Tales from the Mist...THE REVIEW!

For the last week and a half, I have been stepping aside and sharing my space with some very talented authors. It is now time to tell you what I thought of the anthology, Tales from the Mist. I will get to that, but I also have a quirky request. One of my goals this year is to break into the Amazon Top 1,000 reviewers. As this post is being crafted, I am currently ranked at 1,747. The way to climb that ladder is to A.) Write and post reviews...and B.) To receive the "yes" clicks on the reviews being helpful. I hope that, if you find this review to be helpful (it is posted on Amazon.com here), that you will click "yes".

Tales From The Mist

In my house, Halloween is a bigger holiday than Christmas. One of the benefits of my life is the occasional request to read an Advance Review Copy (or ARC in the parlance of the biz). Tales from the Mist is a collection of shorts coming out just in time for Halloween. To have a collection assembled by such a talented group of authors makes this THE anthology to own if you are a fan of horror.

The anthology leads off with Wampus Cat by Scott Nicholson. Suitably creepy, this story is a text book example of how to set a tone. This is a story that allows the reader to become engrossed and hear every creak and groan. Just hope it is the house settling…

The Consuming by Rhonda Hopkins is the literary version of what films like Paranormal Activity tried to be. This has the bumps in the night flying off the page. I realize that some people like a solid closure, but I am a fan of stories that keep the wheels in your mind turning long after you have read the last word.

Addiction by Marty Young is a story that I think I just missed the point on. I am a firm believer in an author doing more showing and less telling, but this one just did not break through. The prose was wonderful, but I just did not see the idea as I am sure was intended.

The Messenger by Cate Dean is one part Ghost and one part gothic thriller. This is one of those stories that is so beautiful and well written that it feels like so much more than a short.

Jade O’Reilly and the Graveyard Shift by Tamara Ward was a slurry of Tales from the Crypt fun that should be read around a campfire. A nice tension build with some humor was a perfect inclusion. I took it as a warning for what was to come.

In A Beginning by Meredith Bond is a very interesting twist on the Lilith idea. It has a particularly nasty vibe to it that will chill the easily disturbed.

Haste by Catie Rhodes could be a Crime-TV documentary recreation, but then it takes a bit of a turn. A scorned woman becomes haunted by a cheating husband and his floozy. My only critique is that “The Lord’s Prayer” is Matthew 6:9, not the twenty-third Psalm. But that is a quibble over a fun read that Haley Joel Osmet would approve highly.

King of Rats by Greg Carrico…what can I say? Greg has a knack for subtle humor and a thrilling story. To pick a favorite in an anthology is something I am hesitant to admit when it is full of writers that I enjoy, but this story rung every bell on my entertainment meter.

To E.A. Poe by Mitzi Flyte is able to convey a great deal of emotion in such a short amount of space. This story may not end with a surprise, which is okay, but it is so poignant that it will stick with you for a while.

An Inconvenient Debt by Natalie G.Owens is one of those stories that hits you with short bursts. It doesn’t rely on gimmicks, it is simply a well-woven tale.

Dead Lily Blooms by Lizzie Starr is the kind of story that reels you in and reminds you why you love to read. There is an exotic feel to this story that is more than just a few creative names…it actually transports you.

Beneath Still Waters by Stacey Joy Netzel sends you on your way with an appropriate chill. The dialog is a treat, and reading this out loud to a friend or significant other at bed time is highly recommended if you want an extra cuddle tonight.

Very seldom have I read an anthology that has no weak links or throw away stories. Anthologies by nature are an editor’s subjective choices, and he or she hopes that most of the stories will have the same effect on a massive audience as they did on the editor during selection. Well done.