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Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic
Sink your teeth into this book of fantastical short stories that will leave you wanting more. This collection mixes fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more into one big boiling pot of tastiness. Stories may include princesses, talking birds, alien species, magical items, terrifying creatures, cyborgs, or assassins. You’ll get your fill of thrills and chills.
ebook
Published July 27, 2018
8 people want to read
About the author
Marie Krepps
23 books66 followersI live in small town North Carolina and I enjoy writing adult novels of varying genres including fantasy romance.
Music is a huge part of my life. It inspires me to write and there is always a song in my head and in my heart. Dreams also influence my work tremendously.
Find my book playlists on Spotify: THIS REALM CALLED EARTH.
Find my published works on my website.
Music is a huge part of my life. It inspires me to write and there is always a song in my head and in my heart. Dreams also influence my work tremendously.
Find my book playlists on Spotify: THIS REALM CALLED EARTH.
Find my published works on my website.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 7, 2018
Book Reviewed by Nia on www.whisperingstories.com
This collection of short stories wasn’t as horrifying as I was expecting, I’d recommend this for younger horror fans or those new to the genre. The majority of the stories were sci-fi/fantasy and very light on the gore.
There’s a huge variation in the length of stories in this collection, some are a couple of pages long and others about 15 (that’s a guess, I didn’t actually count!). As a rule, I much preferred the longer stories as the author had the chance to really unleash her imagination and give the reader something to get stuck in to, the shorter stories weren’t able to build the suspense quickly enough to get me hooked.
My favourite story in this collection was a clever twist on the Chinese Zodiac and a classic poem (I won’t give it away) – it was completely unexpected and a nod to one of my all-time favourite verses.
I could happily read an entire collection of short stories based on mythology by this author!
This collection of short stories wasn’t as horrifying as I was expecting, I’d recommend this for younger horror fans or those new to the genre. The majority of the stories were sci-fi/fantasy and very light on the gore.
There’s a huge variation in the length of stories in this collection, some are a couple of pages long and others about 15 (that’s a guess, I didn’t actually count!). As a rule, I much preferred the longer stories as the author had the chance to really unleash her imagination and give the reader something to get stuck in to, the shorter stories weren’t able to build the suspense quickly enough to get me hooked.
My favourite story in this collection was a clever twist on the Chinese Zodiac and a classic poem (I won’t give it away) – it was completely unexpected and a nod to one of my all-time favourite verses.
I could happily read an entire collection of short stories based on mythology by this author!
July 6, 2018
Marie Krepps has written a lot of short stories over the years and now they’re conveniently collected in this omnibus for your enjoyment. Whether you want sci-fi action, terrifying horror, heartfelt drama, or bloody violence, you will get what you came for when you pick up this amazing collection of stories. Once she has your attention, she won’t let go until you’re jolly-well finished with this one hundred plus page book.
Of all the stories in this collection, my absolute favorite would have to be Coffins, a graphically violent horror story about a teenage undertaker named Pablo who dismantles dead bodies after using them to smuggle contraband across the Mexican border. This whole story is basically a clinic on showing instead of telling and Ms. Krepps has every right in the world to show off her skills. The supporting character, a gangster named Mick, gets so ill watching Pablo do his work that there has to be multiple creative ways to describe said sickness, whether it’s his body language, his face changing colors, or the good old fashioned loss of lunch. Take notes, fellow indie authors. Professor Krepps’s class is now in session!
My other favorite story would have to be Too Late, which is a picture-perfect deconstruction of romances being rainbows and unicorns. In this story, a highly-trained soldier named Sarah must rescue her ex-boyfriend Jonas from an old neighborhood suffering through a horrific sandstorm. Their relationship was never going to work because Sarah is too battle-hardened and Jonas is too pacifistic. But even so, Sarah uses the memories of their romance to bring herself comfort on this dangerous mission. Ms. Krepps reinforces the idea that you can still care for someone long after the relationship is over. Being able to get along is a powerful thing that we don’t see too often among broken up couples. This brings me hope. Lots of hope!
