http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?ID=939 ( )

There are 9 stories in this book, and, as I always say, whenever you pick up an anthology you're likely to find a few that you really like, a few you really dislike, and some that are just okay. Here's the contents list:

The Rattle of Her Smile - This one was quite freaky re an Aztec goddess and someone who didn't know well enough to leave dark forces alone. This one was quite good.

Dark Demonize -- I found this one to be rather silly; in it, a man bargains with a demon and gets much more than he bargained for.

The Hoppwood Tenant -- One of the iffies; a couple of guys disturb the Hoppwood Tenant and cause a lot of mayhem.

The Black Massif -- A la Clark Ashton Smith (whose writings I greatly admire) and his tales of Zothique. This one was most excellent; probably the one I liked the best in the entire book.

The Tale of Toad Loop -- More along the Innsmouth line

When the Stars are Ripe -- this finds the narrator and a companion down in a cenote in a "scientific" investigation; they also get more than they've bargained for.

The Paladin of Worms: Another one which I enjoyed...very creepy story. A sheriff shows up to check on the whereabouts of a man's missing hired hand, and hears a story that literally kills him. Quite well done.

Self-Correcting Mechanism: Out in space; not one of my favorites at all.

Famine Wood: Two missionaries come to the door of an elderly man and end up hearing a story that couldn't possibly be true...or could it? This one was well done, too.

Overall, I thought this little book was nicely done, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Mythos lore as well as Clark Ashton-Smith's work. ( )