Reviews

The Haunting Season: Nine Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights by Bridget Collins

kennaelise's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This is the first short story collection I’ve read, and I don’t think it’ll be my last. Some of the stories were definitely 5 stars, and had me sat at the edge of my seat. Others I didn’t enjoy but as they were short it was easy to get through them quickly.

the_sunken_library's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed around half of the tales but would only consider two of them "ghostly".

The others were more horror/mythology.

I am unsure why, but all but one of them were written in a period style. None of them felt modern, more Dickensian and I really disliked that as they felt old fashioned and stilted.

I guess famous ghost stories do come from the early 20th century but still, modernise!

itsmarkwhitey's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

mollyhyland's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

cshume's review against another edition

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5.0

Ooky, dooky, spooky ✨

The short stories withing The Haunting Season provided twists, perspectives and enjoyable reading…even if they did stop me sleeping at night.
Every story lead me down a path and just when I thought I knew where it was going, BAM, it went in an entirely unique route. Such refreshing reading causing excitement throughout, wanting more from each story!

ivyboyd's review against another edition

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4.0

1 - enjoyed the concept but a little simple 4/5
2 - 4/5
3 - very interesting concept, wish it was a whole book 5/5
4 - 2/5
5 - started off creepy and strong but ended low 3/5
6 - no idea what the author was trying to portray, couldve been better if it wasn’t all just about a dream
7 - 1/5
8 - trying to fit too much in to 40 pages 3/5

mehsi's review against another edition

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2.0

A hit/miss collection of stories. 3 good/OK stories, but the rest just wasn't my thing. Sometimes something just missed or it was just a bit messy (like with Hanging of the Greens which I am still confused about), something the MCs were just horrendous (Monster with an egotistical dude who just rapes his wife or Lily Wilt with both the ghost and the photographer being eh), sometimes it was just boring (I am sorry, I am just not THAT invested in chess).

1. A Study in Black and White: 1.5 stars
2. Thwaite's Tenant: 3 stars
3: The Eel Singers: 4 stars
4: Lily Wilt: 1.5 stars
5: The Chillingham Chair: 2.5 stars
6: The Hanging of the Greens: 2 stars
7: Confinement: 3 stars
8: Monster: 1 star

peaknit's review against another edition

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4.0

Some good spooky stories here.

potato109's review against another edition

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3.0

The stories didn’t really appeal to me. I couldn’t dive into the stories so that I often lost my interest in what is happening and so on.

jenniferreadshorror's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Library book borrow.

A beautifully created collection of 8 short stories that feel grand and opulent. They are lovely to sit somewhere cosy and devour. Each story deserves its own mention.

The first story is a beautiful way to open a book- A study in Black and White by Bridget Colins - Loved the eerieness surrounding the chessboard.

Second story - Thwaites Tenant by Imogen Hermes Gowar - This was an interesting twist on the haunted house idea. It's really good.

Third - The eel singers by Natasha Pulley - The idea of a space that can clear your mind, but take over your mind. Very well put together and a twist that you wouldn't think from the beginning of the story.

Fourth Lily wilt by Jess Kidd - This one caught my attention as ghost photos are a phenomenon that is a conversation starter. For a ghost photo to lead to necromancy.. well.

The fifth- the Chillingham Chair by Laura Purcell- This one was written in a way that you create the horror after the story ends. It's a very grand period drama style story.

Sixth - The Hanging of the Greens by Andrew Michael Hurley - a story where you know the truth, but if you were to speak the truth, would it be believed? This one is based on understanding the fear of someone's memory. It is a replay of an event. The twist in this one is the memory. Good story.

Seventh, Confinement by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - to be based on a true story - is very well done. And done in such a way I want to learn more about this. Also, based on an idea that becomes so cemented in your mind that you create reality, it can be a horror all of its own.

And lastly, Monster by Elizabeth Macneal - sibling rivalry and looking for a monster, but who really is the monster? It's an atmospheric story to end the book.