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vicious_boy's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this. The only reason I knocked off one star is that there were a few stories here that i thought was a bit meh, but there was a lot of great stories here otherwise. There's a lot of originality in this short story collection and I really reccomend it to all vampire fans out there.
taraminter's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theementallyill's review against another edition
Got bored, vampires are not as interesting to me
emmaito's review against another edition
4.0
about the collection (which features 28 STORIES!!) via goodreads: “Drawing from a variety of cultural and mythological backgrounds, SLAY dares to imagine a world of horror and wonder where Black protagonists take center stage — as vampires, as hunters, as heroes. From immortal African deities to resistance fighters; matriarchal vampire broods to monster hunting fathers; coming of age stories to end of life stories, SLAY is a groundbreaking Afrocentric vampire anthology celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the African Diaspora.”
yall i loved this one so much. i love vampire stories, so when i was reached out about this anthology, i was so stoked. this had so many great stories with badass Black women as vampires slayers & vampires, Black heroes battling the undead (in one story with a KATANA! so sick), and more. honestly, i would love to see every single one of these stories on the big screen.
i really appreciated the originality of all these - no sparkling chests in this collection - & quite of few of these were like...SCARY scary vamps. lots of LGBTQ+ inclusion as well, including a particularly sensual story about a woman meeting another woman on the dance floor.
ill leave yall with this quote - “as long as there were monsters to slay and people to save, tired heroes would keep fighting.”
yall i loved this one so much. i love vampire stories, so when i was reached out about this anthology, i was so stoked. this had so many great stories with badass Black women as vampires slayers & vampires, Black heroes battling the undead (in one story with a KATANA! so sick), and more. honestly, i would love to see every single one of these stories on the big screen.
i really appreciated the originality of all these - no sparkling chests in this collection - & quite of few of these were like...SCARY scary vamps. lots of LGBTQ+ inclusion as well, including a particularly sensual story about a woman meeting another woman on the dance floor.
ill leave yall with this quote - “as long as there were monsters to slay and people to save, tired heroes would keep fighting.”
zoes_human's review
3.5
Sharing only a common thread of vampires and afrocentricism, SLAY is a diverse collection of paranormal tales, ranging from the sweetly charming to the grimly dystopian with stories both action-packed and emotionally-driven in the past, the present, and the future. Loaded with twenty-nine stories, there is a broad enough selection that folks of all tastes are guaranteed to find shorts that they love. In particular, I was take by the manifold interpretations of "vampire". Alongside new twists on traditional lore, there are narratives that conceptualize these predators in entirely novel ways.
My personal favorites were L. Marie Wood's The Dance (breathtaking in its sensuality), Penelope Flynn's Unfleamed (that literally made me squeal at the end), Kai Leake's Di Conjuring Nectar of di Blood (containing an astonishing breadth of scope seldom found in short form), and Steve Van Samson's No God But Hunger (grim and exciting and everything I love in speculative fiction). In addition to these, there were many others that also thrilled, and, while there were some included authors who need more time to grow and develop, there are none within that lack skill or potential.
INDIVIDUAL STORY RATINGS AND COMMENTS
Desiccant
Craig Laurance Gidney
3 stars
This fascinating spin on vampires replete with incredible description was well on the way to a 5-star rating. Unfortunately, it stopped rather than actually ending. There was no closure, and it read like a prelude or first chapter.
Love Hangover
Sheree René Thomas
4 stars
Seeking only love and solidarity, Frankie instead finds obsession and nightmares.
The Retiree
Steven Van Patten
4 stars
A retired father is packed off to a nursing home but still has some unfinished business to resolve. A touching paranormal tale with multiple surprises.
The Dance
L. Marie Wood
5 stars
The most viscerally sensual thing I have ever read.
A Clink of Crystal Glasses Heard
LH Moore
3 stars
Coming-of age is a mixed blessing for women, but some have a bit more to deal with that others.
Diary of a Mad Black Vampire
Dicey Grenor
4 stars
A wonderfully tricksome tale that left me grinning in pure delight.
The Return of the OV
Jeff Carroll
2 stars
While wonderful conceptually, the dialogue was stiff, and the ending fell flat.
The Last Vampire Huntress
Alicia McCalla
4 stars
An exciting tale about difficult choices and toxic love
Gritty Corners
Jessica Cage
3 stars
Exciting and action-paced but I disliked the ending and unexplained bonding issue.
