Collections of short horror have been a staple on my bookshelves since I began to read, and the fact that the proceeds of this anthology benefit The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund moved this directly to the top of my "buy" list. With 28 stories, ranging from the eerily chilling to the gruesomely gory, covering everything from Aliens to Zombies, this collection offers something for every horror fan.
There were several true standouts for me: "The Ride" by Sean T. Smith was excellent, full of well-defined characters and setting. With a plot that grabbed hold and never let go, it was emotionally packed and overall my favorite. "The Old Man and the Seesaw" by Stephen Kozeniewski was grotesquely humorous, well-written and entertaining, with a slightly different take on the undead. I thoroughly enjoyed the palpable terror of Ryley's existence given full life through the vivid prose of Tim Marquitz in "Damaged," and David Sakmyster's "In Mint Condition" gave me the mysterious, eerie, spine-tingling traditional horror I tend to favor. Last, but not least, is "Sacrifice" by T.M. Caldwell. While I'm not normally a fan of vampire stories, this one was so well written it sucked me right in as I witnessed the true strength of a mother's love.
Several others I feel deserve and honorable mention are: "The Love that Binds" by Mikhail Lerma with its touching moments between father and daughter; a traditional vampire tale, "Blood Type" by Paul Mannering; the monstrously haunting "Neighbors Good and Fair" by Douglas Draa; and "From Darkness We Come" by Kerry Alan Denney, which gave me a good case of goose-bumps. (yay!)
All in all, this is an outstanding anthology, well worth the read. Highly recommended!
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