Have I mentioned how into short stories I am right now? If not, well, I'm very into short stories right now.
I enjoy the condensed, fast pace of the stories even if they are not action packed. This collection of short stories by an author, previously unfamiliar to me, was a solid grouping of dark tales.
I was not sure what to expect, obviously, since I had not read any of their work before, but I went in with an open mind and was impressed. The foreword by Clive Barker was a nice little surprise (it says it right on the cover of the book, but I didn't know that when I picked it from our TBR list!). I am a big fan of Clive Barker and after finishing this collection, I can see why he appreciated these stories and agreed to write the foreword.
Each tale was well written and many from a unique perspective, the POV of a bear, of a cursed monster, of a group of vampires, etc. A couple of them were set in the old west, which I am not always a fan of, but these stories were enjoyable to me, despite their setting!
Some of the stories that stood out to me were, in no particular order:
Vast Expanse of Nothing: The grief and reflection in this one was touching and sad.
Called to the Sea: I thought I knew where this story was going but it was a rollercoaster getting to the final twist.
The Last Great Monster: The inner battle of this creature was tortured, and it was not made better when you discover its back story.
The Witch Pool: A tale as old as time, children being bullied and seeking revenge. This one ends with a splash.
If you are a fan of grief horror, and dark tales of conflicting emotions and actions, then I highly recommend this collection of such stories.
4.5/5 stars from me!
Where to find What Fresh Hell is This: Amazon: https://a.co/d/cVOeoBQ
I believe this one is on KU.
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