Review: Terrific Anthology with Something for Every Horror Reader
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 29, 2013
4.5 starsThirty Scary Tales is one of the best single-author short story anthologies I have read. Rayne Hall's scope as an author is breath-taking; in this collection, she has given the reader stories of psychological and supernatural horror; stories written in the first, second, and third person; stories in past and present tense; stories expanding upon or referencing well-known mythological characters and stories set in the fantasy world she created for her novel Storm Dancer.Of course, as in any anthology, some stories were better than others. I particularly liked "The Painted Staircase," "The Colour of Dishonour," and "Terre Vert and Payne's Grey"; "Seagulls," "Night Train," and "Take Me to St. Roch's" were less impressive. Nevertheless, every story was well-written, and none received fewer than 3 stars.My favorite story was "Normal, Considering the Weather," although I suspect for reasons Hall did not intend. I heard echoes of both Stephen King's "The Fog" and Tim LaHaye's Left Behind series, and those associations added additional layers to the story for me.I try to avoid reading single-author anthologies in one fell swoop because the stories usually start to sound the same. While each story in Thirty Scary Tales shared an identifiable sensibility, each also stood on its own merit. I have found a new horror author to watch, and I will be checking out Storm Dancer as well.I received a copy of Thirty Scary Tales from the author in exchange for an honest review.