The Captivating Flames of Madness

by Jeff Parsons

This book's title comes from the reality that - like a moth to the flame - we're all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever. What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more? If you dare, why not find out? Read for yourself the twenty-two gloriously provocative tales that dwell within this book - but be warned, some of my dear readers have experienced lasting nightmares...

Genres: Horror

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 2, 2018

Reviews

[Christi M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Captivating Flames of Madness offers a wide variety of short stories that range from creepy and scary to also leaving the reader with a general sense of unease. But, amongst the collection there are several that also give you something to think about long after you’ve left the story.

Thoughts:
Typically, when I read a collection of short stories I find that there is one that sticks with me a little more than the others. But to the author’s credit in this collection, I found I actually enjoyed several with no clear ‘winner.’ The reasons were as varied as the stories – some really caught my attention theme-wise while I enjoyed others due to plot and creepiness (I’m looking at you Control – nothing creepier than marionette puppets.)

The collection offers stories set in the past, such as the Lost Souls, which takes place on a German U-boat during WWII. While others were set in a future that feels dystopian, such as The New Law – a story about a lady who has been sentenced to pay for a crime she committed. But there are some also set in the present, or what at least feels like the present, such as The Rain, a story that opens with a couple of detectives arriving at a murder scene, but where the victim may not necessarily be an upstanding citizen.

Although, all the stories have a basis in some type or creepiness or horror-related theme, what I also found intriguing is how several of them also have philosophical-related or social commentary-related themes that are thought-provoking and leave room for discussion. For example, what penalty is the correct penalty for certain types of crimes? Is ‘benevolent dictatorship’ a dream someone should have? But no story more envelopes this moreso than The Eye of the Storm where the main character ends the story wondering if the ‘nature of mankind’ can be changed.

Overall, it was a nice collection of short stories. Perfect for the fall season or when you just want a bit of creepiness and unease when reading at night – right before trying to fall asleep.

Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to Blackthorn Book Tours for the reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Amanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review of The Captivating Flames of Madness

[Honestmamreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not just one book but a glorious 22 short stories. I often find I have a few minutes spare every now and again in my hectic life this book is perfect to pick up and read a tale of weirdness.

To write a short story you must captivate your audience from the start. Parsons has achieved this perfectly. Each story is filled with great plot and character despite being short we still get everything we need. It's basically punches you in the face hard.

Jeff Parsons imagination is overflowing with wackiness. And it's all comes pouring out into this one great book.

This is a cracking book. A perfect coffee table book where you can pick up and read a short thrilling story in 5-minutes and being mesmerized by the ingenious talent of Parsons.

Thank you to Blackthorn tours and Jeff Parsons for allowing me to participate on this blog tour.

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowww brace yourself for this one a great horror story about ghosts, witches and zombies felt like Halloween come early

[Deepi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read one or two short stories so far, none of which I remember now. But I know for sure I will always remember this book "The Captivating Flames Of Madness" by Jeff Parsons which has become my favorite.

This book consists of a collection of 22 short stories. It has a genre mix of Horror and Science fiction. As a fan of the horror genre, this book is a treat to me. Most of the stories are in the horror genre and I loved them all. That doesn't mean I don't like sci-fi stories. It is not the genre I enjoy so I didn't like it as much as the creepy ones.

The plot of each story was so unique and the twists were all unpredictable. There are many stories that I wished to read as a whole book. Every single title of the story was so apt and it couldn't be any better. The only downside I felt is that the cover of the book could have been better.

Some of the stories were disturbing. In "Devourers of Eternity", when the protagonist run away from a gang and ended up in a crypt, cockroaches crawled all over her and attack her, if I was that girl I would be as good as dead. And just when I thought nothing could be more unsettling than that, in "Edge of Darkness", children ate human flesh to survive the dark times. So every chapter is a surprise, might I add, in a weird way.