And of course, if you’re looking for a revenge tale bathed in bitter blood, look no further than Sister Princess. It’s a medieval fantasy about two princesses, Greta and Angela, who compete for their father’s affection and throne as he’s getting ready to pass to the other side. While Angela is unwanted, lonely, and depressed, Greta is pretty, pompous, and arrogant. It’s pretty clear throughout the story who you’ll be rooting for to get the final nail in the coffin. Revenge will taste sweeter than an Oreo milkshake. Savor the flavor of delicious blood. It’s all yours! Cue the evil laughter.
My complaints about this short story collection are minimal at best. There are just a few typographical errors here and there. Some of the dialogue in Mason’s Promise is a little too Shakespearean for me to take seriously, especially when Celeste says that her arm was gnarled “lustily”. But it’s nothing an extra round of beta-reading can’t fix. The collection overall is fun to read and it’s another shining example of a struggling indie author making her dreams come true. If you look up to her and pay attention to what she says, your dreams will come true as well. A passing grade will go to this wonderful omnibus of short stories.
Of all the stories in this collection, my absolute favorite would have to be Coffins, a graphically violent horror story about a teenage undertaker named Pablo who dismantles dead bodies after using them to smuggle contraband across the Mexican border. This whole story is basically a clinic on showing instead of telling and Ms. Krepps has every right in the world to show off her skills. The supporting character, a gangster named Mick, gets so ill watching Pablo do his work that there has to be multiple creative ways to describe said sickness, whether it’s his body language, his face changing colors, or the good old fashioned loss of lunch. Take notes, fellow indie authors. Professor Krepps’s class is now in session!
My other favorite story would have to be Too Late, which is a picture-perfect deconstruction of romances being rainbows and unicorns. In this story, a highly-trained soldier named Sarah must rescue her ex-boyfriend Jonas from an old neighborhood suffering through a horrific sandstorm. Their relationship was never going to work because Sarah is too battle-hardened and Jonas is too pacifistic. But even so, Sarah uses the memories of their romance to bring herself comfort on this dangerous mission. Ms. Krepps reinforces the idea that you can still care for someone long after the relationship is over. Being able to get along is a powerful thing that we don’t see too often among broken up couples. This brings me hope. Lots of hope!
And of course, if you’re looking for a revenge tale bathed in bitter blood, look no further than Sister Princess. It’s a medieval fantasy about two princesses, Greta and Angela, who compete for their father’s affection and throne as he’s getting ready to pass to the other side. While Angela is unwanted, lonely, and depressed, Greta is pretty, pompous, and arrogant. It’s pretty clear throughout the story who you’ll be rooting for to get the final nail in the coffin. Revenge will taste sweeter than an Oreo milkshake. Savor the flavor of delicious blood. It’s all yours! Cue the evil laughter.
My complaints about this short story collection are minimal at best. There are just a few typographical errors here and there. Some of the dialogue in Mason’s Promise is a little too Shakespearean for me to take seriously, especially when Celeste says that her arm was gnarled “lustily”. But it’s nothing an extra round of beta-reading can’t fix. The collection overall is fun to read and it’s another shining example of a struggling indie author making her dreams come true. If you look up to her and pay attention to what she says, your dreams will come true as well. A passing grade will go to this wonderful omnibus of short stories.
November 15, 2015
In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.” In the case of Marie Krepps’ short story collection, you won’t know until the end of each chapter if the chocolates are nutty, creamy, glazed over, bittersweet, or just plain delicious. There might be a few chocolates in this box that are laced with LSD, the stories are so crazy and colorful. Once you’ve finished your chocolaty snack, you will feel delightfully full and pleasantly satisfied. Try getting all of this with just a Hershey’s bar.
