Reviews

Into the Light: Stories Volume 2 by Steve Stred

ericarobyn's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Into the Light: Stories Volume 2 by Steve Stred is another killer collection of tales that will lead you to believe all is well (or at least will be well) before the rug is pulled out from under you!

I took my sweet time with this collection, really letting each tale sink in. Whether or not that was a good idea… my nightmares will soon tell I’m sure!

When reviewing the notes I took while reading, I noticed that I had started each of my thoughts with “my gosh…” So needless to say, each of these tales was a wild ride! I had such a blast reading and seeing where each one brought us.

My favorites from the collection include:

• Tendrils
• Open Call
• Chains
• Terra
• Searching for Calm
• PREIGNITION

Per usual, here are my thoughts on each story!

Foreword – 

Like the previous collection, I just have to note how much I love it when authors put their published works together in a collection like this so readers can access them all! 

The Next Taste – 

Interviewing for a science research project, this young man gets in based on his willingness to experiment with different … foods… Of course, there’s a catch.

This is one of those tales that once you read it, it’s forever cemented in your mind, for better or for worse!

Tendrils – 

Forced to move due to financial reasons, this family is making the best of their new start. But one day, black sludge begins to appear and take over the house. But by the time they notice, is it already too late?

Ugh, your heart just breaks for this family! 

Wisps – 

Two teenage boys keep going to the beach in hopes of glimpsing more of a new woman in town. Curious and obsessed, as only teenage boys are, their curiosity gets the best of them. 

This tale is wild! That ending!

The Oak –

Nearing the end of his ability to deal with these bullies, this kid listens to his uncle and takes a hike to ask an old one for help. But can they help in time?

Oh, my heart breaks for this poor kid!

To Drop Thy Sword – 

Such a short and killer tale! This perfect snippet makes you want more! 

Open Call – 

Another short and terrifying one! Love this tale written in honor of Kevin J Kennedy! This one gave me chills!

I first read this one in 100 Word Horrors 4 from KJK Publishing and loved it just as much this time around.

Chains – 

Waking up in a saw-like nightmare but so much worse, this character is desperate to find a way to leave alive…

My gosh, the last line made my mouth drop open! 

Crazy Maurice –

Determined to prove he wasn’t crazy and that merpeople were real, this man wasn’t afraid to step into the water. 

Oh, this poor man. 

Flee – 

A character on the run has no other option but to keep going…

This one is terrifying every second one way! Such a killer short tale!

Terra – 

Setting foot on a new planet, their excitement takes over any caution. 

Ah! A short and terrifying snippet that makes you both happy and sad there isn’t more here! I love shorts like this so much! I first read this in 100 Word Horrors 4 from KJK Publishing as well!

Bank Job –

When robbing a bank, this man can’t believe how smoothly it went. Until he opens the bag that is…

This took such a fun turn!

September in the New World – 

A dog reflects on his life, overcoming trauma and finding his purpose. 

This tale is filled with grief, terror, and so much love. What a fun perspective! 

Searching for Calm – 

On a trip of enlightenment, this character is in good spirits. 

That ending! Ah! What happens next?! I love this short! 

Eternal Harvest – 

While out in the woods with her boyfriend of a year, something begins to change in him, and she doesn’t like it. Being forced to flee, she thinks she finds safety. 

This story is so unsettling! The transformation is terrifying in itself, but what happens next is even more horrific! This one had my chest pounding in anticipation of what would happen next! 

PREIGNITION – 

While flying, they realize that something is wrong on the ground. With no communication coming in, will they be able to hand safely? 

I read this tale once before in The Horror Collection: Ruby Edition by KJK Publishing. My gosh, I’m already an anxious flyer… add something like this to it and I’d be happy to never get on a plane again. What a terrifying end of the world! 

Open Your Eyes – 

Warning the psychologist that if he knows what’s on an online video, that the bad stuff will happen to him too. The psychologist isn’t phased, even when presented with the video. But will he manage to escape the darkness?

This one is so chilling and stressful! 

Shameless Sam Changes His Life – 

When a man who has lived a life of pranks and wild behavior realizes he’s hit the end of that road, and has isolated himself because of it. So he cooks up a new plan, but will he be able to start fresh so easily?

I first experienced this in The Horror Collection: Lost Edition by KJK Publishing, and I was still so nervous to reread how it would play out. 

Double – 

Seeing his doppelganger one day sends this man into a tailspin. Unsure what to believe, he finally gets answers that change everything. 

This tale is so unsettling! The freezer scenes will haunt you! 

Not All Who Wander Are Lost – 

After the brutal slaying of his family, this young man is discovered by someone who can help him get revenge and end the slaughter. 

I so expected something bad to jump out of the trees at any moment during this tale! 

In Name, Only – 

Slowly as we learn more and more about this woman’s life, we also get glimpses into what’s happening now in her apartment. 

Ugh, this poor girl! And that ending! My gosh, what a tale to end the collection with!

My Favorite Passages from Into the Light: Stories Volume 2 –

On that Sunday, the construction finished, champagne toasts were made and while the family wasn’t watching, evil moved in.
– Tendrils

From where he stood, he could look between them and see a stone circle with trees. Everything stilled. All he could hear was his breath, a hostile noise in the silent wilderness.
– The Oak

We’d seen what had happened at Chernobyl and Hiroshima, but still the ones making the decisions let their anger get the best of them and they sentenced the world’s population without a second thought.
– September in the New World

After he left, I could feel the crackle of my father’s fury infesting the air.
– In Name, Only

My Final Thoughts on Into the Light: Stories Volume 2 –

Steve is so talented when it comes to writing a short story! This collection is a must-read for horror short story fans. Readers will love how quickly things twist and turn!

exhaustedtech's review

5.0

Wow….just wow.
@stevestred wrote not one but TWO emotional rollercoasters.
At least those were my feelings while reading both.
The stories will pull at all your heartstrings while terrifying you at the same time. I love me a good spooker but when it also hits you in the emotions, it’s perfect.
Fav story from both of these….September in the New World.