Lisa Morton

I received a copy of Netherworld by Lisa Morton in LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. While horror is not a must-read genre for me, I really enjoyed the book nonetheless. Morton has created an engaging heroine in the character of Diana Furnaval, a Victorian widow of decidedly unVictorian ideas and ideals. Diana is aided in her quest to close gateways into the Netherworld around the globe by Mina, a very talented tabby (and an homage to Bram Stoker), and Yi-kin Leung, a loyal young show more Chinese man with hidden depths. Part of what made the novel so entertaining was the different locations – England, Europe, India, China, and the United States. Morton made all these settings believable for the late 1800s, with the exception of ignoring the existence of the transcontinental railroad in the U.S. at this time. Also adding to the richness of the background was the inclusion of mythology from all the countries included in the story. Morton’s treatment of vampires is in keeping with the different legends of the time, including the Chinese hopping vampires, but not in line with today’s romantic tortured soul, so lovers of Sookie Stackhouse beware. As the announced Book One of the Chronicles of Diana Furnaval, the book still has a very satisfying conclusion, while leaving plenty to be covered in future sequels. show less

This new collection of Horror (or I should say strictly Halloween stories,) was probably the best surprise I got this month. I generally don't expect all that much about made-to-order stories based on a theme, but every single one of these was consistently awesome. Some were rather extraordinary.

Something else that comes as a rather nice surprise was the fact that I've been following most of these authors anyway, so I'm getting a feel for what they'd do naturally and I can even get a sense show more as to whether their stories are up to snuff. And if you've been reading this far, you can tell I think so. :)

BUT. And here's the odd part... some of my favorite authors aren't getting their top marks in this collection! Seanan McGuire's story, "With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds", actually fell near to the bottom of my list of favorites! *gasp*

"Dirtmout" by Stephen Graham Jones, was absolutely gorgeous and atmospheric and creepy as hell. This is where I knew I was going to rock to this collection.

Jonathan Maberry's "A Small Taste of the Old Country" was pretty good for a history lesson and a traditional ghost story vibe and I have no complaints even if it didn't strike fear into my heart.

I really loved Joanna Parypinski's "Wick's End". It really captures the taste of sitting around a campfire telling stories about how to beat the devil... even if it's a game in a pub. I LOVE these kinds of stories within stories.

"The Seventeen-Year Itch" by Garth Nix was a good one for hospitals and obsession but it didn't really grab me that much even though it was entertaining.

"A Flicker of Light on Devil's Night" by Kate Jonez was pretty atmospheric even if it was more just a mild horror. :)

"Witch Hazel" by Jeffrey Ford was a decent witch story with twins for all you people who are naturally freaked out by those freaks of nature. :) :)

"Nos Galan Gaeaf" by Kelley Armstrong wasn't part of any of my favorites, unfortunately.

"We're Never Inviting Amber Again" by S.P. Miskowski, was, okay, pretty forgettable, too. :)

BUT Brian Evanson's "Sisters" really knocked things out of the park. I loved the fish out of water aspect. :)

"All Through the Night" by Elise Forier Edie was sweet and bittersweet and thoughtful.

"A Kingdom of Sugar Skulls and Marigolds" by Eric J. Guignard was pretty awesome as an adventure through thug territory living through the Day of the Dead for real. It was pretty brilliant.

Paul Kane's "The Turn" made me turn for real. Nice and scary and a perfect pick me up. :) Boo!

Pat Cadigan's "Jack" was pretty much a pumpkin king. Familiar, full of myth, and decent fun, but kinda middle of the road.

John Langan's "Lost in the Dark" blew me the **** away. This one is easily my absolute favorite of the bunch, half-way a documentary, a horror movie, a barroom expose, and a thoughtful and smart addition to the shaky-cam genre that blows most of the shaky-cams out of the atmosphere. I actually got creeped out and started biting my nails a bit.