The thing about this collection of stories is that your opinions and emotions will vary wildly as you blow through the book. Sometimes you’ll feel like crying your eyes out. Sometimes you’ll feel giddy with delight. And then there are those times when you’re scratching your head. In other words, if someone were to ask you what your favorite stories from this book are, you wouldn’t have to think very hard in order to come up with a decent answer.
For me personally, I had several favorites from this book. I enjoyed the playful antics of Ben (the wolf) and Paca (the panther) from “The Refugees”, because they remind me in some ways of my own crazy animal family. I did a little victory lap after watching Angela get revenge against her bitchy older sister in “Sister Princess”. “Waiting for the Darkness”, however, is one that really hit close to home for me since I too was depressed and angry during my college days, so I know Enid’s struggles very well.
And then you have some stories which appear too short on the surface until you get that nice little twist ending. “Date Night” and “The Meeting” are both of examples of what I’ve just said. Deep down inside, I wish they were longer and more developed. It’s because of incomplete-feeling stories like these that I almost considered giving this book a mixed grade. But then I remembered that flash fiction is an acquired taste and as the reader gets further into the book, the taste will become familiar and delicious, just like a box of chocolates should be. I wrote flash fiction when I was younger and often struggled with it, so I can empathize with Marie on this one.
An actual box of chocolates would be good for any occasion whether it’s lovey-dovey Valentine’s Day, spooky-kooky Halloween, or jolly old Christmastime. The short story collection Marie Krepps wrote takes all three of those atmospheres and turns them into high quality flash fiction that will leave an impression on the reader for a long, long time. Death by chocolate is often the best way to go. Go on, take a bite. It’ll be delicious and orgasmic!
The thing about this collection of stories is that your opinions and emotions will vary wildly as you blow through the book. Sometimes you’ll feel like crying your eyes out. Sometimes you’ll feel giddy with delight. And then there are those times when you’re scratching your head. In other words, if someone were to ask you what your favorite stories from this book are, you wouldn’t have to think very hard in order to come up with a decent answer.
For me personally, I had several favorites from this book. I enjoyed the playful antics of Ben (the wolf) and Paca (the panther) from “The Refugees”, because they remind me in some ways of my own crazy animal family. I did a little victory lap after watching Angela get revenge against her bitchy older sister in “Sister Princess”. “Waiting for the Darkness”, however, is one that really hit close to home for me since I too was depressed and angry during my college days, so I know Enid’s struggles very well.
And then you have some stories which appear too short on the surface until you get that nice little twist ending. “Date Night” and “The Meeting” are both of examples of what I’ve just said. Deep down inside, I wish they were longer and more developed. It’s because of incomplete-feeling stories like these that I almost considered giving this book a mixed grade. But then I remembered that flash fiction is an acquired taste and as the reader gets further into the book, the taste will become familiar and delicious, just like a box of chocolates should be. I wrote flash fiction when I was younger and often struggled with it, so I can empathize with Marie on this one.
An actual box of chocolates would be good for any occasion whether it’s lovey-dovey Valentine’s Day, spooky-kooky Halloween, or jolly old Christmastime. The short story collection Marie Krepps wrote takes all three of those atmospheres and turns them into high quality flash fiction that will leave an impression on the reader for a long, long time. Death by chocolate is often the best way to go. Go on, take a bite. It’ll be delicious and orgasmic!
March 21, 2016
Box of Chocolates by Marie Krepps is a wonderful collection of fast-paced short stories, and many are not as they first appear to be. "The Meeting" is one of my favorites, with a nice sci-fi twist at the end. "The Visitor" is intriguing. But "The Refugees" is my favorite, with an alien panther and wolf who can speak to their human host. This would expand to a fascinating novel, beginning with how they arrived on a human planet. Every story is well written. It’s is a great, fast read!
October 9, 2018
Amazingly terrifying collection of horror
Krepps brings together her collection of Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic, and it is amazingly terrifying. The reader is brought into each story, with the want of covering their eyes, but keeping them wide open to read every word. Each story is well-written, and gives the intensely darkness of horror or just terror. This collection is definitely fantastic with just the right amount of tantalizing terror! I look forward to reading more by this author.