Shadow of Violence
Balogun Ojetade
2 stars
Nicely written action but the dialogue felt very Hollywood action film, which some folks love but not me.
'Til Death
Lynette S. Hoag
2 stars
The plot and character choices lacked credibility to realism which simply left me unable to suspend disbelief enough to sink into the story
Encounters
K. R. S. McEntire
3.5 stars
A little too sweet for my personal taste, but definitely a unique take on vampires with well-sculpted characters.
Unfleamed
Penelope Flynn
5 stars
THAT ENDING THOUGH!!! I loved this! So rooted in lore yet also very new. I long to read more set in this universe.
Beautiful Monsters
Valjeanne Jeffers
4 stars
An exciting adventure in an intriguing world.
Frostbite
Delizhia D. Jenkins
3 stars
I like the concept of the story, and the writing style is compelling. However, there was a jarring credibility issue with the one sister knowing yet not realizing the other sister did not especially given that the relationship is portrayed as close.
Di Conjuring Nectar of di Blood
Kai Leakes
5 stars
An enticing and thrilling universe. It very much drew to mind both Anne Rice's <u>Queen of the Damned</u> and Octavia Butler's <u>Wild Seed</u>. The historical depth of all three greatly intrigued me. I'd love to see an expanded version that digs deep into the full history of the vampire culture in here.
Snake Hill Blues
John Linwood Grant
4 stars
Brilliant. An incredible sense of building anticipation as well as a deft handing for a turn of phrase that paints a picture of complex emotional depth, from which one feels a gestalt of understanding and recognition.
Ujima
Alledria Hurt
4 stars
A thrilling chase story about the bonds of family.
Attack on the University of Lagos, Law Faculty
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
3 stars
The action was well-written and the main character amusing; however, it felt more like a scene than a story and was a bit heavy handed at points.
<i>His Destroyer</i>
Samantha Bryant
4 stars
A grimly gorgeous short merging Judeo-Christian myth with vampire lore. Absolutely riveting.
Quadrille
Colin Cloud Dance
3 stars
Ack. So this was going magnificently, cleverly designed and well-written, when it just stopped. No wrap up. No real ending. Just no more story.
Asi's Horror and Delight
Sumiko Saulson
2 stars
Great concept but displeasing execution. If felt as if it was trying hard to be sexy but it came across as tiresome rather than sensual.
In Egypt's Shadows
Vonnie Winslow Crist
3 stars
A sweet and lovely story. Well done overall but sweet isn't really my thing.
Rampage
Miranda J. Riley
2.5 stars
A touch too obvious in its didacticism but with exciting action scenes. There are inconsistencies as well. The core of the story is excellent but the execution needs to develop and grow.
No God But Hunger
Steve Van Samson
5 stars
A post-apocalyptic survival tale where vampires may be the apex, but everything is a predator. Exciting and compelling.
Bloodline
Milton J. Davis
4 stars
Yet another delightful twist on the classic vampire in a dystopian fantasy adventure. The story is complete in and of itself, yet I would not mind to revisit this world.
Message in a Vessel
V. G. Harrison
4 stars
A dystopian tale of oppression and the future.
Blood Saviors
Michele Tracy Berger
3 stars
An intriguing and exciting read, but it reads like a chapter or preface and doesn't provide closure.
My personal favorites were L. Marie Wood's The Dance (breathtaking in its sensuality), Penelope Flynn's Unfleamed (that literally made me squeal at the end), Kai Leake's Di Conjuring Nectar of di Blood (containing an astonishing breadth of scope seldom found in short form), and Steve Van Samson's No God But Hunger (grim and exciting and everything I love in speculative fiction). In addition to these, there were many others that also thrilled, and, while there were some included authors who need more time to grow and develop, there are none within that lack skill or potential.
INDIVIDUAL STORY RATINGS AND COMMENTS
Desiccant
Craig Laurance Gidney
3 stars
This fascinating spin on vampires replete with incredible description was well on the way to a 5-star rating. Unfortunately, it stopped rather than actually ending. There was no closure, and it read like a prelude or first chapter.
Love Hangover
Sheree René Thomas
4 stars
Seeking only love and solidarity, Frankie instead finds obsession and nightmares.
The Retiree
Steven Van Patten
4 stars
A retired father is packed off to a nursing home but still has some unfinished business to resolve. A touching paranormal tale with multiple surprises.
The Dance
L. Marie Wood
5 stars
The most viscerally sensual thing I have ever read.
