What do you think?
Rate this book
At The Cemetery Gates: Volume 2
A man finds himself camping in the middle of a serial killer's burying grounds.
Two brothers uncover a secret more heinous than they ever imagined when snooping around in their neighbor's house.
A graduate student captures an urban legend on his school's famed 'Suicide Bridge.'
AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a book for hellhounds, nostalgic crypt keepers, and creepypasta aficionados.
Two brothers uncover a secret more heinous than they ever imagined when snooping around in their neighbor's house.
A graduate student captures an urban legend on his school's famed 'Suicide Bridge.'
AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a book for hellhounds, nostalgic crypt keepers, and creepypasta aficionados.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2018
5 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
John Brhel
18 books72 followersI'm the co-author of Tales From Valleyview Cemetery, Marvelry's Curiosity Shop, At The Cemetery Gates: Year One and Carol for a Haunted Man, Corpse Cold: New American Folklore, Her Mourning Portrait and Other Paranormal Oddities, Resurrection High , At The Cemetery Gates: Volume 2 and The Thrumming Stone with my long-time friend Joe Sullivan.
I work full-time as a marketing/PR professional at Binghamton University. I enjoy writing, reading, watching movies, playing music, and spending time with my family.
I work full-time as a marketing/PR professional at Binghamton University. I enjoy writing, reading, watching movies, playing music, and spending time with my family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 6, 2020
I never get tired of a good horror short story collection, and I'd been meaning to check out a title from this writing duo for some time now, so I was pleased to finally get the chance to read this one. Many of Brhel and Sullivan's collections are "themed" in a way, so my understanding is that At the Cemetery Gates: Vol. 2 is an amalgamation of the "leftovers" of those other collections. I thought this was a really fun detail, because it left me trying to guess which collection each story might have originally been intended for.
While a few of the stories were a bit lackluster for me, overall, I genuinely enjoyed the writing in these and thought a lot of the pieces had a fun urban legend-esque vibe to them, like the kind of stories you'd swap with friends late at night. I had a few favorites that I'll detail below, but it's safe to say it was a great collection in general and I'll definitely be reading more from Brhel and Sullivan!
Thank you so much to the authors for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
While a few of the stories were a bit lackluster for me, overall, I genuinely enjoyed the writing in these and thought a lot of the pieces had a fun urban legend-esque vibe to them, like the kind of stories you'd swap with friends late at night. I had a few favorites that I'll detail below, but it's safe to say it was a great collection in general and I'll definitely be reading more from Brhel and Sullivan!
F A V O R I T E S:
→ With the Lights Out:
When I mentioned many of the stories being reminiscent of urban legends, this one has that vibe more than anything else. It was fun and I loved the way it felt like an homage to so many old tales — an excellent way to begin the collection.
→ The Payphone:
This story felt so unique and I loved that I had a dreadful feeling of what was coming, but not how it would manifest. Overall a fun ride to be on, and the sort of story that has you wanting to shake a character and stop them from bumbling into the terrible trap they're approaching.
→ A Hammock Camping How-to:
I found the twist in this one a little predictable, but not in a bad way; again, it struck me as that fun sort of story you'd tell your friends late at night surrounding a campfire or on a long road trip.
Thank you so much to the authors for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 11, 2018
First off, you know this is going to be great just from that cover art! There is something in this collection for everyone. Urban legends, stories that would have been perfect on "Are you afraid of the Dark" and more. I enjoyed it and had a great time reading this collection.
I would like to thank John Brhel for a copy of this book.
I would like to thank John Brhel for a copy of this book.
February 5, 2019
VIDEO REVIEW COMING VERY SOON!
Last month, I reviewed At the Cemetery Gates: Year One in preparation for Volume 2 which the authors kindly sent to me for review back in October... sorry for the wait, gents. You guys were #9,998,383,750,000 in my review stack, so it took awhile.
