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Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales

Kat O'Shea,

Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads Author),

Mark Finnemore (Goodreads Author),

Heather Kenealy (Goodreads Author),

Dawn Dalton (Goodreads Author),

Linda Joy Singleton (Goodreads Author),

Candace Havens (Goodreads Author),

Jill Williamson (Goodreads Author),

more…

3.94 · Rating details · 112 ratings · 23 reviews

Leap Books has summoned some big names in fiction to help put together 13 ghostly stories to support a good cause. Spirited drops this October, with all proceeds to be donated to 826 National. 826 offers free after-school tutoring, workshops, and in-school programs because they believe that "strong writing skills are fundamental to future success." The authors featured in ...more

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Paperback, 332 pages

Published February 13th 2012 by Leap Books (first published October 24th 2011)

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Mar 18, 2012 Maria V. Snyder rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Yes I know I'm biased as I have one of the stories in this anthology. But I read through all the stories and really enjoyed the variety. The book is broken into stories set in the past, present and future. They're all very good and some are really creepy. I especially liked Judith Graves's heroine Amelia Strangeways - reminded me of Alexia Tarabotti from Gail Carriger's Parasole Protectorate. Another standout was Shannon Delany's dystopian world in To Hel and Back. But really not a bad egg in th ...more

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May 09, 2012 Avry15 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: demons, fantasy, fiction, gothic, historical, horror, magic, paranormal-romance, romance, sci-fi

originally appeared on: Bookshelf Confessions

Cover: I love the cover. There’s the feel of something eerie in it. Plus it was lovely in a way that it really speaks of what’s inside the anthology.
Praise for Kat O’Shea, the editor. The lay-outing was superb. I love the fonts, the designs. The whole book was well-thought of.

Spirited is a haunting collection of thirteen ghostly tales from Leap Books. The stories were divided into Past, Present and Future. Honestly, the stories were not really that sc originally appeared on: Bookshelf Confessions

Cover: I love the cover. There’s the feel of something eerie in it. Plus it was lovely in a way that it really speaks of what’s inside the anthology.
Praise for Kat O’Shea, the editor. The lay-outing was superb. I love the fonts, the designs. The whole book was well-thought of.

Spirited is a haunting collection of thirteen ghostly tales from Leap Books. The stories were divided into Past, Present and Future. Honestly, the stories were not really that scary, well some are, but mostly they were interesting, giving a new light to imagination and some were even funny. But all in all, it was entertaining.

Note: Actually, these are not spoliers but the short descriptions of each story

To give you a heads up, here’s the synopsis of each of the story:

PAST:Strangeways vs. the Wraith by Judith Graves(view spoiler)
"The Senet Box" by Jill Williamson(view spoiler)
"Stained" by Mark Finnemore(view spoiler)
"Thread of the Past" by Dawn Dalton(view spoiler)

PRESENT:
The Cold One" by Candace Havens(view spoiler)
Death Becomes Her" by Kitty Keswick(view spoiler)
The Oast House" by Cameron Tudor(view spoiler)
New Girl" by Maria V. Snyder(view spoiler)
Aftermath" by Halli Dee Lilburn(view spoiler)
"Phantom of the Prom" by Linda Joy Singleton(view spoiler)

FUTURE:
"Night Queen" by John W. Otte(view spoiler)
"To Hel and Back" by Shannon Delany(view spoiler)
"The Story of Late" by Heather Kenealy(view spoiler)

My favorites are the first and the last stories. I could definitely picture them being turned into full novels. “The Story of Late” was like a fairytale to me..lol..even though it should have been scary but the premise was really interesting and fairytale-like and the writing style was easy to understand. “Strangeways vs. the Wraith” was set I think in 18-19th century New York so it was a bit historical, and this short story spark a deep interest in me of a novel with action and ghosts, and of course romance. Actually, Judith Graves’ “Strangeways” is now available as a novel entitled “Strangeways vs. The Blood Brothers”.

The other stories were also interesting and there are different plots that could be a potential base for future novels. And as every anthology goes, there are also those stories which I had difficulty getting myself into. Maybe that genre was not just for me. Plus, there’s a 3-D augmented reality on “To Hel and Back”, though I must admit I don’t get some of the pictures..;)

A fun and easy read, Spirited was packed with historical fiction, sci-fi, cyberspace, young adult, paranormal, gothic, and even myths. All genres were packed into one amazing book. Highly recommended to everyone, teens and adults alike!