A Clink of Crystal Glasses Heard
LH Moore
3 stars
Coming-of age is a mixed blessing for women, but some have a bit more to deal with that others.
Diary of a Mad Black Vampire
Dicey Grenor
4 stars
A wonderfully tricksome tale that left me grinning in pure delight.
The Return of the OV
Jeff Carroll
2 stars
While wonderful conceptually, the dialogue was stiff, and the ending fell flat.
The Last Vampire Huntress
Alicia McCalla
4 stars
An exciting tale about difficult choices and toxic love
Gritty Corners
Jessica Cage
3 stars
Exciting and action-paced but I disliked the ending and unexplained bonding issue.
Shadow of Violence
Balogun Ojetade
2 stars
Nicely written action but the dialogue felt very Hollywood action film, which some folks love but not me.
'Til Death
Lynette S. Hoag
2 stars
The plot and character choices lacked credibility to realism which simply left me unable to suspend disbelief enough to sink into the story
Encounters
K. R. S. McEntire
3.5 stars
A little too sweet for my personal taste, but definitely a unique take on vampires with well-sculpted characters.
Unfleamed
Penelope Flynn
5 stars
THAT ENDING THOUGH!!! I loved this! So rooted in lore yet also very new. I long to read more set in this universe.
Beautiful Monsters
Valjeanne Jeffers
4 stars
An exciting adventure in an intriguing world.
Frostbite
Delizhia D. Jenkins
3 stars
I like the concept of the story, and the writing style is compelling. However, there was a jarring credibility issue with the one sister knowing yet not realizing the other sister did not especially given that the relationship is portrayed as close.
Di Conjuring Nectar of di Blood
Kai Leakes
5 stars
An enticing and thrilling universe. It very much drew to mind both Anne Rice's <u>Queen of the Damned</u> and Octavia Butler's <u>Wild Seed</u>. The historical depth of all three greatly intrigued me. I'd love to see an expanded version that digs deep into the full history of the vampire culture in here.
Snake Hill Blues
John Linwood Grant
4 stars
Brilliant. An incredible sense of building anticipation as well as a deft handing for a turn of phrase that paints a picture of complex emotional depth, from which one feels a gestalt of understanding and recognition.
Ujima
Alledria Hurt
4 stars
A thrilling chase story about the bonds of family.
Attack on the University of Lagos, Law Faculty
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
3 stars
The action was well-written and the main character amusing; however, it felt more like a scene than a story and was a bit heavy handed at points.
<i>His Destroyer</i>
Samantha Bryant
4 stars
A grimly gorgeous short merging Judeo-Christian myth with vampire lore. Absolutely riveting.
Quadrille
Colin Cloud Dance
3 stars
Ack. So this was going magnificently, cleverly designed and well-written, when it just stopped. No wrap up. No real ending. Just no more story.
Asi's Horror and Delight
Sumiko Saulson
2 stars
Great concept but displeasing execution. If felt as if it was trying hard to be sexy but it came across as tiresome rather than sensual.
In Egypt's Shadows
Vonnie Winslow Crist
3 stars
A sweet and lovely story. Well done overall but sweet isn't really my thing.
Rampage
Miranda J. Riley
2.5 stars
A touch too obvious in its didacticism but with exciting action scenes. There are inconsistencies as well. The core of the story is excellent but the execution needs to develop and grow.
No God But Hunger
Steve Van Samson
5 stars
A post-apocalyptic survival tale where vampires may be the apex, but everything is a predator. Exciting and compelling.
Bloodline
Milton J. Davis
4 stars
Yet another delightful twist on the classic vampire in a dystopian fantasy adventure. The story is complete in and of itself, yet I would not mind to revisit this world.
Message in a Vessel
V. G. Harrison
4 stars
A dystopian tale of oppression and the future.
Blood Saviors
Michele Tracy Berger
3 stars
An intriguing and exciting read, but it reads like a chapter or preface and doesn't provide closure.
wordsofcedrick's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
sxacmvmbi's review against another edition
spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, and half of what i read wasn't well written.
jennderqueer's review against another edition
1.0
I made it 66% of the way through this book before I finally gave up. Slogging through the mess was not worth the few hidden gems.
audreykerr's review against another edition
3.0
This was fine, some really good stories and some not so good ones.
Need to make sure to check out some of the authors I enjoyed.
Need to make sure to check out some of the authors I enjoyed.
0ri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75