If you're like me, odds are you've been watching the Super Bowl promos for the new Guillermo del Toro produced film-adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark on repeat for the last few days. You may also be drooling over the new poster that was released for the film. It seems everyone is excited for this movie; I know I am. It looks like they've nailed the esthetic of the books and the look of the creatures beautifully.
A Scary Stories revival is finally in our midst, but the new movie is actually pretty late to the game if you look at all the Scary Stories throwback books that have been published in the last few years. Cemetery Gates Media was one of the first to issue forward this new wave of tales inspired by the trauma of our youth, but updated for a modern adult audience. Their books include Corpse Cold: New American Folklore, Tales from Valleyview Cemetery, At the Cemetery Gates: Year One, and now we have At the Cemetery Gates: Volume 2!
While I enjoyed Year One, this second volume is even better. I can see how Brhel's and Sullivan's writing has improved over the years, but their passion for these spooky tales and their love of the macabre remains perfectly intact. The stories are fun, the atmosphere is spooky, and the chills are plentiful.
I highly recommend checking out all of Brhel & Sullivan's books, especially if you need reading material to hold you over until August when Scary Stories hits theaters. You could easily start with this book since there is no continuation here from Year One.
Last month, I reviewed At the Cemetery Gates: Year One in preparation for Volume 2 which the authors kindly sent to me for review back in October... sorry for the wait, gents. You guys were #9,998,383,750,000 in my review stack, so it took awhile.
If you're like me, odds are you've been watching the Super Bowl promos for the new Guillermo del Toro produced film-adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark on repeat for the last few days. You may also be drooling over the new poster that was released for the film. It seems everyone is excited for this movie; I know I am. It looks like they've nailed the esthetic of the books and the look of the creatures beautifully.
A Scary Stories revival is finally in our midst, but the new movie is actually pretty late to the game if you look at all the Scary Stories throwback books that have been published in the last few years. Cemetery Gates Media was one of the first to issue forward this new wave of tales inspired by the trauma of our youth, but updated for a modern adult audience. Their books include Corpse Cold: New American Folklore, Tales from Valleyview Cemetery, At the Cemetery Gates: Year One, and now we have At the Cemetery Gates: Volume 2!
While I enjoyed Year One, this second volume is even better. I can see how Brhel's and Sullivan's writing has improved over the years, but their passion for these spooky tales and their love of the macabre remains perfectly intact. The stories are fun, the atmosphere is spooky, and the chills are plentiful.
I highly recommend checking out all of Brhel & Sullivan's books, especially if you need reading material to hold you over until August when Scary Stories hits theaters. You could easily start with this book since there is no continuation here from Year One.
October 27, 2018
3.5 Stars
This was an enjoyable horror collection featuring sixteen spooky tales. The stories were all fairly short in terms of page length so I flew through the pages, gulping up one story after the next.
This would make a wonderful seasonal Halloween read. (Although I personally recommend reading horror year round). In terms of scariness, I would consider most of the stories mildly creepy and could be easily read by horror newbies or even self-identifying "scaredy cats".
There was a lot of variety between the stories, which kept the reading experience fresh and unexpected. Written in a casual style, the horror in these stories were quite modern, frequently incorporating modern technology and other current trends. I only wish I had connected more of the stories, but there were a few in the collection that really held my attention.
Favourite Story:
"Spice of Life" - I found this story the most relateable and, hence, the most terrifying! I loved it! Twisted, dark and disturbing, the story encapsulated so many of the elements that make me love horror so much. I think the themes in this story will particularly resonate with female readers, which is an impressive achievement considering it was written by a pair of male authors.
Other Notable Stories:
"With the Lights Out" - I adore the "isolated cabin in the woods" horror trope, so this story immediately caught my attention. It definitely didn't go where I expected.
"Kara Finds Her Match" - Another story with a great ending, but I don't want to say more in fear of spoiling anything.
I received an e-copy from the publisher, Cemetery Gates Media.
