Hello everyone, I am proud to return with another book review. Now, we all know that I've been working on book reviews quite a bit lately. I mean we have this anthology and two more books coming this month alone. It's been interesting taking the time and jumping into reading these books. Lately, I was trying to figure out what to call it besides just Book Review. So therefore, we have BlazinBlue's Book Review. Going forth all of the book reviews will be titled that. So things keep on a evolving and becoming more structured around here at the Horror Review.
Now that's out of the way, I'd like to talk about today's book, Slice of Paradise. It's one of two upcoming Beach Vacation anthologies from DarkLit Press. This isn't the first time reviewing an anthology here at the Horror Review. Anthologies are always an interesting thing to review, in my opinion. I mean it's a collection of stories from many authors. Each author brings a unique flavor, perspective, and idea to the collection. Honestly, anthologies are something I find difficult to review because of that.
With this collection, there are a lot of extremely solid stories. Ben Long and Andrew Robert did a fantastic job with editing this collection and the next one as well. Now with so many stories to read through, it leaves the issue of exactly figuring out what ones are the standouts. For me, each of the stories in these collections could be their own standout. They are all that good.
Therefore in this, I share some of my thoughts on the first two stories "Secret Beach" and "Night Dive". Honestly in my opinion, I know that the stories in an anthology can make or break it. Especially when it's the first stories, they have a difficult job because they have to set the tone to keep audiences interested in checking out the other stories held within.
Secret Beach
Author: Mark Towse
A father and daughter visit their Secret Beach. However this trip will be one that changes their life forever. They encounter a force unlike any other.
This story was a bold start to the collection. It starts so innocently, but quickly descends into madness. It was such a solid story. As a parent, I found myself relating to the father so much. And the journey that he goes on is so much - filled with an unending sense of dread. The imagery that is held within this story is so powerful. For me, I am someone that can have a hard time picturing things in my head. I know that there are more people out there like me that share the same difficulty. However, Mark Towse was able to bypass that. They crafted a tight story that was so dreamlike. It's literally a walking nightmare that culminates in an ending that I won't forget.
Night Dive
Author: Drew Starling
Anna and Karl have been visiting the Philippines. Anna has found a love for Scuba Diving, while Karl tolerates it. Basically, Karl would do anything for Anna. One day, Anna talks Karl into a Night Dive. It's an experience they will never forget.
This story was a bit of a slow burn. It took the time to establish the characters. There was a large sense of dread throughout. The way that Starling describes the night dive is fantastic. While I knew something was going to happen, I was unsure of what it was. It did catch me off guard. I wasn't sure where the story would go. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking that it'd be a ghost story that would culminate in the divers coming across 'ghosts' aboard some ship wreckage. However, I was wrong. I pushed aside a bit of information that actually foretells the story Starling was telling. It also made me unsure if I will ever wish to go scuba diving as I already don't like the water to begin with.
With this debut collection, DarkLit Press brilliantly establishes that they are able to deliver on Beach Horror. These stories do what Jaws was able to do. Establishing a sense of dread and fear of not just the beach but the water beside it. It'll leave you wondering what just lurks within those hidden depths of the cold blue waters. But it also brilliantly establishes that your fears shouldn't be just of the water, but the beach as well. For things could quickly take a turn when you least expect it, even during the day. No time is safe.
Rating: 4 out of 5. Highly Recommend.
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