Last Light

True horror is not obvious. It is the thing unseen, the thing not thought of. It percolates underneath until it can take hold. It will never let go.

In Last Light, a collection of unforgettable short stories by the talented Chris Coppel, horror is a toaster, a simple handshake, an invitation or a promise of fame. It’s a welcoming glass of the best sherry or the way a shadow crosses sunlight. Don’t read Last Light alone and don’t look behind you. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and Chris Coppel for this ARC.

Having never read short stories by Chris Coppel before, his 'Last Light' collection pleasantly surprised me: Coppel has gathered nine really, really well-written tales, with riveting premises and satisfying endings. Every story is a gem, rich in characterization and terrific dialogue, well-researched, and very ambitious! They're long enough to deserve their own separate publication, each one carrying appropriate weight to be appreciated as the work of a master in its own right.

My favorites were: "Living Water," the opening story, about a filthy rich man's apparently impossible desire to be young again - it had me greedily turning each page to see what would happen next; "Lightning Strike," the second story, brilliantly paced, with great visuals as well (about another rich guy, this time trying to control nature with his mind and technology; the ending was a bit too abrupt though); "Lethal Assignment," a story about an online game whose repercussions go far beyond what the virtual eye can see (and what an ending!); and, finally, the last story, "Lasting Memories," with superb dialogue, a quite moving christmas story that went into really unexpected directions (about a former convict finding a place to live, where he meets a mysterious old woman with indecipherable intentions) - I can’t recommend it enough!

Overall, the stories are very different from each other, yet they are all very much entertaining, each one a page-turner, with neither gore nor anything extreme, just good characterisation, clever ideas, original premises, and brilliant writing! Check them out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for the ARC; it was pure joy to read and review this collection!

THESE STORIES WILL HAUNT MY DREAMS AND I WELCOME IT
I have never read a book of short horror stories before, and boy am I glad I started with Chris Coppel.
The way the author crafted each story to tickle those fear senses in my brain was pure genius.

With spooky season right on our heals, this is the ultimate read. I devoured this book in one day and I regret nothing. I would read these stories over and over again.
My favorite stories were "Living Water" and "Lasting Memories". One left me with hope while the other crushed it, and I loved every minute of it. I could feel myself yelling out loud to these characters as if I was watching a movie unfold before me.

A lot of these stories have concepts that are so enthralling and unique it leaves you begging for more from Chris Coppel. And lucky for us, there is plenty more.
Overall, I would recommend this book to ANY lover of horror books and I promise you wont regret it.

Last Light will give you just enough illumination to see into the wonders and horrors that dwell deep within the darkest shadows.

This was a great collection of horror stories. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthrope Milner Publishers for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is available September 26,2023.

This collection of short stories delivered on what was promised. Spooky, atmospheric reads that will tremble your flesh, shake your bones and make you peel beneath the bed before turning off the light and flying into it. I enjoyed them. I had fun being scared by them. I recommend these stories to anyone who like horror.

Some very interesting, haunting stories can be found in this collection. I loved how original and striking they were. Recommended to horror fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review

3.5 stars! rounded up :)


ooooo I loved the variety of this. Each story was really different, gave a different vibe, some had more dread within them, some had moment that made me chuckle or felt more like a cosy horror feeling. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be looking out for more by Chris Coppel.

4.0 ⭐
Last Light is a collection of short horror/paranormal stories that play with the mind and cover some very real problems in the world, some of which you may even see skirted around in the media - greedy rich entrepreneurs, AI becoming a threat, Virtual Reality and even Abuse.

Each story had an ending that rounded up the tale, and also kept you wanting more, so much so that as the reader, I could extend the story via imagination to come up with the conclusion of what would have happened next in the world, following the events that had been written.

Without giving too much away about these stories, the ones that left an impression were "Labour Shortage" and "Lasting Memories".

I have to say that "Labour Shortage" dealt with a VERY important message of misogyny & hinted towards r*pe culture, whilst "Lasting Memories" was a very positive ending, although I wouldn't have classed this as horror, it left me with a warm feeling, making it my favourite story in the collection. It really hammered home that people aren't always as they seem on paper or by their history.

There are some themes in this book that could be considered triggering, however the stories add a charm whereby you don't actually get explicitly told what the theme is, you just get a feel of it and you KNOW - maybe the scariest part of all is that we know these themes too well, so well that we see it in the writing without being told to look for it.

Thankyou NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own, I swear by the sacred rock.

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A truly must-read single author short story collection, LAST LIGHT presents 9 exceptional tales to expand one's imagination and to provoke thought. Poetic justice, instilling compassion, and reaching beyond the ordinary mundane are important themes here. Take one at a time and let it percolate, or read in quick succession: it's practically guaranteed that these stories will rule your thoughts, populate your dreams, and inspire you to ponder "Just what if---?"