Proceeds from Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales go to children's literacy organization 826 National. ...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Kay rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya

Strangeways: 4*s This was a steampunk story. At first the language felt forced but this quickly went away. I liked Amelia and Warren and would be willing to read more about them.

The Senet Box: 3.5*s Interesting.

Stained: 4.5*s I really liked this story. I was immediately drawn into it. It was sad but the message of the story was hopeful.

Thread of the Past: 4*s Kept my attention but left me with a lot of questions at the end.

The Cold One: 5*s This book had a really interesting concept. I definite ...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Judith Graves rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-i-wrote

Hey guys, I'm thrilled to announce my steampunk short story appears in this anthology! Spirited also features NY Times bestselling authors such as Maria V. Snyder and Candace Havens, as well as a bevy of other wicked talents. Please consider reading and reviewing this title as all proceeds go to 826 National, a literacy-based charity and YOU can help. 'Cause illiteracy is one scary beastie. ;) Thanks! Judith ...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it

I have never been one to like short stories, except by Ray Bradbury, until I found these anthologies for my Kindle. Reading this book also reminded how much I enjoy a good ghost story. All 13 of them are spine tingling.

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Mar 28, 2012 Rebecca rated it liked it

Recommends it for: fans of light ghost stories, fans of short story collections

Shelves: short-stories

This was a pretty quick and easy read. Usually I stay away from ghost stories--I'm the sort of person who can't sleep after reading Sherlock Holmes, let alone anything with paranormal elements--but I doubt any of these stories are going to trouble me like that. This was a light and fun read; the stories were on the whole good.

The first story, "Strangeways vs. the Wraith" (by Judith Graves)is about a girl named Amelia Strangeways, who is a necromancer-in-training but forbidden from entering the H ...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Charlotte rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, anthology, magic

An entertainig collection. This anthology has some scary stories, some not-so-scary ones and some inspiring ones. There's all sorts in here. There's historical ficition, futuristic, and some that are mixed with well known tales and myths. I really love that there's such a wide range of genres. It has allowed me to read stories in genres that I wouldn't normally read, and might now consider exploring further. However, like everyone, not every genre or story is for me. So naturally there are some ...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Desiree marked it as to-read