This was an enjoyable horror collection featuring sixteen spooky tales. The stories were all fairly short in terms of page length so I flew through the pages, gulping up one story after the next.
This would make a wonderful seasonal Halloween read. (Although I personally recommend reading horror year round). In terms of scariness, I would consider most of the stories mildly creepy and could be easily read by horror newbies or even self-identifying "scaredy cats".
There was a lot of variety between the stories, which kept the reading experience fresh and unexpected. Written in a casual style, the horror in these stories were quite modern, frequently incorporating modern technology and other current trends. I only wish I had connected more of the stories, but there were a few in the collection that really held my attention.
Favourite Story:
"Spice of Life" - I found this story the most relateable and, hence, the most terrifying! I loved it! Twisted, dark and disturbing, the story encapsulated so many of the elements that make me love horror so much. I think the themes in this story will particularly resonate with female readers, which is an impressive achievement considering it was written by a pair of male authors.
Other Notable Stories:
"With the Lights Out" - I adore the "isolated cabin in the woods" horror trope, so this story immediately caught my attention. It definitely didn't go where I expected.
"Kara Finds Her Match" - Another story with a great ending, but I don't want to say more in fear of spoiling anything.
I received an e-copy from the publisher, Cemetery Gates Media.
February 7, 2019
I've mentioned a time or two how short story collections sometimes don't quite work for me. I'm a definite fan of the full fledged story although I appreciate and understand just how hard a short story can be to write. This collection, however, gave me nostalgic feelings of that old school horror story you would read as a kid. Short, concise with that last sentence twist that gave your face that half curve smile and you move on to the next story to see what else they can possibly bring to the table.
Just like with most collections, there were standouts and some that didn't quite work as well. But that's just the way it goes in collections I think. An absolute fun, quite and easy read to give you a little bit of that creep factor that I personally like to have all year round.
Thanks to the publisher for this copy.
Just like with most collections, there were standouts and some that didn't quite work as well. But that's just the way it goes in collections I think. An absolute fun, quite and easy read to give you a little bit of that creep factor that I personally like to have all year round.
Thanks to the publisher for this copy.
December 3, 2018
What a great follow up to volume one. My review is poster here ---> https://wp.me/p5t5Tf-1JW
November 6, 2019
Definitely not all the way out of the haunted woods of October reading yet. This writing team has been delivering fairly consistent low level frights, so I continue to read them. Though my general preference is for thematic anthologies and they did do some of those, the Cemetery Gates collections are more along the lines of suburban legends if you will, spooky fables for age nonspecific audience. Though in the foreword, the authors state that this is the nastier of their books, trying to go darker, deliver more visceral frights, etc. there’s still very much a PG rated aspect to it all. At times it gets to me, but often it’s easily enough ignored, because the tales themselves are usually a lot of fun. The only noticeable difference between this book and their other works is that the twists on these stories are slightly darker. Not real standouts, but the quality was uniformly pretty good. And these books read so quickly, you never really want your time back. Easy one sitting read, probably less than 90 minutes in total and I was entertained sufficiently for most of that time. For genre fans who prefers their scares on the mild side without too much gore and guts, there are just the thing. Also for anyone who enjoys dark twisted morality tales. Or just blatant displays of dark twisted morals of the variously twisted mortals.
October 25, 2018
Great collection of short stories. Although I should not have read these before bed ha.
Some of these stories are quite frightening and will shock you with the outcome.
I really enjoyed this book and each of the stories. My favourites were Kara Finds Her Match, Mixtape: Halloween '84 and Death In The Family. I actually wish most of these stories were longer. I want to know more!
Easy reads, brilliant writing, fantastic stories.
Some of these stories are quite frightening and will shock you with the outcome.
I really enjoyed this book and each of the stories. My favourites were Kara Finds Her Match, Mixtape: Halloween '84 and Death In The Family. I actually wish most of these stories were longer. I want to know more!
Easy reads, brilliant writing, fantastic stories.