Krepps brings together her collection of Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic, and it is amazingly terrifying. The reader is brought into each story, with the want of covering their eyes, but keeping them wide open to read every word. Each story is well-written, and gives the intensely darkness of horror or just terror. This collection is definitely fantastic with just the right amount of tantalizing terror! I look forward to reading more by this author.
June 2, 2016
A mixed bag or stories. Mostly treats..
The collected stories are all bite sized, and usually with a twist. Some are more engaging than others, but none are bad. All are well written, some manage to surprise, others to coax out a giggle.
The collected stories are all bite sized, and usually with a twist. Some are more engaging than others, but none are bad. All are well written, some manage to surprise, others to coax out a giggle.
August 26, 2018
What I enjoyed about this collection of stories was how I never had any idea what to expect - between content and length, I was always on the edge of my seat.
Some of these stories were truly chilling, some were wildly intriguing, and others were rather gruesome, but one thing they all had in common was that they were entertaining. There were great twists that I didn't expect, fascinating details that I could envision with ease thanks to the author's descriptions, and a nice blend of those premises that were clearly fictional and those that didn't seem too far-fetched at all.
A time or two, I wished the tales had couple more pages added to them; those read more like writing prompts rather than even the shortest of stories, which felt a little lacking because I wanted more to dwell on. However, at the end of it all, I was pretty pleased with the varying lengths. I liked being able to quickly knock out a few stories and then turn around and settle into other ones. It felt refreshing to me.
All in all, I give five stars to these tales. The sheer imagination in them was unique and fun (although, yes, occasionally scary and gory), and the different lengths will appeal to anyone who wants to escape the real world a little bit at a time.
Some of these stories were truly chilling, some were wildly intriguing, and others were rather gruesome, but one thing they all had in common was that they were entertaining. There were great twists that I didn't expect, fascinating details that I could envision with ease thanks to the author's descriptions, and a nice blend of those premises that were clearly fictional and those that didn't seem too far-fetched at all.
A time or two, I wished the tales had couple more pages added to them; those read more like writing prompts rather than even the shortest of stories, which felt a little lacking because I wanted more to dwell on. However, at the end of it all, I was pretty pleased with the varying lengths. I liked being able to quickly knock out a few stories and then turn around and settle into other ones. It felt refreshing to me.
All in all, I give five stars to these tales. The sheer imagination in them was unique and fun (although, yes, occasionally scary and gory), and the different lengths will appeal to anyone who wants to escape the real world a little bit at a time.
October 12, 2018
Creepy and bone-chilling at times, Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic is perfect for October.
Tantalizing Tales is a collection of short stories all ranging a variety of genres. There is something for everyone in this compilation.
I found myself wishing the stories were a bit longer, though. Each were about as long as a chapter but if they were a little longer I could sink into the story a little more. I appreciate the creativity that went into this compilation. Each story was unique and many had a story to tell that I had never read before. It's hard to sum up the tales as a whole since they all touched on a variety of topics.
If you are looking for something spooky or sci-fi this Halloween season, Tantalizing Tales might just be the right book for you .This got me into the holiday spirit just in time to decorate. These short stories fit well into even the busiest of schedules if you're looking for something quick and fun.
I was provided an ARC for an honest review.
Tantalizing Tales is a collection of short stories all ranging a variety of genres. There is something for everyone in this compilation.
I found myself wishing the stories were a bit longer, though. Each were about as long as a chapter but if they were a little longer I could sink into the story a little more. I appreciate the creativity that went into this compilation. Each story was unique and many had a story to tell that I had never read before. It's hard to sum up the tales as a whole since they all touched on a variety of topics.
If you are looking for something spooky or sci-fi this Halloween season, Tantalizing Tales might just be the right book for you .This got me into the holiday spirit just in time to decorate. These short stories fit well into even the busiest of schedules if you're looking for something quick and fun.
I was provided an ARC for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews