Interesting anthology of ten tales filled with thrills, horror and even comedy. Jake Elwood wrote "Thief and Demon", a dark thriller. There is a higher factor of creepiness when a child is in danger, even a thieving street urchin such as protagonist Mina. Elwood paints a striking image of beautiful descriptions such as, "She eeled her way through the crowd..." and 'She swarmed upward... rising quickly above the heads of the crowd." The reader is immediately impressed by Mina's athleticism as well as her fear of capture; Mina's fear is beautifully illustrated when she is likened to 'a mouse in a world full of cats." This dark thriller chilled and captured this reader from the first sentence; I highly recommend this writer for this beautifully crafted dark thriller. 'Disturbed" by Mark Cassell: Cassell created a dark tale worthy of being told around the campfire to heighten fellow camper's fears. The settings were superb and truly allowed this reader to visualize it all, although I have to say this tale also felt incomplete. Perhaps if Cassell had revealed more about the sigil's, it would have been an extremely awesome read for this reader... this story is one this reader will keep an eye out for, on the chance more is added at a later date. Rayne Hall's tale, 'Nine Rings of Silver and One of Bronze", caught this reader with a well crafter, simple sentence: 'He splintered a juniper branch across his thigh and fed it to the red blush of the flames." This sentence drew this reader fully into the tale, allowing her to smell the sweetly-pungent aroma wafting from the campfire. The final twist in Hall's dark tale caused this reader to burst out laughing at the horror one can only find in human nature and the complexities of the human psyche. This was one terrific, fast-paced read that I highly recommend. 'Detritus at the Church Fete" by Heide Goody and Iain Grant... What a fun, funny tale! Detritus the demon is ordered to ruin activities and fundraisers at churches throughout the land, to make sure they do not grow and prosper. His determination is nothing short of comedic errors that enrich the church he is attempting to ruin, and, unbeknownst to him, his heaven-sent 'help-mate' ensures prosperity for the church. This reader giggled and laughed out loud, throughout! I highly recommend this tale and plan to keep my eyes open for more from these highly talented and funny writers. 'Non-Disclosure" by Mitch Sebourn... Sebourn crafts beautiful sentences that offer plenty of detail while allowing each character to shine as a unique individual. The concept of this story is quite intriguing, similar to that of a realtor being required to disclose known issues in homes they list or face possible litigation. Unfortunately, this story simply did not 'click' for this reader; I will not fault the writer that crafts nicely written scenes that do move the plot forward while remaining true to their narrative voice. However, I will merely state that through no fault of either this reader or the writer, this story simply did not gel for me. Pamela Turner's 'Inner Demon" confused this reader at first, until she finally made the psychological connection of a person battling their own inner demons. Having a priest tugged and twisted by his private demon was a bit disconcerting - yet, a priest is human, after all, and can have doubts and battles with their personal demons, too. Interesting story. 'Nerezza" by Debbie Christiana was another tale that didn't quite mesh for this reader, even though Christiana wrote lovely settings and characterizations. This reader had the ending figured out very early on, much to her dismay, but did enjoy traveling the paths created by this highly talented writer. Douglas Kolacki's 'The Devil Never Takes A Vacation... And Neither Do I" is a very short story about a minister with a Type A personality that meets the perfect demon for his personality type. This reader didn't care for all the rolling letters used in the demon's dialogue and wished the story was fleshed out a little more. The title felt longer than the story! 'The Touch of the Taniwha" by Tracie McBride is an absolutely thrilling and chilling tale; McBride's settings are superb, allowing a reader to see, feel and smell what each narrator does. The story is told about a single incident, but by the three involved and by the one that 'saves' the 'victim.' This tale presented a creature that wanted to Protect, but thanks to a man's intervention, became a Monster. An incredible read that this reader highly recommends. Kelda Crich's 'Stone City, Old as Immeasurable Time" is another very short story, but oh-so-rich in detail and psychological intrigue; it is a testimonial of the language of mothers, that they sometimes talk a language that only another mother can speak and hear. It is actually a touching and poignant tale with only a hint of creepiness; a very enjoyable read. This reader was given a copy of the anthology in exchange for an honest review. ** Review originally posted to Amazon reviews on June 10, 2016. **