Some of the stories I loved the most are:
"The Rain" opens with a crime scene. Among the victim and two detectives, one might be the murderer.
"Bruja" is about a witch house where a witch trapped two souls. A boy unfortunately stepped foot into that house. The question is who is innocent? and who is evil?
"At Any Cost" - An old age woman affected by cancer was given a way to survive. That way was morally unfair. But don't we try to save our lives no matter what?
"Among Us" is set in the future timeline. There is an uninvited guest in a virtual-reality theme park. It would have ended well if the guest was only there for fun. But he or rather 'it' has other plans.
I can't even explain how perfect the titles are to the plot.

Also saving the best for the last, here comes my favorite story. "1642" is a pirate-search-for-treasure-gone-wrong story. I love pirate and ship-involving stories. But that's not the only reason I loved this one. There is so much in it in very few pages. The pain of a 7-year-old boy who was being tortured by sailors was described so well. Eventually, he joined the pirates for the treasure hunt, only to find later that the treasure is something evil. A chosen one trope with supernatural substance is all this particular story is. I so badly want this short story to be developed into a book or even a series.

"The Captivating Flames Of Madness" is the best short story book with a variety of unique plots and unforeseen twists with a good writing style. This book is for those who love creepy, crooked, and thrilling stories with unexpected twists.

[Ross Jeffery · Rating 2 out of 5]

22 short stories of varying style and horror tropes.

With such a large single authored collection it was inevitable that there were going to be some which were more enjoyable than others (a typical single authored collection, for me, contains about 10 stories this was over double that) - having said that each story was about 20 pages long.

The stories that I enjoyed and are worthy of a mention were; Lost Souls, The New Law, Control, Over and Out and The Variant.

It was a quick read of a collection of this size but having said that I would go three or four stories before discovering another that I enjoyed.

Many of the stories I felt ventured into Alvin Schwartz territory and came across more YA than adult horror.

Also I found the horror element lacking considerably, as many of these stories were odd and peculiar and not too horrifying (not a problem with that but I wanted more horror) and a few of the stories had me wanting more.

All in all an interesting collection - the stories that I did enjoy as mentioned above had more my desired horror tropes and graphic prose and I can still remember them now just from the title; many of the other stories I’ve already forgotten.

[David Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrills and chills with a good dose of creepiness.
I absolutely loved this anthology of horror stories! Each one of them are completely different from the others and they never fail to captivate and engage my imagination. I appreciate that every story takes you right up to the edge of the cliff but then leave it for you to imagine the conclusion. That sometimes bothers me, I like most of my novels to be wrapped up nicely in the end but with this story collection the 'open ending' style works perfectly. What's great about this book is the stories are short enough to finish one on your break or when you've got a limited amount of time to read but long enough to leave you satisfied. Like I said, I loved it and highly recommend it.

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy for me to read, review and thoroughly enjoy.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid this book did not quite live up to my expectations. As an avid horror reader, if you promise me nightmares I'm expecting something far scarier.
While I did enjoy a couple of these stories, for the most part I found them more disturbing than frightening and more draggy than dramatic. The thing about short stories is that you have limited time to engage the reader before the ending. Only a couple of these stories hooked me right away. Others may enjoy this more than I did, but I found myself wanting to skim or skip ahead in search of a scare that never really materialized.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

[Bibliophileverse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons may sound just like any other horror anthology. But, only after reading the book you would be able to know that the book is one of its kind. Each and every story has a different vibe. The first story instantly sucked me in. After that it was an amazing horror ride. Although, the book has already been released, but it is one of the best that I have read this year.

Definitely, 4 stars for the book. Thanks to Author Jeff Parsons for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

Read more on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com

[Justin Alcala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Parson’s “The Captivating Flames of Madness” is a compilation of short horror stories that I adore. The classic tales have a M.R. James feel to them, with little gore, and more cerebral plot. It’s a great story to take in pieces each night (which I did) or if you’re in the ghostly mood, all in one sitting. I especially enjoyed the take of the marionette, which I will be telling around the campfire. Pick up your copy this Halloween, and enjoy brief, timeless tales that will give you the chills.