November 24, 2018
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Brhel and Sullivan's At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two is a captivating collection of dark fantasy and horror stories. It's an excellent sequel to the previous collection, At the Cemetery Gates: Year One, because it's every bit as good, enjoyable and unsettling as it is.
At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two will satisfy the needs of those who love the darker side of speculative fiction and are looking for something new and entertaining to read. Its contents are wonderfully diverse, surprising and thrilling. It's an ideal collection for everybody who enjoys reading dark and paranormal stories with a twist.
I was impressed by At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two and found it enjoyable. I'm happy to say that the atmospheric contents of this collection thrilled me so much that I read all of the stories as quickly as I could.
This collection contains the following sixteen stories:
- With the Lights Out
- The Payphone
- Kara Finds Her Match
- Mixtape: Halloween '84
- Spice of Life
- Neighborhood Flesh Eaters
- Visiting Hours
- A Hammock Camping How-To
- Ghosts of Thurston Avenue
- The Staircase at Waverly Glen
- Pernicious Fictions
- Death in the Family
- Three-course Scorch
- Danny's Rock
- Father-to-Be
- The Devil's Cabin
All of these stories were very much to my liking, because John Brehl and Joseph Sullivan have come up with fascinating stories and know how to entertain readers with dark and macabre elements. It's not often that one gets to read this kind of lovingly written horror entertainment, because not many authors write as entertainingly as the authors do.
What's especially great about these stories is that the authors are experts at delivering surprise endings (they do it with style). I'm sure that the endings of the stories will thrill many readers, because they're something special.
Here's more information about the stories and my thoughts about them:
With the Lights Out:
- A story about Jillian who goes to housesit her aunt's cabin in rural Dannemora for the weekend. Soon, something disturbing happens...
- The authors write excellently about what it is like to spend time in the cabin when something terrifying happens.
- A wonderfully atmopsheric and intense story with a perfect ending.
The Payphone:
- In this story, Joey and Jenny make prank calls from a payphone. Jenny is keen on making prank calls to the Operator.
- This story has a bit of twisted humour, which works well.
- I liked the ending, because what happened came as a surprise for me.
Kara Finds Her Match:
- In this story, Kara is planning on finding the right guy, because she would like to start a family, but is terrible at first dates. One day, she meets Kevin who is not like other guys.
- It was fascinating to read about what happened to Kara when she found a dream date, because things didn't go as planned.
- The authors write well about being too judgmental on first dates and not giving a chance to other people.
- An excellent story with a perfect ending.
Mixtape: Halloween '84:
- A story about James, a detective, who investigates an old and brutal case involving mutilated bodies. James listens to a tape recorded by a killer that contains something terrifying.
- I liked this story a lot, because it differs from the other stories. It's an interesting combination of crime fiction and horror fiction.
- A well written and memorable story that will stick to the readers' minds.
Spice of Life:
- A story about Nichole who visits a shop called Spice of Life. Nichole enquires from the shop if they'd happen to have anything that might help her lose some weight...
- I enjoyed reading this story, because it's an interesting take on witchcraft and its results. It's something different, which is good.
- An intriguing and entertaining story.
Neighborhood Flesh Eaters:
- A story about twin brothers, Zach and Sean, who become interested in the activities of Mr. Farrell who lives alone in the house next door.
- It was fun to read about Zach and Sean, because the authors describe them as curious boys who won't listen to their parents and get into serious trouble.
- This marvellous story has an excellent ending.
Visiting Hours:
- In this story, Mrs. Kelly wants to visit his son's grave, but is turned away at the gates by the caretaker due to the cemetery being closed. Soon the caretaker notices that something disturbing is going on.
- This is one of my favourite stories in this collection, because it's something different.
- An excellent and well written horror story.
A Hammock Camping How-To:
- A story about Anthony who is known for his YouTube channel, Lost in the Catskills, which provides information about remote locations. One day, he comes upon a place that turns out to be a burial site...
