Vampires, an anthology from KJK Publishing, is a bloody and horror-filled collection of dark tales that is sure to grip readers by their throats! Just watch out for the teeth…
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on KJK Presents Vampires –
Think the vampire trope has been played out? Enter the Vampires anthology from KJK Publishing! This collection takes the creature of lore and adds in so much darkness!
I personally can’t get enough vampire tales, so when this collection was announced, I was so excited! There were quite a few stories here that I read and thought, “Oh wow, that’s a terrifying element!” I absolutely loved not being able to guess what fresh terror was coming next!
Per usual, here are my notes on each story!
Laird of Dunain by Graham Masterton –
When the Laird spies a woman with a talent he’s interested in seeing translated into portrait work, he’s quick to snatch her away from her painting group. But try as she might, this painter just can’t get the Laird’s likeness to come through…
This tale has such a dark current flowing through it! From the surface level, you’d have no idea what turbulence is just out of sight for everyone involved.
Vampyrrhic Pay-Per-View by Simon Clark –
When two young men sign on to talk to a vampire, one is convinced it’s a scam, but the other is thrilled. Neither of them would have guessed that they were about to learn life-changing details.
What a fun premise! I won’t spoil it here. But I need more from the lives of the people on the other end of these live calls!
The Nest by Kevin J Kennedy –
When a group of vampire hunters has found a nest, they enter, not knowing just what lives behind these walls.
Oh my gosh, the idea of the vampire teeth in this tale is wildly unsettling! I mean, the thought of getting bitten is already awful, but add in a mouth like the one described here?! Horrifying!
Chasing Moonlight by Greg F. Gifune –
Going out for “one last job,” this man learns while at the site that it’s never going to be his last job. But there’s something especially strange about this one…
TW for drug use. This was a tense tale! I was both excited and nervous to see what their job would entail.
A Cold Morning on Lake Dark by Michael Bray –
When this tale opens, we meet a man dubbed the Cold Lake Killer who has his next victim with him. But will this latest murder go as planned?
This tale was brutal! The end especially. Phew! I loved the tension built here!
The Proposal by Lee Mountford –
Haunted by the big decision that broke their marriage, this man is given one last chance to take his wife up on her proposal.
A short and sweet tale about making an impossible decision between belief and life. This one really gets you in the shoes of the main character and forces you to ask yourself what decision you would make if you were in the same situation.
Heroes by Richard Chizmar –
Seeking out a contact, this son just hopes he’s making the right decision.
A gut punch horror tale of love between a father and son.
Devil in the Snow by Nick Roberts –
Semi-forced to go visit his brother in Alaska, this young man is at a fork in the road that is his life. He can change and be someone, or he can continue with his path of drugs and alcohol. Once in Alaska, he’s drawn to a unique trinket at a local vendors shop…
Oh boy the second the trinket was described, you just know you’re in for a wild ride as the reader. This was brutal! What an explosive tale to end the collection on!
My Favorite Passages from KJK Presents Vampires –
An active, haunted mind was a hard thing to quiet.
— The Nest by Kevin J. Kennedy
The older vamps sometimes grew additional sets of teeth, much like sharks. The older they got, the more terrifying their fangs became.
— The Nest by Kevin J. Kennedy
He swept into the room like a tornado touching down in a library, his sudden presence disrupting what had been an otherwise quiet conversation in the burned out shell of an apartment Bonnie called home these days. All black leather and drama, the heels of his dark boots clacking the floor, white teeth flashing in contrast, the biggest goddamn gun I’d ever seen in one hand and a plastic bag filled with yellow capsules in the other.
— Chasing Moonlight by Greg F. Gifune
He drove down the curved lane towards the lake entrance, skeletons of leafless trees overhead exposing the overcast early morning sky.
— A Cold Morning on Lake Dark by Michael Bray
In one swift motion, it dove toward the ground and swooped into gliding mode three feet above the ground, slicing through a horde of bodies, torsos sliding off of still standing legs.
— Devil in the Snow by Nick Roberts
My Final Thoughts on KJK Presents Vampires –
Horror fans that have an interest in vampires, this collection needs to be an insta buy! I had a blast seeing all the different takes on vampires and I was so excited to see how dark these ones were! I can’t get the mouth of one of them out of my head…
Thanks for reading!
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