Why does this book and Reincarnate, beloved

have the same cover? I love the cover but I've never seen one cover on two different books before! Can anyone explain??? ...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: to-read-again, first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads program, and once again, I couldn't put up a review because of exams so it appears as though I've been reading this for weeks. However, Spirited was a relatively quick read and I finished it in a couple of days, a few weeks ago. I'll just go through this story by story:
Strangeways vs. the Wraith - Judith Graves:- So, this one wasn't very memorable, just looking at the title, I couldn't recall any parts of the story, except the hanging girl. Neverthel
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads program, and once again, I couldn't put up a review because of exams so it appears as though I've been reading this for weeks. However, Spirited was a relatively quick read and I finished it in a couple of days, a few weeks ago. I'll just go through this story by story:
Strangeways vs. the Wraith - Judith Graves:- So, this one wasn't very memorable, just looking at the title, I couldn't recall any parts of the story, except the hanging girl. Nevertheless, upon flicking through it, I thought it was very convincing as a story from the past, and I loved some of the vocabulary used in it, words such as: "blathering" and "confounded gadgetry". The ending, however, was quite disappointing. I don't really like how so many novels have to have romance, and this was no exception. Like many other stories, I believe this one could stand up on its own without the extra bits about their implied love (maybe this is too strong an emotion?) for each other.
The Senet Box - Jill Williamson:- I liked this story. It was interesting, but (kind of) educational at the same time. I don't know much history, but Jill Williamson cleverly intertwined fiction with actual historical events, making it enjoyable to read. It was also believable (to me) as being from the French past, and I quite liked the ending.
Stained - Mark Finnemore:- This story was memorable for me, because I really like the ending - it played with my emotions. On one hand I was happy, and on the other I was distraught. However, I'm glad it ended like it did, because if it happened the obvious way, it would have been too unbelievable. Also, it leaves the reader with questions, and I was thinking about it for a while after I had read it. This story was maybe one of my favourites in the book.
Thread of the Past - Dawn Dalton:- I found this one to be a tiny bit obvious in what was going to happen, and I couldn't get over how Letitia wasn't creeped out by Elijah considering how he acted. Like how he said to her, "I've been waiting a long time for you". What is that? How could you not think that's weird at all? Another thing that I didn't really like were the clichés in Letitia's character - the way she dressed, the deeper meaning in the differences between her and her classmates, even the slit wrists. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that slit wrists isn't heard of in teens, or that it isn't sad that some people do it, but that it's overdone in Letitia's type of character, and is very stereotypical.
The Cold One - Candace Havens:- This story is also one of my favourites, maybe because it was set in Finland, which I love because of SATW, but it was actually really interesting. Also, the narration was quite humorous, and the descriptions were really good, it felt like I was actually there in Finland.
Death Becomes Her - Kitty Keswick:- So the plot was good in this story, it was actually quite deceiving in that it made me think I knew what would happen, but did something different. But I liked that, since I like being surprised. I thought it was quite clever how Kitty Keswick kind of did a retelling of Cinderella, but not exactly the same plotline as some retellings strive to do.
The Oast House - Carmen Tudor:- I really liked this, although at first I couldn't really get into it. However, the main character was likable and there were a lot of really nice descriptions which were helpful in picturing the scene of events.
New Girl - Maria V. Snyder:- This story was the one I was most excited to read, as I absolutely love all of Maria Snyder's other novels, and it did not disappoint. It had a female protagonist who I didn't mind, as most girls in books really really annoy me, and a really good ending. It was also one of my favourites.
Aftermath - Halli Dee Lilurn:- This one was a bit forgettable and I don't really remember much of it, although that could be due to my cramming for exams. It had a cool family tree in it, though.
Phantom of the Prom - Linda Joy Singleton:- So it's maybe because I haven't read The Seer series, but I didn't get a few things. Like: what exactly is she, what does it mean to be a Seer, and why has she got a really freaky voice in her head who just speaks in riddles? Nevertheless, it was quite good even though the ending was slightly cheesy.
Night Queen - John W. Otte:- This story also joins the growing number of favourites I have in Spirited. I think it's a combination of: the reminder of learning about the Mary Celeste in Primary School, and finding it interesting; my fascination with space; and of course, good storytelling. The sense of The Night Queen being fraught with danger came through well, and the different personalities of the characters made it an engaging story.
To Hel and Back - Shannon Delany:- I found this story to be somewhat disappointing, being another one which I was looking forward to reading. The 3-D augmented reality, being the feature I anticipated, didn't work despite multiple tries and I found it really frustrating just holding up a book to my computer, looking like an idiot to everyone around me, with no images coming up. Despite this, the story was very memorable, even though that's probably from the weirdness of the protagonist falling for a robot. It's most likely because I'm kind of scared of robots, and it just seems unnatural that robots could be that much alike to humans. I don't like the thought of them becoming that advanced, and the fate of our world ending up like in The Terminator. But I do realise that that wasn't the point of the story, and that the robots should have been treated equally, because after all they were practically human, with emotions and all.
The Story of Late - Heather Kennedy:- This story is also one of my favourites. It made me feel a whole range of emotions: sympathy for Late, dislike for Tresska, and happiness by the end of it. I think this could easily be made into a book, that I would definitely read, because it's different. I don't think I've read much like this, and it's a bit reminiscent of fairytales I read when I was younger.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book as you can see by the number of favourites I have in it. There were a couple of let-downs, but I think I'll probably re-read it in the summer. In my opinion it's a good book, if you like reading a bunch of short stories, that is worth maybe 3.5*s. ...more

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Mar 15, 2015 Sierra Faith rated it liked it

Shelves: own, disappointing

Here are individual reviews for each book:
Strangeways vs. the Wraith 2/5
The Senet Box by Jill Williamson 3/5 Stars, the ending was left really open and it was confusing.
Stained by Mark Finnemore 3/5 stars
Thread of The Past by Dawn Dalton 3/5"
The cold one by Candace Havens 2.5/5
Death Becomes Her by Kitty Weswick. This was definitely a Cinderella re-telling! 3.5/5
The Oast House Carmen Tudor 2/5 stars
New Girl by Maria Synder 3/5
Aftermath by Halli Dee Lirurn 1.5/5
Phantom of the Prom by Linda Joy Sin ...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Andd rated it really liked it

This well-written book of short stories by 13 writers has a balance of 1st person narratives and 3rd person narratives. There is good dialogue. The stories are organized by past, present, and future settings. One story boasts six augmented reality markers embedded in it, for 3-D viewing.
The stories have been selected wisely.
I received this book free through the goodreads FIRST READS program.

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Aug 20, 2012 Kitty Keswick rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Great collection of short stories and the money goes to a good cause. I am a bit biased...since I have a short story included in it, (Death Becomes Her) but take mine out and it's still an awesome read. I had alot of fun writing it. I enjoyed them all but, really like Candace and Maria's stories. Buy a copy and decide for yourself. ...more

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May 20, 2012 Klgrissom rated it really liked it

I do not usually like short stories. but this collection was the best I have read. there was only 1 story that I didn't like because it was too sifi for me. There was difinatly a creepy factor in a few of the stories. overall good collection. ...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Cheryl marked it as to-read

Short stories! Anthology! Ah. Need to read.

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Mar 11, 2012 Kim marked it as to-read

Shelves: wishlist

I would love to own and read this book...look at all of the awesome authors!!!! :)

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Apr 09, 2012 Kereesa rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: YAers

Shelves: anthologies, giveaways, own, signed, own-softcovers, 2013, alternate-history, demons-magic, fantasy-all-others, friendship

Pre-review: Won a (signed) copy from the incomparable Maria V. Snyder :)

Review: Like most anthologies this was filled with the good, the bad, and the bloody freaking mediocre and stereotypical.

But it did give me shivers while I read by myself at night in the dark.

And I did find a few authors I'm definitely checking out.

So kind of like every multi authored anthology I've ever read.

3.5-4/5 ...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Natalie rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, spooky, paranormal, steampunk, sci-fi, short-stories, kindle

Short stories spanning genres, ages and ability. Most of the stories were pretty good. My favorites were the first and the last. I would've loved to read both those stories in full novel form. Some were a little bizarro. One was about this guy falling love with a machine girl and then going to find her in a computer. I didn't really get it. All proceeds go to a charity group that promotes literacy. I believe it's only $0.99 on Kindle for the month of April. ...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Lili rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads-giveaway, 2012, adult, horror, short-stories

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads first reads giveaways.

This is a collection of 13 ghost stories. As a whole, I found that most of these stories set-up a good story and then ended quite abruptly once the reader got wrapped up in it. Some, of course, were better than others. All in all, it was an entertaining anthology, and a fast read, but I do with the stories were slightly longer and more developed.

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Jan 21, 2013 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Great set of authors for an anthology, enjoyed all the stories and I think that any book that does donations or gives away portions to causes is even better also. So with that said I would definately check out some of the other authors that I had never read. Great read!

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Oct 23, 2016 Shirleon Sharron rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016-reading-challenge, books-with-green-covers, young-adult-fantasy, short-stories-and-essays, 250-to-400-pages

There were a few stories in this collection that were only okay. The rest were interesting enough that I wanted more and more!
They were definitely spooky enough to make me consider sleeping with the lights on!

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Nov 01, 2011 Mark Finnemore rated it really liked it · (Review from the author)

A good selection of tales

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Jun 06, 2012 Amy Gilson rated it it was ok

This collection of ghost stories was disappointing. A couple good stories mixed among a bunch of poorly written, forgettable short stories.

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Oct 18, 2012 Alex rated it liked it

This was perfect to get me in the mood for Halloween!

Some stories were awesome, some were weak and some were just okay - so I'll round this out to 3 stars. It was a fun collection, though. ...more

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Leap Books: Spirited Anthology Booktrailer	1	4	Nov 19, 2012 06:13PM
Maria V. Snyder L...: MVS Giveaway!	1	7	Apr 05, 2012 03:33AM
Spirited Booktrailer	1	7	Oct 02, 2011 04:23AM