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confused_hamburger's review
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
In theory this could have been an interesting read, but most of the short stories presented here did not properly describe or present their monsters, giving all of them an underwhelming feel. Most of the short stories in here tended to spend more time on the characters, which, even though it isn't the reason I picked up this book, would've been fine if most of the characters hadn't been boring and lacking a personality as well.
xan_van_rooyen's review
Hm, I find it really tricky to give a star rating to an anthology of stories by different authors. Some stories I adored and thought were excellent, others I didn't really care for. That said, if you're looking to diversify your reading and want to sample a selection of scary tales by African authors, this is definitely a good place to start!
heatherr's review
4.0
Speculative fiction, art and graphic stories from African authors, based on African folklore, myths and legends about monsters. African Monsters is the second in a coffee table book series with dark fiction and art about monsters from around the world.
African Monsters is a collection of stories where the monsters aren't misunderstood or easily turned to the side of good. These are the stories of monsters from sub-Saharan Africa who prey on humans.
The locations of some of the stories in this collection.
Reviewing a collection can be difficult because not every story resonates with every reader. Here are few of my favorites.
On the Road by Nnedi Okorafor - An American policewoman returns to Nigeria and her grandmother but is confronted with a mystery surrounding an injured child.
Severed by Jayne Bauling - A camping trip to a remote lake goes horribly wrong
That Woman by S Lotz - A policeman investigates reports of witches dispensing punishments in the countryside.
After the Rain by Joe Vaz - A man who left South Africa as a child returns and finds himself trapped in a bar in his old neighborhood by werewolves.
Taraab and Terror in Zanzibar by Dave-Brandon de Burgh - A man is brought from South Africa to Zanzibar to clean up a monster problem that he thought he had handled before.
A Whisper in the Reeds by Nerine Dorman - Water spirits tempt a man
Acid Test by Vianne Venter - After Johannesburg is evacuated due to an environmental catastrophe a team returns to monitor the recovery.
Thandiwe's Tokoloshe by Nick Wood - A girl is put in a fairy tale and refuses to be satisfied with the typical endings.
This is a wonderful chance to familiarize yourself with some African authors. I'm already a huge Nnedi Okorafor fan but I've added some of Nerine Dorman's books to my TBR list too because they sound amazing.
This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
Monsters should be scary
African Monsters is a collection of stories where the monsters aren't misunderstood or easily turned to the side of good. These are the stories of monsters from sub-Saharan Africa who prey on humans.
The locations of some of the stories in this collection.
Reviewing a collection can be difficult because not every story resonates with every reader. Here are few of my favorites.
On the Road by Nnedi Okorafor - An American policewoman returns to Nigeria and her grandmother but is confronted with a mystery surrounding an injured child.
Severed by Jayne Bauling - A camping trip to a remote lake goes horribly wrong
That Woman by S Lotz - A policeman investigates reports of witches dispensing punishments in the countryside.
After the Rain by Joe Vaz - A man who left South Africa as a child returns and finds himself trapped in a bar in his old neighborhood by werewolves.
Taraab and Terror in Zanzibar by Dave-Brandon de Burgh - A man is brought from South Africa to Zanzibar to clean up a monster problem that he thought he had handled before.
A Whisper in the Reeds by Nerine Dorman - Water spirits tempt a man
Acid Test by Vianne Venter - After Johannesburg is evacuated due to an environmental catastrophe a team returns to monitor the recovery.
Thandiwe's Tokoloshe by Nick Wood - A girl is put in a fairy tale and refuses to be satisfied with the typical endings.
This is a wonderful chance to familiarize yourself with some African authors. I'm already a huge Nnedi Okorafor fan but I've added some of Nerine Dorman's books to my TBR list too because they sound amazing.
This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
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