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nightshade386's review against another edition
4.0
The First Stain is an interesting concept - and one that rings of truth more and more these days. The world is not black and white, but shades of gray. Some grays are darker than others.
This collection of short stories has something for everyone, from fantasy, to war stories, and examinations of the human psyche. Most of all it has grit, it has emotion, and it has some really stellar writing.
Overall, I enjoyed all but two of the many tales in this book, and one was personal preference with regard to writing style more so than content related. The rest of the tales range from very good to fantastic. The order of the stories was also well thought out, with the first lines of the first tale immediately grabbing my attention and dragging me in. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from all of the authors involved.
Full disclosure, I was given a free copy in exchange for a fair review, but loved the book so much that I bought a paperback for my own collection.
This collection of short stories has something for everyone, from fantasy, to war stories, and examinations of the human psyche. Most of all it has grit, it has emotion, and it has some really stellar writing.
Overall, I enjoyed all but two of the many tales in this book, and one was personal preference with regard to writing style more so than content related. The rest of the tales range from very good to fantastic. The order of the stories was also well thought out, with the first lines of the first tale immediately grabbing my attention and dragging me in. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from all of the authors involved.
Full disclosure, I was given a free copy in exchange for a fair review, but loved the book so much that I bought a paperback for my own collection.
ltwardwriter's review against another edition
5.0
Life isn't black or white as much as it is layered in shades of gray. The short stories within 'The First Stain' stick to that theme. With multiple genres (fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, and more), the writers within this collection each present the reader with a story, told in its own unique shade of gray.
'The First Stain' is wonderfully laid out. There was a balance to style and story as well as length throughout the entire book. While each story was unique, there was a consistent flow to the anthology as a whole. Of the thirteen stories, my favorites were Krov, The Chain, The Offering, Sirens, and Little Grays. All of the stories were strong and well told. My reasons for liking ones over others comes down to subjectivity and nothing more.
If you're interested in dark adult fiction, I highly recommend this book.
'The First Stain' is wonderfully laid out. There was a balance to style and story as well as length throughout the entire book. While each story was unique, there was a consistent flow to the anthology as a whole. Of the thirteen stories, my favorites were Krov, The Chain, The Offering, Sirens, and Little Grays. All of the stories were strong and well told. My reasons for liking ones over others comes down to subjectivity and nothing more.
If you're interested in dark adult fiction, I highly recommend this book.
armedwithabook's review
5.0
The First Stain is the first anthology collection by Inked in Gray. As a collection of dark stories, it does a phenomenal job of exposing a number of situations and aspects of life that we don’t normally think about. I was hooked to this collection, starting with the first story, all the way to the end. It has been a while since I have read a collection of dark stories and it was good to change and enjoy these settings of unexpressed emotions, morality that we often never put into words and hate and hurt that is left behind.
As I read the stories in The First Stain, I was on the lookout for that first time something happened to the various protagonists – the first step they took or event that set them down the path they were on. Everything starts somewhere, and similar to how Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor made me love the characters and sympathize with them for what they had become, the thirteen stories in this collection do the same. Shorter prose is always harder than longer prose and The First Stain was my introduction to these talented writers. Check out my blog Armed with A Book for details about what I loved about each of the stories and quotes from the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection! The progression of the stories as well as the themes that they addressed were thought provoking. The fantastical elements added a unique take to the various plots. Will you pick up this book?
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book.
As I read the stories in The First Stain, I was on the lookout for that first time something happened to the various protagonists – the first step they took or event that set them down the path they were on. Everything starts somewhere, and similar to how Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor made me love the characters and sympathize with them for what they had become, the thirteen stories in this collection do the same. Shorter prose is always harder than longer prose and The First Stain was my introduction to these talented writers. Check out my blog Armed with A Book for details about what I loved about each of the stories and quotes from the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection! The progression of the stories as well as the themes that they addressed were thought provoking. The fantastical elements added a unique take to the various plots. Will you pick up this book?
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a review copy of this book.
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