I was given a free copy of this anthology by contributor P.L. Stuart and asked to review his short story, Forest Dark. I have read and enjoyed most of the books from his Drowned Kingdom series (still one to go), so I was excited to read a short story set in his amazing fictional world. My thanks go to P.L. and the creators of this anthology for my copy. It contains stories by 24 authors, many of whom have featured on the award-winning The Worldshapers podcast. There are stories of aliens, mythical beings from folklore, AIs, cyborgs and horrifying demons – pretty much anything you can imagine that falls under the umbrella title of speculative fiction is represented here, so there is bound to be something for everyone.
Reading anthologies like these is a great way to discover new favourite authors. I enjoyed all of the stories, but a few of them stood out for me more than the others.
Luckily, P.L’s was my favourite of all the stories.
The Worldshapers podcasts can be found here: https://theworldshapers.com/
My review of Forest Dark by P.L. Stuart:
P.L Stuart’s short story “Forest Dark” is a slight departure from his usual historical fantasy style into the realms of horror-fantasy, right in time for spooky season. It takes place in the same world as his stellar The Drowned Kingdom Saga main series, in a corner I have not yet visited.
In Forest Dark, the world-building happens organically – there are no extra words wasted on setting description in this short horror story, and yet the reader is completely aware of and able to easily visualise a Viking-style village on the border of a dark, eerie forest. The monsters, when they come, are terrifying and awe-inspiring, filled with righteous fury and a bloodthirsty intent for vengeance!
As with all of P.L.’s work, there are strong themes of anti-slavery and anti-racism. The main character teaches his daughter:
“A horse isn’t good or bad because of its colour,” I whispered to her. “What’s in the heart is what makes the character of a woman, man, or beast.”
I always love how well P.L. writes the determined, prideful female ruling characters in his books – and this story is no exception. This is a fabulous, exciting short story, which will have you turning pages until the end – a fantastic introduction to P.L. Stuart’s amazing world and body of work!
Another standout story for me was The Grove by M.J. Kuhn.
My review of The Grove by MJ Kuhn
The Grove is a serial killer tale with an unexpected, spooky twist. People have been going missing on the Bowen property known as The Grove for years. The townsfolk all know the Bowens are responsible for multiple murders and their reputation has become mythical. Surviving The Grove has even become a rite of passage at the local high school.
So why haven’t the police been able to find any clues?
Could the cases perhaps not be as cut and dried as people think?
It takes the bravery (or stupidity) of three high schoolers wanting closure for the death of their friend to find out what exactly has been going on in the Bowens’ Grove. The neighbourhood has no idea of the extent of the terror experienced by those who are caught on the Bowens’ property. This story had me on the edge of my seat, yelling at the teenagers not to do the obviously dangerous thing on more than one occasion! The creepy atmosphere was built slowly and carefully by the author, so as to leverage the most emotion when the horror was exposed.
I have not yet read any of this author’s novels, but will be adding them to my TBR.
I also really enjoyed Pole Dancer by Brad R. Torgerson.
My review of Pole Dancer by Brad R. Torgerson
Pole Dancer was a thought-provoking story. Set in the not-too-distant future, it introduces a Total Entertainment System (TES) which would seem to be a natural progression from VR headsets. A kind of pod that sits in the main character’s basement, used frequently by his wife to escape her boring reality, the main character discovers more than he bargained for when he eventually decides to climb inside the pod for his first experience. Expecting a simple and satisfying VR experience with a pole dancer he finds in the adult-only section of the menu, he is shocked and perturbed to discover that the AI has been learning a lot from his wife’s encounters with her choice of romantic heroes and is now in a position to offer him marriage guidance. This tongue-in-cheek story could be seen as a warning to readers whose marriages might also have lost their spark!
My review of ‘Twas by Richard Sparks
‘Twas struck a chord with me for its use of witty poetry. I love a comedic poem, and I am also a fan of LitRPG types of stories. This merry band of deserters included an orc and the beautiful Esmerelda, for whom the poems were written and who appeared to have a fairy godmother. ‘Twas is an extract from a novel which is itself part of a series, and it has whetted my appetite to read the full book, New Rock, New Role. The author, Richard Sparks, is an accomplished screenwriter for British TV shows such as Not the Nine O’Clock News and the Secret Policeman’s Ball, which I grew up watching with my parents and found hilarious, so I knew immediately that I would enjoy his writing. Who could resist a silly love poem like this? Unfortunately for its poet, Esmerelda. could:
Thou shinest, at My Lord’s High Table,
Like the fairest maid in fable;
I’d climb at night if I were able
To get a good throw with my cable
So that it looped around thy gable,
And tryst with thee, in silk and sable,
Until the dawn! Then, down my cable
(’Twere hanging still, around thy gable),
Back to my stall in My Lord’s stable.
I’d love thee, though thy name were Mabel!
