“I fear we too are dying, for we live with madness.” The nightmarishly beautiful prose is but one reason to venture into the unnerving catacombs of House of Horrors, an anthology of short genre excursions by the indomitable Carole Gill. From a storm-shrouded lighthouse to the foggy realms of haunted forests and even a jaunt through Whitechapel, Carole Gill lulls you into her gothic web, masterfully weaving for you a series of nightmarish tales to unease your dreary nights. She is the contemporary incarnation of the storyteller at the fire, and we gather in the light of the flickering flame wide-eyed and eager to listen.
Included here is Dreams of a Vampire, a prequel to Gill’s The House on Blackstone Moor. It aims to fulfill a few curiosities, and it does not disappoint. Longtime fans will be excited and rewarded, not just by the inclusion of this expansion of her seminal saga, but by each and every other story collected here. Zombies rejoice with their own brand of holiday cheer in one of my favorite tales, Seasonal Undead. It is no surprise that Gill’s specialty is vampires, and she continues to satiate the enthusiast by ending her anthology with a curious celebration of the classic tale Carmilla, with none other than Bram Stoker himself making an appearance.
Carole Gill’s talent is a wonder to experience. She has the uncanny ability to craft horrors imbued in fairy tale finesse. The dreamy landscape of her imagination flows across the page with thoughtful, thought-provoking sophistication. There is no doubt that she soars above the endless parade of independent horror authors to shine as a true star in the darkness. With the brilliant anthology House of Horrors she proves why she is a perennial favorite. To put it simply, this is a great assembly of tales anyone would be proud to have in their collection.
House of Horrors can be purchased on Amazon.com.
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