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A review by thomaswjoyce
Tales from The Lake Vol. 3 by Patrick Bates, Steve Jenner, Dave-Brendon de Burgh, Chris Pearce, Harper Hull, Kate Jonez, Mere Joyce, Amy Grech, Sergio C. Pereira, Kenneth W. Cain, Natalie Carroll, Sumiko Saulson, D. Morgan Ballmer, Paul Edmonds, Monique Snyman, Tommy B. Smith, Matt Hayward, Roxanne Dent, Lily Childs, Mark Allan Gunnells
4.0
The first story, ‘The Owl Builder’, by D. Morgan Ballmer concerns two cousins, Travis and Ashlynn, discussing the whereabouts of Ashlynn’s missing mother and a local myth, the Owl Builder. As the story plays out, a sometimes-heated discussion regarding the character of the mother is interspersed with tales regarding “… That old feathered witch doctor …”. The dialogue is authentically written by Ballmer as he effectively builds the tension and draws us in until the mother’s fate and the Owl Builder’s role are revealed in one swift finale.
‘Tragedy Park’, by Chris Pearce, is a dark slice of urban horror set in a waterpark. There have been stories of kidnappings and disappearances from the park in the past, even deaths, and the main character, Finn, experiences moments of strangeness, including thinking everyone has left. The strangeness culminates in Finn taking a seemingly reluctant trip down the out-of-bounds “Black Vortex” slide with his two friends. But something weird happens halfway down … Pearce uses some delightfully dark imagery and the ending is suitably creepy.
‘Enclosures’ by Sumiko Saulson is told in the style and setting of an old-fashioned Weird tale. The narrator, Reginald Henry Moore III, regularly visits with his elderly grandfather, who resides in a large estate by a lake. The purpose of Reginald’s visits is less than admirable, as he hopes to curry favour in the hope that the old man will leave him an inheritance. What the old man leaves is his property by the lake, with the stipulation that it not be sold and he must stay there for one year. But he finds that he is not alone in the house. Saulson handles the narrator’s change of character very well, as he is forced to leave his old selfish ways in the past and fight for his very existence.
Monique Snyman has assembled stories from a diverse group of authors, some names more recognisable than others. She used an open call for submissions so that she could discover new authors and unique voices, as she explained in the foreword. While a few are still finding their feet in the world of publishing, most of the authors are accomplished wordsmiths and this is reflected in the quality of their stories. A wide range of horror, there is something here for everyone. A great addition to the Tales From The Lake series and the impressive back catalogue of one of the most well-respected publishers in the field.
To read the full review, please visit thisishorror.co.uk
‘Tragedy Park’, by Chris Pearce, is a dark slice of urban horror set in a waterpark. There have been stories of kidnappings and disappearances from the park in the past, even deaths, and the main character, Finn, experiences moments of strangeness, including thinking everyone has left. The strangeness culminates in Finn taking a seemingly reluctant trip down the out-of-bounds “Black Vortex” slide with his two friends. But something weird happens halfway down … Pearce uses some delightfully dark imagery and the ending is suitably creepy.
‘Enclosures’ by Sumiko Saulson is told in the style and setting of an old-fashioned Weird tale. The narrator, Reginald Henry Moore III, regularly visits with his elderly grandfather, who resides in a large estate by a lake. The purpose of Reginald’s visits is less than admirable, as he hopes to curry favour in the hope that the old man will leave him an inheritance. What the old man leaves is his property by the lake, with the stipulation that it not be sold and he must stay there for one year. But he finds that he is not alone in the house. Saulson handles the narrator’s change of character very well, as he is forced to leave his old selfish ways in the past and fight for his very existence.
Monique Snyman has assembled stories from a diverse group of authors, some names more recognisable than others. She used an open call for submissions so that she could discover new authors and unique voices, as she explained in the foreword. While a few are still finding their feet in the world of publishing, most of the authors are accomplished wordsmiths and this is reflected in the quality of their stories. A wide range of horror, there is something here for everyone. A great addition to the Tales From The Lake series and the impressive back catalogue of one of the most well-respected publishers in the field.
To read the full review, please visit thisishorror.co.uk