- This is an excellent and atmospheric tale that will thrill readers.
- This story is one of my favourite stories in this collection.
- I enjoyed the ending of this story very much, because it's satisfyingly dark.
Ghosts of Thurston Avenue:
- In this well written story, a folklore graduent student, Allen, is looking to catch a ghost.
- Allen's romantic adventures with two women are described in an interesting way in this story.
- What happens to Allen is unsettling in a captivating way.
The Staircase at Waverly Glen:
- A story about two boys, Rick and Jeff, who are staring at an old, decrepit and blocked off staircase set into a wooded hillside. When the boys go exploring the area, Rick disappears...
- This is an excellent tale about what may happen when you go exploring tracks that aren't familiar to you.
- I liked the ending, because it's an urban legend kind of an ending.
Pernicious Fictions:
- A story about a budding author, Peter, who shows his manuscript to an accomplished member of the Speculative Writers’ Workshop of Binghampton, but is disappointed about how he is treated.
- It was intriguing to read about Peter's struggle with his novel, because nobody seemed to be interested in reading and critiquing it.
- This is an intriguing and enjoyable take on a murdery mystery story.
Death in the Family:
- In this story, Julia loses his father and tries to moves on. When she visits a movie theater after her father's death, she sees a strange man watching her...
- The authors write excellently about the close relationship with Julia and her father. They also tell about what kind of a relationship Julia has with her alcoholic mother.
- A gripping story with a good ending.
Three-course Scorch:
- A story about the Marino Brothers and their pub, The Buffalo Wing Emergency Room. The brothers market the pub by having an eating challenge called Three-course Scorch.
- It was fun to read about what happened when a college kid tried to win the challenge and the brothers increased the chili content in the Buffalo wings.
- This story has an interesting ending.
Danny's Rock:
- A story about Danny who finds a pumice rock, which turns out to be quite extraordinary.
- In this story, the authors fluently explore what life is like for two brothers after their parents' divorce.
- I love the ending of this story, because it's something different.
Father-to-Be:
- In this story, an old and vile man, Mr. Schilling, moves in with his daughter, Elizabeth, whom he subjected to years of physical and emotional abuse.
- This thought-provoking story tells of what happens when a couple has to take care of an old man who shows no signs of gratitude or remorse and treats everybody badly.
- An excellent and well written story that will make readers think about certain things.
The Devil's Cabin:
- In this creepy story, two friends rent a cabin in early July at Letchworth State Park in New York. When they spend time at the cabin, they notice a pentagram on the wall and soon weird things begin to happen.
- I enjoyed this story, because it was an intriguing take on cabin horror stories. What happens at the cabin is fascinating, because the events are weird.
- This story feels like a kind of a companion story to the first story in this collection.
The authors write effortless and fluent prose that resonates with me. I like their way of creating a strange and unsettling atmosphere, because they hooked me with their descriptions about the happenings. I also enjoy how they write about the characters, because they're capable of creating interesting characters with only a few words.
I think that everybody who is familiar with what kind of horror was written and filmed during the 80s will greatly enjoy reading these stories. Readers who are fascinated by TV series as Stranger Things, The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits will also love these stories, because some of the stories are a bit of reminiscent of these TV series.
The artwork by Chad Wehrle is atmospheric and beautiful. His artwork perfectly fits this collection and evokes a sense of darkness and strangeness in the reader.
Brhel and Sullivan's At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two should not be missed by fans of entertaining dark fantasy and horror stories. It's a thrilling reading experience that is filled with captivating stories and plenty of creepy surprises. It's a perfect companion to autumn and winter evenings when the light is fading.
An excellent and highly enjoyable short story collection!
Brhel and Sullivan's At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two is a captivating collection of dark fantasy and horror stories. It's an excellent sequel to the previous collection, At the Cemetery Gates: Year One, because it's every bit as good, enjoyable and unsettling as it is.
At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two will satisfy the needs of those who love the darker side of speculative fiction and are looking for something new and entertaining to read. Its contents are wonderfully diverse, surprising and thrilling. It's an ideal collection for everybody who enjoys reading dark and paranormal stories with a twist.
I was impressed by At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two and found it enjoyable. I'm happy to say that the atmospheric contents of this collection thrilled me so much that I read all of the stories as quickly as I could.
This collection contains the following sixteen stories:
- With the Lights Out
- The Payphone
- Kara Finds Her Match
- Mixtape: Halloween '84
- Spice of Life
- Neighborhood Flesh Eaters
- Visiting Hours
- A Hammock Camping How-To
- Ghosts of Thurston Avenue
- The Staircase at Waverly Glen
- Pernicious Fictions
- Death in the Family
- Three-course Scorch
- Danny's Rock
- Father-to-Be
- The Devil's Cabin
All of these stories were very much to my liking, because John Brehl and Joseph Sullivan have come up with fascinating stories and know how to entertain readers with dark and macabre elements. It's not often that one gets to read this kind of lovingly written horror entertainment, because not many authors write as entertainingly as the authors do.
What's especially great about these stories is that the authors are experts at delivering surprise endings (they do it with style). I'm sure that the endings of the stories will thrill many readers, because they're something special.
Here's more information about the stories and my thoughts about them:
With the Lights Out:
- A story about Jillian who goes to housesit her aunt's cabin in rural Dannemora for the weekend. Soon, something disturbing happens...
- The authors write excellently about what it is like to spend time in the cabin when something terrifying happens.
- A wonderfully atmopsheric and intense story with a perfect ending.
The Payphone:
- In this story, Joey and Jenny make prank calls from a payphone. Jenny is keen on making prank calls to the Operator.
- This story has a bit of twisted humour, which works well.
- I liked the ending, because what happened came as a surprise for me.
Kara Finds Her Match:
- In this story, Kara is planning on finding the right guy, because she would like to start a family, but is terrible at first dates. One day, she meets Kevin who is not like other guys.
- It was fascinating to read about what happened to Kara when she found a dream date, because things didn't go as planned.
- The authors write well about being too judgmental on first dates and not giving a chance to other people.
- An excellent story with a perfect ending.
Mixtape: Halloween '84:
- A story about James, a detective, who investigates an old and brutal case involving mutilated bodies. James listens to a tape recorded by a killer that contains something terrifying.
- I liked this story a lot, because it differs from the other stories. It's an interesting combination of crime fiction and horror fiction.
- A well written and memorable story that will stick to the readers' minds.
Spice of Life:
- A story about Nichole who visits a shop called Spice of Life. Nichole enquires from the shop if they'd happen to have anything that might help her lose some weight...
- I enjoyed reading this story, because it's an interesting take on witchcraft and its results. It's something different, which is good.
- An intriguing and entertaining story.
Neighborhood Flesh Eaters:
- A story about twin brothers, Zach and Sean, who become interested in the activities of Mr. Farrell who lives alone in the house next door.
- It was fun to read about Zach and Sean, because the authors describe them as curious boys who won't listen to their parents and get into serious trouble.
- This marvellous story has an excellent ending.
Visiting Hours:
- In this story, Mrs. Kelly wants to visit his son's grave, but is turned away at the gates by the caretaker due to the cemetery being closed. Soon the caretaker notices that something disturbing is going on.
- This is one of my favourite stories in this collection, because it's something different.
- An excellent and well written horror story.
A Hammock Camping How-To:
- A story about Anthony who is known for his YouTube channel, Lost in the Catskills, which provides information about remote locations. One day, he comes upon a place that turns out to be a burial site...
- This is an excellent and atmospheric tale that will thrill readers.
- This story is one of my favourite stories in this collection.
- I enjoyed the ending of this story very much, because it's satisfyingly dark.