[Zelly Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not normally a fan of short stories but I decided to give this book a try and was surprised by the fact that I did enjoy it. The stories were diverse and interesting, more suspenseful and atmospheric than outright horror, in my opinion. There were several stories that I didn’t want to end and would have really enjoyed (and preferred) a longer more comprehensive telling. There were many places the story could have been enriched and expanded, I feel. The writing itself was good with only a small amount of grammar and spelling errors, nothing that detracted too much from the text. An enjoyable read, overall. Some stories actually gave me the chills to think of them happening in real life so well done to the author for that!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons
A BarksBeachesBooks Review

Think back to your childhood. Remember Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz? Now fast forward to the “Creepy Pasta” internet horror stories of recent history such as The Russian Sleep Experiment. The Captivating Flames of Madness is Jeff Parsons marrying the two for a chilling read. Or rather, readS.
The Captivating Flames of Madness is a collection of 22 short horror stories. These are campfire stories for the committed: two people working together to scare the rest of the campers; one tells the stories, the other sneaks away and hides for the perfect timing to jump out and scare everyone – chainsaws and props encouraged. None of these stories have an I’s dotted and T’s crossed kind of ending. They are all open and sometimes even vague and leave you to your imagination on what happens next. Sure, they lead you in one direction, but they are the type of stories that you will be thinking about afterward and wondering what really happened to Larry in that old house pit? What was John’s fate after capturing the famed Bruja? What if William Chung is a premonition as to the first domino in the fall of mankind?

Personally, I loved the short story collection aspect. With my usual thrillers and horror stories I don’t have the ability to take a break between each chapter for even a day or two at a time without having to go back and figure out what I forgot from the previous chapter. In this book I was able to read a quick flight-gone-wrong plot (right before I hopped on my plane because, of course I did) and then pick up the book hours later with a completely new theme. Not that you’ll want to wait to see what the next chapter holds…
Speaking of themes, Jeff has no shortage of ideas. His ability to create a horror story scenario out of anything from virtual reality, to WWII memories, to the more obvious witches, ancient magic and haunted cemeteries is impressive to say the least. Some of these were thought provoking, some were downright terrifying. There was psychological mind play, medical themes, and even dystopian vibes. Three specifically have stuck with me as such a real possibility that they have now entered my dreams: The New Law, The Daisy, The Variant. Others have had me rethinking the ending several times: Among Us, Devourers of Eternity.

There is no repetition in this collection. Everything was well thought out from new and interesting story-specific characters to the problems (read: monsters) to rarely a solution that you expect. I have seen some collections with repeated phrasing which will turn me off that author’s future books. Jeff Parsons has a completely original set of horror that is not for those that like a quick thriller or a drama. Some of these are straight up gory and others are complete psychological warfare. YOU. HAVE. BEEN. WARNED.

For scariest results:
Turn off all lights except your reading lamp
Silence all radios, TVs, humans in the vicinity
Immerse yourself in the Jeff Parsons experience that is horror

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review in participation with Isobel Blackthorn book tours.*

[George Bachman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horror stalks a ship crew in "Lost Souls," a sea adventure that reminded me positively of the early chapters of Dan Simmons's The Terror and the fate of the Demeter crew in Dracula. In "The New Law," a woman in an America conquered by the Nazis is subjected to torture by psychotropically forced empathy before her scheduled execution. Her crime? Getting into a car drunk and killing a Party official's daughter after the Party dragged her own parents away. The Party has uses for her body, however. In "The Rain," a detective dealing with a green (and unfortunately well-connected) partner investigates a series of murders during the aftermath of a flood. In "Control," meth head Chelsea tries to rob a puppeteer, only to find the money she finds comes with murderous strings attached.

These are just the first few of Mr. Parsons's short horror tales, in which unfortunate characters find themselves entangled in a Twilight Zone of sorts, always with a twist of some kind that gives each story a moral dimension. From a stowaway who finds only he can handle an orb that controls ghosts but drives his shipmates mad, to a pilot who flies into another world or dimension filled with inhumanoid monstrosities, Mr. Parsons maps the liminal space between our familiar reality and the surreality constantly threatening to seep in and succeeding all too often. Whether you are an arrogant young buck blackmailing immortal beings or a youth encountering a witch from legend, no one is immune to either their horrible decisions or the terrifying mechanisms of fate. Think Thomas Ligotti meets Rod Sterling, though, as in Sterling, sometimes the supernatural is a help to the suffering, as in "Devourers of Eternity." More often, it is indifferent or a Fury against the stupid for, say, opening the doors between the present and the afterlife, as in "Give 'Em Hell, Mr. Carter." The lines between science and the supernatural blur (particularly in "Mr. Carter" and "Among Us," which reminded me of Deadman Wonderland), and the forces of darkness are NOT fond of hubris.