And for the last story of the bunch, we got a SF! "The First Lunar Halloween" by John R. Little wasn't particularly scary but it felt like a great lunar/archeological experiment in trickery. :) show less

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" "With graveyard weeds and wolfsbane seeds, and empty graves all in a row."

Who would pass a book entitled Haunted Nights? Would you pass it? I think not. And do it came to that this collection of stories was added to the October reading list and took priority over other books. I was optimistic that I would enjoy the collection, but I believed that nothing too special was in store. I thought I'd find tales that would be eerie, mildly show more creepy and Halloween-y (...and this word probably doesn't exist, but let's pretend...). And I was wrong.These are stories that are dark, bleak, heart-wrenching and utterly frightening. They are unsettling and upsetting and will make you feel more than uncomfortable. They will make you scared and sad. In short, this is probably the best Halloween stories you'll have read by now.

"Halloween's always been the night when the rules don't hold, hasn't? It's like the world's night off."

The stories take place in the night of Halloween, a night that is hallowed, wild, sacred, potentially orgiastic. A night when masks are on and the world becomes a different place, both magical and haunted, beautiful and dangerous. Sad and nostalgic, if we accept that the dead come to wander with us, a moment of being "alive" in the nothingness of immortality. Who knows of such things? What I do know, however, is that these are the adjectives I would use to describe this collection.

The richness and diversity of the stories will definitely attract your attention, since there seems to be something for everyone. We find ‘’traditional’’ spooky characters and techniques. Haunted houses, dead children, forgotten spirits, owls, gargoyles, vampires, werewolves, but what is truly special is the inclusion of traditions dating back to the pagan days. This makes the stories dark, menacing and unpredictable. A Halloween story from Argentina with a terrifying nod to Seleenwoche, a tale of justified revenge and comeuppance. Poor old Jack-O’-Lantern speaks to us. There is a story dedicated to Nos Galan Gaeaf, the Spirit Night of the Welsh tradition. We experience Samhain and our favourite Dia De Los Muertos with the Sugar Skulls and we come face to face with Keres, the chthonian Greek deities of blood, darkness and death.

The sixteen tales of the collection are excellent but there are a few that made a lasting impression:

‘’Dirtmouth’’ by Stephen Graham Jones is a beautiful story, containing the most accurate observations about this very special day of the year. This is a tragic, haunting tale.
‘’Wick’s End’’ by Joanna Parypinski has a Neil Gaiman touch, reminding me of his ‘’Coming to America’’ chapters in ‘’American Gods’’. And I won’t tell you who is the narrator of the story…
‘’A Flicker of Light in Devil’s Night’’ by Kate Jonez has a nightmarish, menacing atmosphere, right from the start…
‘’The Turn’’ is scary and chilling as is ‘’Lost In the Dark’’. Now, I’d definitely pay to watch that film…
I felt that ‘’The First Lunar Halloween’’ was the weakest link in the collection. I don’t like sci-fi and I couldn’t appreciate the inclusion of this tale, but if you enjoy the genre, then you will definitely like this intergalactic story.

These are not stories to be read in Halloween and be forgotten afterwards. They are scary tales for readers who want something more besides the same old jumpscares or gory spectacles. This is a collection that communicates the eerie, menacing atmosphere of these days to perfection.

Many thanks to Blumhouse Books/Anchor Books, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less

I received this Librarything Early Reviewer book in exchange for an honest review.

Summer's End is a quick, spooky read that will put you in the mood for Hallowe'en. Lisa Morton plays herself, I guess, a self-proclaimed expert on Hallowe'en who's drawn into investigating a mysterious ancient document purportedly written by the last Druid. Morton, a skeptic, is made to question her assumptions about Celtic lore and magic.

I really like Morton's writing style. It sucked me in easily and, in show more many places, creeped me the hell out (pumpkins, no!). I also liked the info-dumps of Celtic mythology. My two main complaints are that (1) she, as the narrator, came a little to easily to the consideration of murder later in the tale, and (2) the ending was weak. I wanted more of a punch and all I got was a shrug. 3/5 show less