Ghosts of Thurston Avenue:
- In this well written story, a folklore graduent student, Allen, is looking to catch a ghost.
- Allen's romantic adventures with two women are described in an interesting way in this story.
- What happens to Allen is unsettling in a captivating way.
The Staircase at Waverly Glen:
- A story about two boys, Rick and Jeff, who are staring at an old, decrepit and blocked off staircase set into a wooded hillside. When the boys go exploring the area, Rick disappears...
- This is an excellent tale about what may happen when you go exploring tracks that aren't familiar to you.
- I liked the ending, because it's an urban legend kind of an ending.
Pernicious Fictions:
- A story about a budding author, Peter, who shows his manuscript to an accomplished member of the Speculative Writers’ Workshop of Binghampton, but is disappointed about how he is treated.
- It was intriguing to read about Peter's struggle with his novel, because nobody seemed to be interested in reading and critiquing it.
- This is an intriguing and enjoyable take on a murdery mystery story.
Death in the Family:
- In this story, Julia loses his father and tries to moves on. When she visits a movie theater after her father's death, she sees a strange man watching her...
- The authors write excellently about the close relationship with Julia and her father. They also tell about what kind of a relationship Julia has with her alcoholic mother.
- A gripping story with a good ending.
Three-course Scorch:
- A story about the Marino Brothers and their pub, The Buffalo Wing Emergency Room. The brothers market the pub by having an eating challenge called Three-course Scorch.
- It was fun to read about what happened when a college kid tried to win the challenge and the brothers increased the chili content in the Buffalo wings.
- This story has an interesting ending.
Danny's Rock:
- A story about Danny who finds a pumice rock, which turns out to be quite extraordinary.
- In this story, the authors fluently explore what life is like for two brothers after their parents' divorce.
- I love the ending of this story, because it's something different.
Father-to-Be:
- In this story, an old and vile man, Mr. Schilling, moves in with his daughter, Elizabeth, whom he subjected to years of physical and emotional abuse.
- This thought-provoking story tells of what happens when a couple has to take care of an old man who shows no signs of gratitude or remorse and treats everybody badly.
- An excellent and well written story that will make readers think about certain things.
The Devil's Cabin:
- In this creepy story, two friends rent a cabin in early July at Letchworth State Park in New York. When they spend time at the cabin, they notice a pentagram on the wall and soon weird things begin to happen.
- I enjoyed this story, because it was an intriguing take on cabin horror stories. What happens at the cabin is fascinating, because the events are weird.
- This story feels like a kind of a companion story to the first story in this collection.
The authors write effortless and fluent prose that resonates with me. I like their way of creating a strange and unsettling atmosphere, because they hooked me with their descriptions about the happenings. I also enjoy how they write about the characters, because they're capable of creating interesting characters with only a few words.
I think that everybody who is familiar with what kind of horror was written and filmed during the 80s will greatly enjoy reading these stories. Readers who are fascinated by TV series as Stranger Things, The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits will also love these stories, because some of the stories are a bit of reminiscent of these TV series.
The artwork by Chad Wehrle is atmospheric and beautiful. His artwork perfectly fits this collection and evokes a sense of darkness and strangeness in the reader.
Brhel and Sullivan's At the Cemetery Gates: Volume Two should not be missed by fans of entertaining dark fantasy and horror stories. It's a thrilling reading experience that is filled with captivating stories and plenty of creepy surprises. It's a perfect companion to autumn and winter evenings when the light is fading.
An excellent and highly enjoyable short story collection!
December 4, 2018
Thanks to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
I’m a big fan of short stories. I love when authors can pack a punch or leave a lasting impression in a small amount of pages. AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a collection of 16 short horror stories and I really enjoyed them. There’s a variety of themes including urban legends, prison escapees, witchcraft, and even some creepypastas (which I’ve been on a kick of lately – thanks Slender Man).
There were some standouts for me but the commonality across the collection was the solid writing. The authors did a good job of setting the scene and the characters without having to go into too much detail, I mean some of these stories are 10 pages long. I was very impressed with that because there are short stories where you feel like you got little to no information on the main character, which is why I understand how some readers aren’t fans of short stories.
Some of the stories felt entirely possible – those are the scary stories that creep me out the most. I mean, sure, we all love the monster stories and the ones filled with ghosts and evil spirits, but there’s something that amps up the scary factor when it could be a real life scenario. The first one reminded me of the urban legend with the clown statue in the house that creeped out the babysitter.
Overall, if you want some quick horror stories to continue the Halloween spirit, then I would highly recommend picking this one up! There are a variety of themes and scenarios, so there are stories for all types of horror fans! I’ve heard great things about Volume 1, so I’ll have to go back and find that one to compare.
I’m a big fan of short stories. I love when authors can pack a punch or leave a lasting impression in a small amount of pages. AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a collection of 16 short horror stories and I really enjoyed them. There’s a variety of themes including urban legends, prison escapees, witchcraft, and even some creepypastas (which I’ve been on a kick of lately – thanks Slender Man).
There were some standouts for me but the commonality across the collection was the solid writing. The authors did a good job of setting the scene and the characters without having to go into too much detail, I mean some of these stories are 10 pages long. I was very impressed with that because there are short stories where you feel like you got little to no information on the main character, which is why I understand how some readers aren’t fans of short stories.
Some of the stories felt entirely possible – those are the scary stories that creep me out the most. I mean, sure, we all love the monster stories and the ones filled with ghosts and evil spirits, but there’s something that amps up the scary factor when it could be a real life scenario. The first one reminded me of the urban legend with the clown statue in the house that creeped out the babysitter.
Overall, if you want some quick horror stories to continue the Halloween spirit, then I would highly recommend picking this one up! There are a variety of themes and scenarios, so there are stories for all types of horror fans! I’ve heard great things about Volume 1, so I’ll have to go back and find that one to compare.
September 6, 2019
My favorite installment in the series, and I hope that Brhel will unleash another volume soon. Once again, he has compiled a collection of short stories in the tradition of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, and THE TWILIGHT ZONE, using the Utica, New York area as a gloomy backdrop. They were all stuffed with the usual humor, fantasy, and horror that fans most likely have come to expect, but I must pick my top three:
THE PAYPHONE-A nostalgic tale regarding the consequences of making prank phone calls. Hey, it’s what you did in the 90s before *67 and caller ID.
MIXTAPE: HALLOWEEN ‘84-The collection starts to get creepy with this one. Two generations of crime detectives, father and son, reminisce about a dormant serial killer.
THE STAIRCASE OF WAVERLY GLEN-My favorite short story in this collection, and perhaps the series. As the title suggests, there’s a mystery staircase in a secluded part of the park. There’s also an urban legend surrounding the unsuspected disappearances of children.
THE PAYPHONE-A nostalgic tale regarding the consequences of making prank phone calls. Hey, it’s what you did in the 90s before *67 and caller ID.
MIXTAPE: HALLOWEEN ‘84-The collection starts to get creepy with this one. Two generations of crime detectives, father and son, reminisce about a dormant serial killer.
THE STAIRCASE OF WAVERLY GLEN-My favorite short story in this collection, and perhaps the series. As the title suggests, there’s a mystery staircase in a secluded part of the park. There’s also an urban legend surrounding the unsuspected disappearances of children.
April 1, 2019
AT THE CEMETERY GATES VOL. 2 is of course the second in this series of short horror stories. This volume collects more on the dark side than simply horror: there is mystery and edgy business too, although it still has straight out horror. These stories are quite short, so I recommend them as one-at-a-sitting reads, maybe when you're stuck in traffic or waiting in line, or you just want a quick horror dose to scare you up before bedtime.
November 28, 2018
I loved this. There are definitely some very interesting, spooky stories in here. "Pumpkin Spice" is my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews