Member Reviews
Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the book #TheDarkestNight by #LindyRyan. I loved this collection of short spooky stories and all they included. They were short enough to read quite a few at a time but also creepy enough with all that goes bump in the night.
I was really worried when I read the first two stories and they were both in 2nd person. I really don't like stories in 2nd person. But then it got much better. Some of my favorite authors and a few new ones. Just get past the first two.
*Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Anthologies can be a real mixed bag sometimes, you know? Some stories are good, and some are not as good. Occasionally you find an anthology were every story is so good! Well… The Darkest Night is none of the above. D:
I was honestly a little bummed out with this book. It is filled with so many great horror authors! Maybe my expectations were too high? I don’t know… but this was just a huge let down.
Normally you start off with one of the better stories right out of the gate. I don’t want to just dog on the first story being “bad”… but let me tell you… after I read it, I was just like “OH BOY.” D: If this is one of the “better” stories to kick off the book, what are the other stories going to be like??
I’m sorry. I tried to look for the good in this one, I really did. But story after story was just a chore to get through! Everything was so….. mediocre. :/ I felt so disappointed. I’m not sure what happened here? These authors are normally much better!! Sadly, I just did not like this book at all. 😦
The Darkest Night is a gripping anthology of Winter Horror Stories by Lindy Ryan.
This collection features an array of 22 horror stories from some big name authors.
I was excited and delighted to open this book up.
And let me tell ya it didn’t disappoint!
These chilling winter tales will captivate and intrigue you till the very end.
Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
Release Date: 24th September 2024
A unique selection of ghost stories to enjoy in the darkest nights, that you could use as a horror advent of 22 unique stories.
There is a great mix of stories and styles from some brilliant authors (Nat Cassidy, Clay McLeod Chapman, Eric LaRocca and Darcy Coates), which I would rate from a solid 3 up to 4.5 stars (out of 5)
I really enjoyed being able to dip in and out of these reading one story an evening, especially as the nights are drawing in and I'm reading myself for spooky season, this book certainly helped get me in that mood.
If you like short horror stories then this is the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Whenever I read a collection of short stories, it seems more often than not to be my luck that there are some stories I truly enjoy and others I don’t. This book is one of those! Some stories gave me the spooky (and in some cases humorous) vibes I was looking for, while others were just more weird than spooky or I was let down by the ending. 😕
Here are some of my favorite stories in this collection:
❄️ Father’s Last Christmas by Lee Murray
❄️ Nice by Nat Cassidy
❄️ Thaw by Rachel Harrison
❄️ Threads of Epiphany by Sara Tantlinger
❄️ The Ladies’ Society for the Dead by Darcy Coates
❄️ Being Nice by Jeff Strand
I still would recommend checking this collection out, as I would say it has a little something for every taste! 👏
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
These are stories for the holidays, but think more ghost stories and gore than carols.
Each story is different and unique to the author that wrote it, but the mash up well as an anthology. They each have that holiday atmosphere turned on it’s head.
Stand outs were:
the Vermin Moon-lots of grief in this one, but leads down a strange path.
I Hope this Finds You Well-A club for men to deal with their urges for other men and a letter from a club member draws us to the club
Nice- what does being nice mean and would you do naughty things to be nice to help Santa and his elves
Eggnog-what you feed mom you feed baby
I couldn’t wait to see what horror surprises were in it. It’s packed full of 22 short stories by some great horror authors. I guess I would say I was expecting a bit…more out of it. I believe they should’ve picked stronger stories to open the book with. Some didn’t give off winter vibes other than mentioning it was snowing or chilly. Some I would LOVE to see turned into a novel while others I wish I could unread. This is probably something I would read once and leave out for décor on the table during the winter months. A lot of the stories felt like they were missing the passion.
The Darkest Night edited by Lindy Ryan is a fantastic anthology of winter horror stories. It has twenty two small slices of horror from some of my favorite authors including Nat Cassidy, Clay McLeod Chapman, Eric LaRocca and Darcy Coates. It’s a strong collection of tales involving ghosts, grief, snowmen, Santa Claus, elves, horror writers, seances and other stuff. It’s a cornucopia of horror. Recommended for horror readers as it’s a peak into the twisted minds of these creative authors. ARC was provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a hard one to review, being a collection of 22 short stories from some big names in horror as well as some that may only be known within the community, and it was even harder to get through. My main reason for requesting this one was because I'll read anything Rachel Harrison writes, and her contribution was surely a highlight, but there were also several authors whom I've not read yet but own some of their books, like Clay Macleod Chapman, Nat Cassidy, and Darcy Coates, that I wanted to get a feel for their writing style. I did end up liking their stories the most in this collection, and felt like I would enjoy their full length work. I thought Macleod had a similar way with descriptions as Grady Hendrix, who I liked, Nat Cassidy's writing was punchy and fun, and Darcy Coates nailed the creepy Gothic, even if I was very confused by the message received at the séance. I loved Rachel Harrison's message that you're better off alone than with an idiot man who condescends you and treats you like a servant. My surprise favorite in the collection was Eggnog by Kristi DeMeester, an author I'm not familiar with, which follows a new mother out for the first time since giving birth at her husband's holiday party, where she has to deal with the woman who is her opposite in every way trying to make a move on her husband. The claws came out in this one, and it was a lot of fun. Many of the stories in this anthology were not particularly scary and dealt with themes of family trauma and grief, which are always stirred up during the holiday season. A few had historical settings, and felt more like medieval or Grimm type fairy tales, and of those Father's Last Christmas by Lee Murray was the standout, with strong feminist vibes. Candy Cane by Thommy Hutson was a fun concept about a horror writer whose art imitated life, and received poetic justice in the end. The rest, I fear, were largely forgettable or just not my cup of tea.