The Captivating Flames of Madness is an excellent collection of spooky stories, perfect for the spooky season or any other time you want to sit down for a long night with some stories that will make you wonder what it was that you just heard outside your window.

[Thurdy Thurdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A diverse collection of tasty sci-fi/horror morsels

We may all enjoy a suspenseful story, but we disagree on what makes a good ending. Some of us need the hero to cut the red wire, thereby defusing the bomb and saving the world at the last second. But some of us prefer it when the hero incorrectly cuts the green wire out of irony and their own hubris leading to disastrous results. If you are in this second group, the stories in “The Captivating Flames of Madness” might just be your cup of tea.

The stories in this collection are all nightmarish tales that seldom end well for the characters involved. What I liked about it was the variety of characters, timeframes, and settings. It was like watching shorts at a film festival. And I appreciated the author’s ability to immediately create tension. There’s no beating around the bush in these stories. Within pages, you’ll find yourself unnerved and with a feeling of dread.

There’s a bit of gore and gross content in here, which honestly isn’t my favorite style of horror. I prefer more spooky tales. But there’s a fair amount of that too, creating a nice balance.

Speaking of which, “Witches Hill” was my favorite story. It is creepy and tense, and I felt the author stretched himself a bit. I particularly enjoyed the writing style of this one.

I would have liked to see the author explore the endings a little more and create some afterglow to his stories. There is a strong pattern in this collection of ending abruptly with a single sentence. A sudden stop is a great device to create a sense of confusion and shock, but used over and over, the endings can start to feel a little like punchlines, horrific unsettling punchlines. They were, however, often surprising, and unpredictable.

I also appreciated that these were intentionally very short in length. Because of their brevity, they are very digestible tales and can be quickly and easily consumed. It seems that these days many stories require a huge investment in time and a comprehension of an entire universe. But these can be enjoyed as little treats… maybe just not before bedtime.

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prepare for a wild ride.

Chelsea was a drug addict who had run out of money for her next fix in “Control.” After spotting an old woman who was earning a small sum by entertaining children with a marionette doll at a park, she thought she’d found the perfect victim. I loved the plot twists in this tale and how my terrible first impression of the main character evolved over time as Chelsea planned out her robbery and then put her ideas into action. This was a great example of how to write a character who was simultaneously a terrible human being and a fascinating one.

My reactions to these tales varied quite a bit. Some were truly wonderful, but others were hard for me to get into because of how few details were provided about what was happening in them and why the characters behaved the way they did. “The Variant,” which was about a lab specialist named William who was hired to create a variant of the Ebola virus that would be 100% lethal, was one of them. I struggled to understand why William agreed to work on such a deadly project, much less his reaction when funding for it was suddenly cut off. There was so much more I needed to know about this character and his work. This is something I’m saying as someone who has reviewed countless anthologies and short story collections for Long and Short Reviews over the years. Mr. Parsons is a good storyteller overall, and I hope I’ll be able to give his next book a much higher rating as there was a lot to enjoy about my first experience with his writing style.

Ellen was dying of cancer in “At Any Cost,” but she was given one final chance to be in a drug trial that might prolong her life. Her desperation for more time, or maybe even a cure, endeared me to her. The science fiction twist to her experiences is something best left for other readers to be surprised by for themselves. With that being said, I thought they were a clever way to reveal more of her personality just when I thought I more or less had her all figured out.

The Captivating Flames of Madness piqued my curiosity.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary ebook of THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS by Jeff Parsons as part of a book tour from Blackthorn Book Tours! Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours and Jeff Parsons for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review!


THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS is a short story collection which promises to examine what happens when one turn of events changes life forever “like a moth to the flame”. The stories are varied, but center on dark themes. A German submarine in 1944 is attacked by supernatural forces exacting revenge for the sub’s occupant’s actions during the war. In 2023, a new party is in power and no crime is permitted, but is the world nearly as perfect as it is made out to be? A hacker attempts to hack those who have what he wants, but is what he wants really worth getting?

I was impressed with the variety of stories, from historical to futuristic, from the drought in California suddenly hit with rain to a plane in mid-flight which encounters the unexpected. The cast of characters includes monsters, ghosts, aliens, gods, pirates and more!

As with any story collection, some stories resonated with me more than others, but overall I really enjoyed reading this collection over the last few weeks. I always enjoy keeping short stories on hand to pick up between longer reads and this is a collection I would recommend for just such a purpose!

I am not a reader that is easily scared by a book, so I wouldn’t say that this collection frightened me. That said, the author did a great job of building up the spooky atmosphere in many of these stories even in the relatively small number of pages allotted to a short story. For me, this makes this a a perfect read for a chilly, fall evening!

If you are looking for a good mix of creepy stories perfect for the fall season, this is a collection to add to your TBR. THE CAPTIVATING FLAME OF MADNESS by Jeff Parsons is out now!!

[Donald Firesmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good, but it could have been much better.

A collection of 22 short, creepy stories aimed at those who enjoy horror stories, a genre in which I've also published a collection.

First, what I liked about the book. I especially liked how the author's stories immediately put you in a deep mood of dread, typically from the very first paragraph. The creepy atmosphere very much fits his stories and may, in fact, be the stories' greatest strengths. I expected the typical tropes of psychological and supernatural horror, but was pleasantly surprised to also see historical wartime horror and futuristic dystopian horror.

However, since the book was published in 2018, the author has certainly had the opportunity to revisit and address its weaknesses. It could benefit from some editing to eliminate repetition and overly melodramatic prose. Several of the stories come across as a bit too heavy-handed and would have benefited from being more subtle, allowing readers to grasp the moral themselves. Although there is little space in such short stories for character development, I would have liked to see more of some of the characters' internal motivations for their actions. Another issue for me is that the story structure became too predictable: (1) introduce the protagonist and situation, (2) increase the horror and tension, (3) the supernatural reveal, and (4) the deadly ending. It would have been nice to see more unexpected twists take the stories in new, unexpected directions.

Bottom line: I enjoyed it enough to read the entire book, but came away thinking about just how much better it could have been had the author taken another pass through the manuscript, addressing the issues I mentioned. I wavered between giving the book three and four stars, but eventually decided on four stars. Perhaps the publisher wouldn't allow the author to create a new edition to make it more competitive.

[Drew Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Captivating Flames of Madness" is an enjoyable collection of short stories adjacent to horror and the supernatural, though I'm not sure I'd call it a horror collection outright. Dozens of tales in one volume is a nice value proposition, and the stories being so bite-sized made them the perfect palate-cleanser between work tasks or errands.
While the individual stories showcase Parsons's imagination and ability to create suspense and disturbing scenarios, the collection as a whole isn't particularly cohesive, theme-wise. Some stories are genuinely gripping and memorable, while others feel somewhat rushed or underdeveloped. Some stories had endings I genuinely admired; others left me scratching my head. The stories' atmosphere was usually quite well-done (for the stories where atmosphere was an emphasis), but the wider exploration of horror themes often remains superficial, relying on shock value and grotesque imagery rather than exploring the psychological and emotional aspects of fear and despair.
Still, a few of the stories were genuinely cleverly inventive, and a few impressed with the depth of the author's research--one with a doomed pilot flying a solo plane comes to mind, as well as a story set on an old sailing vessel replete with all the right sailor terminology. The editing was just about impeccable--I think I only caught a very minor two typos. Characters were typically rather flat, but call that a sacrifice of the very-short-story medium. All of this contributes to a collection I'd call professionally wrought and enjoyable, if a bit uneven. I enjoyed these fast stories in the same way I might enjoy a fast food meal; tasty, but not likely to win any prestige awards.
Despite the lack of prestige, some days you just really want a fast food burger--and "Captivating Flames of Madness" is at least good eating for the thriller-junkies.

[Drew Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Captivating Flames of Madness" is an enjoyable collection of short stories adjacent to horror and the supernatural, though I'm not sure I'd call it a horror collection outright. Dozens of tales in one volume is a nice value proposition, and the stories being so bite-sized made them the perfect palate-cleanser between work tasks or errands.
While the individual stories showcase Parsons's imagination and ability to create suspense and disturbing scenarios, the collection as a whole isn't particularly cohesive, theme-wise. Some stories are genuinely gripping and memorable, while others feel somewhat rushed or underdeveloped. Some stories had endings I genuinely admired; others left me scratching my head. The stories' atmosphere was usually quite well-done (for the stories where atmosphere was an emphasis), but the wider exploration of horror themes often remains superficial, relying on shock value and grotesque imagery rather than exploring the psychological and emotional aspects of fear and despair.
Still, a few of the stories were genuinely cleverly inventive, and a few impressed with the depth of the author's research--one with a doomed pilot flying a solo plane comes to mind, as well as a story set on an old sailing vessel replete with all the right sailor terminology. The editing was just about impeccable--I think I only caught a very minor two typos. Characters were typically rather flat, but call that a sacrifice of the very-short-story medium. All of this contributes to a collection I'd call professionally wrought and enjoyable, if a bit uneven. I enjoyed these fast stories in the same way I might enjoy a fast food meal; tasty, but not likely to win any prestige awards.
Despite the lack of prestige, some days you just really want a fast food burger--and "Captivating Flames of Madness" is at least good eating for the thriller-junkies.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book in exchanged for an honest review.*
A short story collection of over 20 tales of darkness, madness, and mystery with a sharp twist and unexpected ending. -
-
The Captivating Flames of Madness is an apt name for a collection chock full of twisted and deranged characters. Parsons builds each story on a solid premise, a straight forward tale that the reader can see coming, only to have him pull the rug from under their feet at the last second. There are twists, turns, and surprising endings in these stories, and all of them are darker than you might imagine. Whether it’s a mugging gone wrong in ‘Control‘ where drug addict Chelsea gets more than she bargained for in her search for another hit, or a wish for eternal life turning a hacker’s life upside down in ‘Nothing Personal‘. Parsons strength in writing is creating a richly layered moment in time, a scene and situation that the reader can instantly step into and forget that they are reading a story – which only serves to make the horror that much more disturbing. Ghosts to Gods, madmen to madwomen, both ancient and modern evils, The Captivating Flames of Madness is a diverse set of stories, circumstances, and characters to lose yourself in.

A collection of over twenty tales of horror, darkness, and disturbed minds, The Captivating Flames of Madness is a generous offering of new and enthralling stories. Jeff Parsons takes you down many paths and turns, and is a writer I’d be happy to follow again.

[Sarah ('s Book Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Blackthorn Book Tours for free read and review as part of this Book Tour

One thing that I love about collections of short stories is that you get varying stories of genres and characters. And I really enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. I loved the variety of stories that captivated my imagination.

Each of these stories were amazing to read, with varying degrees of tension and shock that made my spine tingle. There were some that I felt were somewhat predictable until the page or paragraph of that story. I thought that it was really clever that many of the stories made you think that the story was headed in one direction but then went seamlessly into another. Or a character turned out to be completely different to how they were first introduced. These twists made me enjoy these stories even more because it just changed the whole narrative. Sometimes in only a few word or a sentence. Which I thought was so clever and well done.

I loved how so many of the stories in this collection were essentially very simple. As the revolved either a very small group of characters, a single character, a small series of events or even just one. Some of them were set over longer periods of time, such as a number of weeks, whereas other were much shorter, some appeared to be set under or around only a few hours long. I really loved how the stories centred around supernatural elements, everyday horrors and science fiction. It made these short stories so enjoyable and made them feel very believable as so many of them where rooted in reality that had been altered and filtered through fear.

There were some stories that I didn’t enjoy as much, but that is kind of to be expected with collections of short stories, not all of them are going to be 100% to your tastes. I liked so many of the stories that I can’t pinpoint a favourite, but here are a few of the ones that I can’t get out of my head The New Order, Control, Witches’ Hill.

I would really recommend reading The Captivating Flames of Madness. Especially if you like reading spooky kind of creepy stories, or if you’re still the mood for reading more spooky books right after Halloween, then I think that you’ll really enjoy this book.

[Aukai Arkus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Captivating Flames of Madness is the newest short story collection from horror author Jeff Parsons, and it is quite the dismal dive - I honestly feel he draws heavy inspiration from the likes of Poe and Gaiman, two of my absolute favorites! There’s a bevy of narrative styles and voices that Parson’s employs masterfully, and though the pacing can feel a bit weighted down at times (likely due to my own incomprehension) his commanding use of scenery and DARK descriptions, without overly relying on gore and shock, keeps you nice and placated for the final blow. Some standouts for me were:

The Rain - I’m not usually big on detective stories, but this one had me doing some soul-searching of my own. And getting me to look inside myself is one of the most terrifying things an author can do to me.

Witches Hill - I’ve been on somewhat of a folk horror craze lately, and Parson’s doesn’t let down with his own entry in the way of Witches Hill. A superstitious community bereft in fear, a vengeful spirit, old world customs interlocked with modern fears. Yea…sign me up!

Control - Drugs. Parks. Puppets. Need I say more??? Seriously, this one struck a nerve that lay alongside my own varicose vices. *shutter*

All-in-all, I had a blast! The themes adhere are heavy with internal strife, existential dread, concepts of moral ambiguity and oppression under societal constructs. The stories are fiction; the subjects are real. Well done!

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

This was a memorable and engaging collection of short horror stories. The author has such a great command of atmosphere and tone, as each story strikes a balance between haunting atmosphere and captivating character growth. The unique structure of these stories and the range of sub-genres that this collection holds gives a wider range of readers a chance to sink their teeth into these amazing stories.

The heart and core of this collection have to be the theme, which the main underlying theme the author delves into is the concept of one key event changing the course of one’s life in an instant. The characters range from shockingly sympathetic and relatable to terrifying, and yet each story delivers a well-rounded narrative that captures the passion and imagination the author delivers consistently while also bringing some depth and thought-provoking material to the horror genre overall.

The Verdict

Haunting, chilling, and entertaining, author Jeff Parsons’s “The Captivating Flames of Madness” is a must-read horror short story collection. The brilliant imagery and thrilling storytelling made this collection just fly by on the page, and readers will be hard-pressed to put down this eclectic and mesmerizing collection.

[Eric Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of two dozen very short fiction stories, somewhere around the 3k-word range. Parsons can turn a phrase, and his specialty is the hook. Every story feels like a tiny snippet of a much larger tale, due to good descriptive writing and characterization, even in such a limited format.
The writing is at times massively creative and worth the read, though the endings are often abrupt and not usually what I would call a twist. So, impact-wise, they are kind of all over the place—and judging from some of the endings, this is intentional. A few do no more than try to surprise, dropping the horror element at the last second.
At best, they leave you with a lingering horror. At worst, they can be all hook with less payoff. It was like eating a bag of Doritos, where, sure, you might get that burned one you wish you hadn't eaten, but those are rare, and soon forgotten by eating the next chip. Only in this bag, every fifth one is Cool Ranch, and you're guaranteed one of those all-flavor-powder triangles that you don't know how to feel about, but at least it was intense. For me, there was no way I wasn't going to eat the whole bag and shake the dust into my mouth.
For fans of Creepshow, Goosebumps, and Tales from the Crypt. Editing is good with minimal typos.

[E_Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review***

The Captivating Flames of Madness is a book of multiple short stories that gets better as you continue, so worth a read to lovers of short stories looking for some gritty tales. From the ocean, to New York, to futuristic torture and a search for treasure. Over all the book was not spine chilling but it was an enjoyable read. Also, unlike other short story books you get value for money with 22 tales.

Negatives
1. The first story falling flat for me, overly peppered with adjectives, ‘pervasive soggy drip of foul moisture clogging his lungs’ a case in point. In places this tendency crept in and undermines the worldbuilding. So it’s worth the writer getting someone to read over the stories with a pencil in hand to catch such cases.
2. The book description needs an overhaul to better find its intended readers.

