The Horror Collection: Black Edition by Kevin J. Kennedy was a very intense short story horror collection! If you’re into the darker elements of horror, such as torture, this will be right up your alley!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on The Horror Collection: Black Edition presented by KJK Publishing
Out of the eight tales in this collection, I absolutely LOVED two of them! Unfortunately, a few were just not in my horror interest range. So please keep that in mind when considering my notes below.
Per usual, here are my quick reactions and rating breakdowns for each story:
The Lake is Life by Richard Chizmar – 3 Stars
Ah man, we used to play a game similar to flashlight tag called deer hunter. This tale really made me miss that! I loved the bits from the conversation between the witness and the police that added to the suspense of the tale.
Pie Bingo: Last Man Standing by Veronica Smith – 3 Stars
YIKES! This one was wicked intense and gruesome. I’m personally not a huge fan of tales with torture which is why this one was a three for me but I still greatly enjoyed the story overall. The idea behind the plot was so scary! This one is gonna stick with me for a long time.
Goblin Financial by Lee McGeorge – 3 Stars
Woah! This one was so dark!! Another with torture, hence the lower rating for me personally. But man, if torture porn of your thing, the start of this will be a hit for you! I personally enjoyed the second half more when it got really intense!
The Switch by Mark Lukens – 5 Stars
Ah! This one made me feel so claustrophobic!! Phew. Wonderfully done! This one made me think of Thirteen Ghosts! “Greatness requires sacrifice.” Eek! Now I need to go rewatch that film!
Those Who Watch From On High by Eric J. Guignard – 5 Stars
Woah. This was heartbreaking and wicked suspenseful. The author did a wonderful job portraying elements of PTSD and making the timeline jumpy but in a way that still flowed. My heart broke for Lee.
The Ghost of Agnes Gallow by James Matthew Byers – 4 Stars
So creepy! Tales like this really get under my skin! Ghostly revenge that passes along from generation to generation is such a scary premise.
A Tarantino Oz by Kevin J Kennedy –
This story had a warning; “Warning! The next story may be considered extreme.” I grinned when I saw this and couldn’t wait to dive in. And darn it! This one was not for me simply because of said extreme content. For those that enjoy the sex-related elements here though, it’d be a home run!
Smolder by Michael A. Arnzen – 3 Stars
Woah! Intense!! Don’t smoke cigarettes, friends!
My Final Thoughts on The Horror Collection: Black Edition
The Horror Collection: Black Edition was wicked intense! As this one covered some dark elements that I am just not a fan of, this collection wasn’t my favorite. But if you’re into horror tales with horror and sex, then this collection would be a hit for you!
Even though a few of the tales weren’t for me, I still really enjoyed the collection! Per usual, many of the tales are going to stick with me for a long time!
Snag a copy through Bookshop to help support local indie bookshops:
Related Reading:
- Interview with Kevin J Kennedy
- 100 Word Horrors
- 100 Word Horrors, Part Two
- 100 Word Horrors, Part Three
- Carnival of Horror
- Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 2
- Collected Easter Horror Shorts
- Collected Halloween Horror Shorts: Trick ‘r Treat
- Dark Thoughts
- The Gatekeeper
- The Horror Collection: White Edition
- Screechers by Kevin J. Kennedy and Christina Bergling
- You Only Get One Shot by Kevin J. Kennedy & J.C. Michael
- Vampiro and Other Strange Tales of the Macabre
Doesn’t quite sound like my style either and for the same reasons. The ones that you loved though do sound pretty great though.
<3
It sounds like this one just wasn’t for you personally, as a lot of these stories didn’t vibe with your personal horror preference. But I am glad there were one or two you could like!
Yeah, unfortunately it wasn’t. I still loved the writing! Just the topics weren’t my favorite. I’m not a huge fan of torture or overly sexual tales.