Spirits and Ghouls

 Book 30 of my 2024 Reading Challenge

read from March 3 - 19

Spirits & Ghouls

My Opinion

3 stars

This series from Flame Tree Publishing is the only one I would buy purely for aesthetic and how cool they look on my shelves.  It's an added bonus that I read them as well; it's been hit or miss on the collection so far so I hope for the best and prepare for the worst.  

This collection is solidly in the middle.  Most of them were short so even though I wasn't in love with all of them, I appreciate the variety included.  There were 36 stories, 16 of them new and 20 previously published (with the oldest published in 1856).

My favorite was "Shrieking Willow".

As always when reviewing multiple authors, I'll include a small opinion on each individual story below.

The Mother of Sands

It was very short and unexpected.  The circumstances that brought them together were fairly tenuous but since the meat of the story happened after they were together I'll ignore it.

Good Lady Ducayne

I'm torn because I like the happy ending but it also took the steam out of the story because it was so out of character.

Bella being so naive meant that I knew what was happening long before she did but luckily she had friends to look out for her.

The Widow Watcher of Wooten Creek

It was haunting but in a good way.  I liked the conversation the granny and granddaughter were able to have, almost like a changing of the guard.

Holding the Light

Thoroughly creepy.  Everything happening in the dark left it all to the imagination and that's even scarier.

They Come at Night

Good story but on the short side.  More suspense could've been built in between the time they found the campsite and the ending to give it even more edginess.

Once Upon a Graveyard

I would read more about this character and if the author decided to expand, this short story would be a good, concise introduction.

Sister Johanna's Story

It was fine, nothing that stirred me one way or another.

The Story of Salome

Although the ending threw me for a loop (in a good way), it didn't change my overall boredom with the story.  It was written in 1867 and it showed in the style of taking many pages to sum up a very basic premise.

The Poor Clare

I skimmed.  Written in 1856, it had the style of the times; using a million words when ten would do.  If the story is interesting I'll wade through and find the nuggets but this one didn't grab me at the beginning and I didn't try.

The Devil of Avalon

The story was a good length with the right amount of arc.  I'm not clear if the 'Historical Epilogue' is actually true information for the reader or if it's an added footnote to the story.

In Bleak December

I was expecting a ghost but not the person it turned out to be.

The Smoke Market

The kernel of the story was interesting but it felt longer than it needed to be.

Nine Rings of Silver and One of Bronze

This story was so full of regret it took my breath away.  I'm not convinced it was actually the human but the leader thinks it is and the guilt will drive him mad.

Two Trees

Vivid depictions of scenes and emotions, this was a creepy story.

Atticat

That was soothing for a ghost story with no frights and everyone banding together as a community.

Apartment 3G

It started off strong but was too contrived making everything work in the end.  I'm torn though because I appreciate knowing what happened to her girls but it did feel clunky.

A View from a Hill

Meh.  I knew where it was going fairly quickly but the story didn't really explain itself so I'm not sure I would've gotten it just from the story itself if I didn't have experience with these kinds of tropes.

What Have You Brought Me?

There was a melancholy softness I wasn't expecting from what was at its core a creature luring a woman to death.

Shrieking Willow

Excellent!!!  Spooky and disorienting with multiple "this is the end just kidding here's another twist" turns that would get my hopes up for a happy ending only to dash them again.

The Story of Sidi-Nouman

The story was fine but the method of telling it was boring.  Recounting everything in a monologue after the fact removes any suspense or concern.

Squire Toby's Will

I skimmed it.  Too long and too much dialogue, it was obviously an older story and I didn't want to invest in keeping everything straight.

The Shabah

It was fine but I think I would've liked it more if it had been a few days shorter.  The author did a good job conveying a lot of backstory without a lot of words.

Pickman's Model

I agree art can be incredibly creepy, especially when the line appears to be blurred between imagination and real-life inspiration.

The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

It was on the long end of a short story (50 pages) which was unfortunate because I didn't like it.  Even skimming I didn't read it all in one sitting because I was falling asleep.

Only Monsters

The dread of inevitability made me sick to my stomach.  I wish there had been more blanks filled in about what the creature was and how the "partnership" came to be.

The Jumper

The premise was really interesting.  I don't think I would try the jumper on if I'd been in the lecture hall.  What's the saying..."I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious."

Afterlife on Mars

The isolation adds to the creepiness.  I'm glad they didn't waste time and shared information with each other immediately.

You Can Never Go Home Again

Very short, this would be a good campfire story.  I was more upset about the betrayal of the wife than anything that the husband experienced.

The History of Gherib and His Brother Agib

Too long, too religious.  I don't understand why old stories are so frickin' wordy...wasn't it expensive to print?  

Words for the Dead

There was a lot of emotion packed into a short story.  I'm happy there seemed to be an optimistic ending.

Tangled Tales of Jumbies and Silk Cotton Trees

Riveting story with one last twist of an ending.

Walnut-Tree House

This was like a ghost story written for the Hallmark Channel.  A benevolent ghost, a man who has no problem sharing his newly found riches, and cousins getting married.

Oh Bury Me Not

An unreliable narrator added to the uncertainty of the story.  It had a good, unexpected pace.

Xarus's Mirror

That was a gripping story but I wish it had a different ending.  I don't like that she was going out to be alone.

Three Years

Riveting and emotional.

Just as I can sometimes tell which stories are older based on the language, this is the first one that I knew was new because the pandemic and quarantining were key factors.

Ghost Festival in the Desert

Great story to finish out the collection.  Revenge and a happy ending.