorite, and another one I'd happily read as a full-length novel. I need to know more about this family. 5/5

The Landscape of Broken Things by Brent Lambert - Sci-fi/cosmic horror with an interesting and horrifying take on time travel and premonitions. Seriously spooky. Reminded me a bit of John Carpenter's In The Mouth of Madness? Well-done Lambert, for creating a monster that will be haunting my dreams for the rest of my life. 5/5

Mother, Daughter, and the Devil by Donyae Coles - Very interesting and I'm not sure how to explain it. It feels like unreliable narrator, though it's in 3rd-person, because Coles writes it like a modern fable, and it feels like all of the fantasy elements are metaphors for what's actually happening/what actually happened. How much was real? All of it? None of it? Kind of Lovecraftian as well. It feels like the sort of story Jordan Peele would produce as a film. 4/5

Papa Pearlie by Ryan Douglas - This is a story of evil magic, but all about the cycle of generational abuse. It's sad and it's tragic, and I definitely read this at the wrong time, having recently read Grady Hendrix's How To Sell A Haunted House, because this is very similar and all I'm seeing are similarities... though Douglas certainly puts his own, exceedingly creepy spin on it and, in my opinion, did it better than Hendrix. Sorry not sorry. 4/5

No Harm Done by Circe Moskowitz - Zombies! I don't think that's a spoiler because it happens quickly. But it's also more than zombies, and that took me by surprise, honestly. An interesting short with an interesting protagonist. 3/5

Overall, I loved it and am glad to have been introduced to so many new and talented writers!

THAT COVER IS GORGEOUS!
I rated the short horror stories individually and then based the overall book rating on the combined rating.

Lights by Kaylnn Bayron - 3 stars (Fun twist at the end)

Be Not Afraid by Ashia Monet - 4 stars

All My Best Friends Are Dead by Liselle Sambury - 3.5 stars

The Teeth Comes Out At Night by Sami Ellis - 4.5 stars

I Love Your Eyes by Joel Rochester - 3 stars
(I highly recommend you subscribe or watch his book tube, I'm a big fan!)

The Consumption of Vienna Montrose by Joelle Wellington - 2.5 stars

The Landscape of Broken Things by Brent Lambert - 2.5 stars

Mother, Daughter & the Devil by Donyae Coles - 2.5 stars

Papa Parlie by Ryan Douglass - 4 stars

No Harm Done by Circe Moskowitz - 2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book.

I have to say ALL THESE SUNKEN SOULS was one of the most enjoyable anthologies I’ve ever read. How is this possible with a YA Black Horror collection? Because all of the stories were so f**cking good! I had a feeling that Circe Moskowitz would edit a horror collection to perfection. I was so right.

I should have prefaced my excitement. When it comes to anthologies, I usually like a handful of the stories and had to get through the rest. With this set, I loved all of them (there is one story that I liked the least but it still was well-written and plotted, I was just having trouble).

However, with each story, the horror fan in me kept coming out. There was a twist here or a gross thing there (the involvement of teeth, you have been warned) and I kept thinking, there’s no way it could get better. AND IT DID! Each story touches on a different part of horror that I enjoyed and it allowed to show how expansive the genre is.

There are ten short stories in this collection and I think it’s the perfect amount. By the end, I easily dubbed this collection of my favorites of this year.

The collection starts off with a bang with my three favourite stories by far {Lights (Kalynn Bayron); Be Not Afraid (Ashia Monet); All My Best Friends Are Dead (Liselle Sambury)}. While these are the three that stood out the most to me, that doesn't take away from how well every story works together. The overall atmosphere was dark and gothic. The perfect combination for a horror lover like me.

I wish that "The Landscape of Broken Things (Brent Lambert)" "The Teeth Come Out at Night (Sami Ellis)" were longer, so that we could have more time for plot development. The Consumption of Vienna Montrose (Joelle Wellington) has me intrigued by the author's writing style, and I will definitely be looking out for more of their work.

This one is for the horror girlies. What a wonderful year 2023 is turning out to be for us.

This anthology is the perfect book too reads while you’re sitting or laying by a camp fire alone or with friends. All ten authors offer you stories that will have you constantly looking over your shoulder or wonder what’s lurking on the next page.

I really enjoyed the book so much . I felt the authors each offered the readers a chance to get to know their writing ,if they weren’t already familiar with them outside of this book. For me I am already familiar and love so many of the authors in this book . So though I knew it would be great based off of that alone, I got to know authors who I had not previously read from. Making me want to go and read other books/stories from these authors. Though I wont say if I like one story more than the other because I think you’ll be hard pressed to do so yourself after reading this book. It’s perfect for the spooky season or anytime you think you want something horror filled to read.

This book has lgbtq representation, zombies, a haunted mansion, demons, ghost, hoo doo,stalker, death, and so much more. I mean what else do you expect from a horror book. If you love black mirror, Jordan Peele, love craft country, or just horror in general I say you’ll love this book as much as I have. The only thing that it was missing for me was more stories .

All opinons are my own and honest. Thank you Netgalley and Amberjack publishing for allowing me to read this ARC. It was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.

ARC REVIEW / SPOILER FREE

For fans of horror, this book is the golden ticket. Blood freezing horror stories with different tropes to suit every taste. All These Sunken Souls is an anthology of horror that shifts the narrative of black characters and takes you on a deep dive to chill your bones with every story. Thrilling moments and different writing styles that blend greatly together from well known and new debut authors.

As a beginner in horror (I've read one or two Stephen King for my defense), this book is a delightful discovery for me, and I recommend it whether you're only starting with horror or it's your favorite genre, All These Sunken Souls is a sublime addition to your reading and to the shelves as well with a beautiful cover that translates the essence of the book.