đđđđđ Five spine-tingling stars to the 13 authors featured in âThey Walk Among Us: Malarkey’s ImaginOmnibus #1.â
They are: N.T. Anderson, Evelyn Chartres, S.J. Covey, Rose J. Fairchild, Jon Ford, Kayla Hicks, Chris Hooley, Samantha Kroese, Peter James Martin, A.C. Merkel, Melissa Rose Rogers, Halo Scot, and Ross Young.
Get your copy on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/They-Walk-Among-Malarkeys-ImaginOmnibus-ebook/dp/B0BWVGVQQ9
So Many Flavors of Chills and Thrills – I first learned of âThey Walk Among Us: Malarkey’s ImaginOmnibus #1â through Rose J. Fairchild â one of the many talented authors in this goosebump-raising, shiver-filled anthology. While Iâm familiar with Fairchildâs dark and captivating style, most of the other authors were new to me.
One of the pleasures of reading an anthology is browsing the stories and picking what suits your mood. Of course, my first choice was Rose J. Fairchildâs âOther.â As mentioned previously, Fairchildâs writing dips down into dark corners, exploring fear and examining human failings. The author chose to bring the reader into the story â the âOtherâ invites you to come along on a night of hunting. This being talks to you as you read, pointing out human weaknesses and the missteps they make. You are a part of this chase. You watch as the prey is targeted and led eagerly into the night(mare). Fairchildâs early lines, such as âhumans taste like what they consumeâ and âJust sit back and watch a pro work. Itâll all be over soon.â add to the storyâs tension. This night is *not* going to end well for someone.
Choosing to never fully reveal what the âOtherâ might be â instead listing different metaphysical beings as possibilities â was a nice touch. We are close to the âOtherâ in this story. So close, and yet we still donât see. Without telling us, we also know that the âOtherâ sees itself as superior â the author reflects this subtly, like when capitalizing the first letter of the word when the being refers to its kind (We, Us). The ending is satisfying as a midnight gourmet meal. Fairchild *never* fails to wow me with her creativity!
I only knew of author Halo Scot through social media and hadnât yet read any of Scotâs work. âDemontia,â Scotâs contribution to the anthology, was spectacular. A protagonist (Gio Luca) who is certainly âunlikeable,â an intimate group of criminals who surround him, and family obligations all crash together on one fateful day when Gioâs bad behavior catches up to him in the form of a demon. Scot is a master of putting a vivid scene in a readerâs head with short descriptions like: âLate fall in Boston was the Devilâs playground: windy, wild, frigid, a breeding ground for myth.â There were so many great lines in this piece it was hard to pick only one. Scotâs nod to medieval beliefs with regard to demons and disease was clever. The ending of âDemontiaâ was thought-provoking. Brilliant work.
âThe Richest Red Velvetâ by author Melissa Rose Rogers was a delightful surprise! In a book full of dangerous monsters and wicked acts, Rogers delivers a short story about dangerous monsters (vampires) and ordinary acts. One vampire in particular just wants her party to go off without a hitch. Protagonist Victoriene is having a rough day at work. Weâve all been there: deliveries are late, outside influences toss monkey wrenches into our creaking machines, and the mini-quiches end up burnt. And yet, this graceful vampire refrains from ripping off human heads while keeping her own. I particularly enjoyed the positive affirmations Victoriene âsharesâ with a couple of humans. Sweet touch! This story was a tasty morsel with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. Well done!
On the other end of the spectrum, author Ross Youngâs âMeet Cuteâ sent a wave of willies up my spine â because Ross brought on the macabre! What made it even better is I NEVER saw it coming. Totally and completely caught by surprise, my jaw dropped. Oh, the story starts out âcuteâ enough with a downhome, salt-of-the-earth storyteller relaying the moment he laid eyes on his true love. So sweet, you think; I wonder where Ross is going with this. And then the reveal comes â and itâs a REVEAL. Rossâ writing is flawless, and if you like a bit of gore with your family stories, you will love âMeet Cute.â
âGhost Dutyâ by Peter James Martin was a favorite of mine. His take on the afterlife â and especially Limbo â was clever. Protagonist Josh Raymond canât seem to catch a break, and yet determined to help out his latest housemate, keeps his positive attitude going â even in death. There was just the right amount of humor without turning into slapstick. The âSorry Youâre Deadâ leaflet, angels throwing pens at unlifers (well, one pen at Josh), and wristwatches beeping out Bad Deed Debt increases for minor violations were fun comedic elements. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. And the ending? To quote Homer Simpson: Dâoh!