Positives
1. Some good worldbuilding
2. From the second atmospheric short story (The New Law) the stories got more interesting
3. A vast range of characters, producing a varied read and not all one-toned stories based around one culture, for instance
4. Differing horror and dystopian endings.

[David Hoenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some ways, short fiction completely rocks it over the long form. Especially good for time-challenged people, such “bite-sized” entertainment allows one to finish a story and the time to ruminate over it in quiet moments before indulging in the next.

Single author collections offer an intriguing, concentrated glimpse into an author’s mind, and Jeff Parsons’ anthology, “The Captivating Flame of Madness”, does not disappoint in this regard. If there is a general theme across the stories, I would call it ‘a delightful sampling of the weird’. In my opinion, what Parsons seems to do best is to cultivate a sense of the surreal in his tales.

���Over and Out” intrigues not only because it’s weird and unsettling, but because the end promises much more to imagine. “Devourers of Eternity” triggers atavistic phobias nicely, and surprises with the ending. “The Daisy” inverts like a funhouse mirror.

The stories entertain, and the collection delivers. All in all, a very enjoyable exploration of the weird.

[Yves Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the title! This was an enjoyable creepy read. None of the tales were a 5 for me, and some were only a three, but all the stories were well-constructed, even the ones that impressed me less. So, a 4 for a successful book with a variety of plots, and believable characters given the short story length. Interestingly, the ones that affected me the most were the ones where I anticipated the ending. There wasn’t a surprise, but the sense of dread built very effectively. The ones that seemed the most unique sometimes perplexed me, like the one with the weird world being constructed outside the hospital. I think the author would do even better with a full-length novel. There was a range of violence from dark mood to some icky bloody body parts, but not really tht much grossness, which has put me off of a lot of modern horror. For reference, my favorite horror reads are the classics, Dracula and Frankenstein, the mood horror of The Haunting of Hill House, the deeply terrifying Night Wing, and King’s The Dead Zone.

[Beverly Ovalle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Captivating Flames of Madness is a collection of shorts. Just thinking about the tales in it gives me goosebumps! It is disturbing.

But disturbing is good for a horror novel! I regret reading this book over the course of a couple of nights, lol. The stories will follow you into your nightmares. This intriguing book of short stories runs the gamut of normal everyday turning into your worst nightmare. Or horrifying situations you never imagined. Each story is unique in it's own way. Each tale kept me turning the page. It's creepy and disturbing in all the best ways. If you like horror, this is a book for you.

The description was enough to intrigue me. I started it at night. Bad choice! Snow blowed my driveway and the neighbors for four hours on Friday, and finished The Captivating Flames of Madness the second night.

I do recommend this book. A set of short stories to read between doing other things, or devour all at once, it is worth it. The author has a unique perspective and wonderfully creepy descriptive words to chill the soul.

[Erica Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection was an easy 4.5 stars for me,and a major //don't judge a book by its cover// moment. I like horror where the sense of unease creeps in or where you are left questioning the characters at the end because nothing is straight forward (I do like straight-up horror too and there was *some* of that in here, but more of the creeping dread horror, so be aware of that)

I liked the variety of the stories, and while not every one was for me, there were plenty that I enjoyed, enough that I have already recommended this read. I think my faves were Lost Souls, Devourers of Eternity, and The Bracelet. They were all very different but hit on tropes that I enjoy.

My only real complaint is that the stories are not linked in the table of contents; when I read short stories I like to jump around and choose stories that I can read in the couple minutes I'm waiting or between tasks, but without links it made it hard to do anything but read them in the given order.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Parsons throws us into dozens of chilling worlds with the horror short story collection The Captivating Flames of Madness! Like an interdimensional traveler, we cruise through the full spectrum of horror from psychopaths to dead gods, aliens to magic. The journey of this one was fun to walk as I encountered a wonderful variety making every page exciting to see what ghastly thing would crawl out next! Parsons’ writing is solid and kept my heart pumping as characters realized their lives had been irrevocably changed. I especially liked the apocalyptic and Lovecraftian vibes to many of the stories as well as the depth Parsons was able to instill in such a short span. If you love horror, short stories, and creepy tales that make you think, definitely be drawn like a moth to The Captivating Flames of Madness!