Of all of the many subgenres and tropes that you can split horror up into, my favorite by far, is winter horror. So when I heard about this collection I KNEW I had to get my hands on it. And while typically I save my snowed-in reads for the snowy months, I had no problem making an exception and reading this one a bit early.
This collection features an array of stories from some big name authors, and these tails vary from supernatural to psychological, from gory and violent to unexpectedly sweet. I always find it a bit difficult to rate a collection of short stories, since inevitably I'm bound to feel differently about each addition, so my approach is to look at the overall vibe of a collection. And in my opinion, The Darkest Night hits the exact vibe I was looking for. This collection made me feel cold despite the 80 degree weather. It really captured the melancholia of winter. There are so many standout stories that I struggle to pick just one favorite, although if I really must, I absolutely adored Nat Cassidy's addition.
All in all, I'd say this is a very solid selection of stories, perfect for a future snow day.
"From some of the biggest names in horror comes an Advent calendar of short holiday horror stories perfect for the darkest nights of the year.
Edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan and with contributions from masters of horror like Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, and Clay McLeod Chapman, this horrific anthology will chill you to the bone.
From New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box, Josh Malerman, comes a story of a dark Christmas past in "Children Aren't the Only Ones Who Know Where the Presents Are Hidden."
From national bestselling author Rachel Harrison, in "Thaw," a couple spends their first Christmas together in a cabin - but are they alone, or does something else watch them from the tree line?
New York Times bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon's "Wintry Blue" sets an innocent child on the road with a strange and monstrous creature.
From the Bram Stoker Award-winning screenwriter of Netflix's Haunting of Bly Manor and The Fall of the House of Usher, in Jamie Flanagan's "Bruiser," something sinister stalks the chilling hallways of a nursing home at night.
Author of Such a Pretty Smile, Kristi DeMeester, tells a tale of "Eggnog" a Christmas party, an overfriendly female coworker, and an angry wife are the recipe for a deadly cocktail party.
Plus stories by Nat Cassidy, Darcy Coates, Clay McLeod Chapman, Tim Waggoner, and many more, with an introduction by George C. Romero and art by renowned British horror artist Mister Sam Shearon."
I mean, I was sold at Christopher Golden, but Jamie Flanagan!?! Hell yes!
A short story collection from some of horror's top authors. All these stories feature Christmas in some capacity and they are extremely bone-chilling. Get ready for the eeriest time of the year! Authors include Rachel Harrison, Josh Malerman, Kristi DeMeester, Hailey Piper, Clay Macleod Chapmand and Christopher Golden. There's even an introduction by George C. Romero, Jr. Edited by Lindy Ryan, author of Bless Your Heart, this collection of 22 short stories is not to be missed!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-arc.*
I am going to end up listening to this one on audio and will be posting my review for that format within the next week or so!! Looking forward to this collection and thank you for the approvals in both styles of media! <3
The Darkest Night is an anthology of short holiday horror stories, edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan. This collection is structured like an Advent calendar, with each story representing a dark and eerie narrative suitable for the winter season. The book features contributions from some of the biggest names in horror, offering a diverse range of chilling tales that explore various aspects of fear and darkness.
The Darkest Night is a highly recommended read for horror enthusiasts looking for a diverse and chilling collection of holiday-themed stories. Its compelling narratives and skillful contributions from renowned horror writers make it a standout anthology in the genre.
I was unable to put this one down. With incredible authors, there is something for everyone. Through these 22 stories, the winter horror element is the only commonality. These vary from holiday horror, beasts, vermin, monsters, the evil of humanity… This was a very solid collection. There wasn’t a single story I didn’t enjoy, which NEVER happens.
Some of my notable favorites:
Mr. Butler - Clay McLeod Chapman
Wintry Blue - Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon
Nice - Nat Cassidy
Eggnog - Kristi Demeester
Being Nice - Jeff Strand
Ghosted - Mercedes M. Yardley
Honestly though, each story in this collection is great. Winter and horror go so well together. The isolation, the cold, the dark…
I really wanted to love this book as it has stories from some of my favorites, but it was underwhelmed. I found the stories to be somewhat creepy but I would have a hard time describing them as horror which is what I was looking for/expecting.
I love anthologies. It's like a smorgasbord of stories. So many different styles and plots. This one is extra fun because every story in it takes place in winter, a dark and spooky time on its own. The stories included in this anthology are perfect to read on a cold winter's night.
Of course, like a smorgasbord, not everything's going to be to the readers' liking. It's probable that all the book's stories, with varying levels of tones from suspenseful to gory, will not be to your liking. Still, give this anthology a try. Feel free to pick and choose the ones you read. If this tale is too graphic, move on to the next one. If that one is too tame, do the same. Anthologies are about discovering new writers, much in the way one might discover they enjoy French toast but not scrapple at a buffet.
The days will soon be shorter and the nights longer. Pick up The Darkest Night to keep you warm from winter's cold embrace.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-book in exchange for an honest review.
This collection was a mixed bag for me. A few I didn't enjoy at all, most were okay but not memorable, and there were a handful of good ones. But there was only one that I loved, and it stood out above all the rest. Nice, by Nat Cassidy, was fantastic! This story, alone, made reading this collection work it.
The Darkest Night provides an excellent collection of upcoming and established horror writers. While overall a strong collection, there are always a few in an anthology that generally bring down the quality of the work as a whole. However, the Darkest Night does a solid job of navigating this by ensuring that the stories that are most likely to be repellent to readers (looking at you, Eric LaRocca) are also some of the strongest works in the piece. It's perfect for the gray dark nights of the autumn and winter, but I found it a fun way to escape the sweaty humidity of the summer.