Author Evelyn Chartresâ âMirror, Mirrorâ totally freaked me out because I fear this is how I will meet my own end. Well, perhaps not, but my point is the author took a totally realistic scenario and led the reader like a lamb to slaughter. Laura, the storyâs main character, is driving through a horrible storm and is detoured into an unsavory part of the city. She is alone and wary â and thatâs when she gets a flat tire. Stranded, she heads for a neon light. Out of place in a nightclub, Laura senses something is off, but she canât quite place her finger on itâŚuntil she puts her foot in her mouth. The ending isnât exactly what I expected â and isnât that great? â and Iâm still unsure of Lauraâs ultimate fate, but âMirror, Mirrorâ hit all the marks for me. Laura was totally relatable, and I could see each scene in her journey like I was watching a movie.
âSmall Town Pack,â by Kayla Hicks, lured me in even though I sensed not all was as it seemed below the surface of this hospitable locale. Main character Samantha Green is starting over after the end of a bad relationship. And who hasnât fantasized about moving away and beginning a new life? At first, she canât believe her luck as good fortune falls her way. But be careful when you choose not to heed a warning. Samanthaâs choices lead her right out under a full moon and under the watchful eyes of beasts sheâd rather not meet. The ending of this short story surprised me, and I continued to think about it long after I finished reading. Hicksâ story got under my skin.
âHarmony of fire: The Rise of the Sleeping Giants,â by S.J. Covey is the epic short story in this anthology. Iâm amazed at how the author managed to pull this off! The story begins with a bit of a routine scene of a cop (main character Lottie) chasing a perp through a city. When the ground shakes and shudders under their feet, you know something very bad is about to happen. And it does. Citywide. Some people are changing; others are scared. I loved âwatchingâ this scene unfold, and the nod to Frankensteinâs monster was appreciated. Coveyâs short story could easily transfer to the movie screen. Applause!
âSaviour of the Lost,â by Samantha Kroese, was like watching a dream unfold while sensing it was really happening. Iâm reminded of the theme of this anthology: they walk among us â and we donât even realize it. The protagonist in âSaviour of the Lostâ offers us a glimpse into her world (Iâm assuming itâs a female main character) with great lines like: âThey walk among us, disguised as I am. Still, when I see them in reflection, I can see the shimmer of their magicâŚâ The halo on the homeless person was touching. The violence in this story is âoff page,â but we know about it. We can imagine what happened. The protagonist knows it, too. Certain horrors visited the most innocent. This story surprised me with its direction and ending. There is sadness, but there is hope, too. Heartstrings pulled!
N.T. Andersonâs âThereâs Romance Afootâ tickled me! I wonât reveal why, but I will say the âbeing who walks among usâ in her story is one of my favorite mythological creatures. (I totally believe the creature exists, by the way.) This was such a natural and pleasant read. In fact, Iâd read this story if it were fleshed out into a full novel. Main character Marisa is likable, and I want to know more about her. And I want to see the paranormal romance with mystery man Sam play out. While I know this anthology explores monsters, Andersonâs addition proves some are just hairier versions of us. Loved it!
âA Cross and a Girl Named Red,â by author A.C. Merkel was a compelling read. What is *really* going on slowly unfolds throughout this short story. Itâs as if a mystery (to unravel) and a fantasy had a love child. Red, the main character, struggles to remember who she is. Mer, the woman leading her forward in this adventure, is also a mystery. This short story definitely had a superhero flavor to it, AND I loved the fantasy aspects. I grinned while reading little comedic nods such as the brain-blank vampire wondering if she was actually Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The ending to this story was as a reader would hope, but is clearly not the end of Redâs and Merâs adventure â or relationship. (Fans of Julie Embletonâs âRogue Assassinâ will love this short story!)
Chris Hooleyâs âGinny the Witch Grants a Wishâ leads the reader on quite the winding path. At first, we feel sorry for Hooleyâs sadsack protagonist. Heâs the butt of jokes â a true target. As he ruminates on life as a loser, he concludes he needs to seek help from a local witch. He makes the sacrifice, and the rewards that follow are anything but. If Ginny were the devil, sheâd have a second contract for him to sign dangling from her fingertips. Instead, she takes another ounce of flesh, and the agony ends. Mr. Loser might have become Mr. Mate in the pub, but Iâd like to see how he picks up a coin now. đ A romp of a read!
Iâm ending this anthology review with Jon Fordâs âThe Night Before.â In this short story, main character Steffany is in a bad way. Sheâs alone and afraid. Hunted. Sheâs fled her house and has nowhere to go. Ford eases the reader to a particular perspective, then adds in a storyline you didnât see coming. Expect a bait-and-switch, a human who fights tooth and nail, and a brave otherworldly stranger (Serlia). As I finished reading this story, I was lulled into the sense that it was over â again the author expertly led me on. However, Serliaâs last words were chilling, and yes, they gave me actual goosebumps!
And there you have it! Five stars to âThey Walk Among Us: Malarkey’s ImaginOmnibus #1â and the 13 authors who flexed their creative muscles! Thank you for making me laugh, gasp, and shiver.
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