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Carnival Of Strange Things
Ladies and gentlemen, step right up. The carnival is about to begin, and the show is to die for...
Grab your ticket and take a seat. The ringmaster’s opening act? A creature showcasing its bloody feat.
There are haunting spirits with much to tell. Tales of torture and screams straight from the burning flames of hell.
Tick-tock goes the time, seconds passing by as you slowly lose your mind.
Watch.
Wait.
Listen.
Evil is coming, and it’s striking from behind.
Horror and fear, like filth on your skin it clings,
Question is, are you brave enough to endure…
The Carnival of Strange Things?
Grab your ticket and take a seat. The ringmaster’s opening act? A creature showcasing its bloody feat.
There are haunting spirits with much to tell. Tales of torture and screams straight from the burning flames of hell.
Tick-tock goes the time, seconds passing by as you slowly lose your mind.
Watch.
Wait.
Listen.
Evil is coming, and it’s striking from behind.
Horror and fear, like filth on your skin it clings,
Question is, are you brave enough to endure…
The Carnival of Strange Things?
505 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2019
180 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Amy Crandall
2 books86 followersAmy Crandall is an avid reader and novelist born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. She began writing in elementary school, publishing her first story on Wattpad.com at the age of thirteen. With the support of her loved ones and newfound friends on the site, Amy continued to share her thoughts and interests in the form of storytelling.
When she isn’t envisioning a new story plot, Amy can be found camping with loved ones, getting lost in a great read, jamming to her favourite tunes, or giving in to her craving of Timmies’ iced lemonades.
When she isn’t envisioning a new story plot, Amy can be found camping with loved ones, getting lost in a great read, jamming to her favourite tunes, or giving in to her craving of Timmies’ iced lemonades.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 20, 2019
All The World's A Show by Stacey Longo ~ I really liked this one! It was all kinds of crazy.
Cronos By Luke Swanson ~ This one was a DNR for me, the dates and times going back and forth lost me.
Freak Show by Liz Botts ~ This was something else! I am hoping for more on this, I'll have to look up this author to see if she has any novels that tie into this!
From Hunter to Hunted by Sara Schoen ~ Whew! What a ride! Grace and the others needed help, they needed Ilia. I really loved how this played out.
Karny Valle by Lisa Acerbo ~ Well then! This was all kinds of messed up. Loved it :D
Legend of Angreal by Samie Sands ~ Who is it? Who is it?!?!?!
Madame Violet's Secret by Rita Delude ~ Violet, Violet, Violet. I don't know about you.
Nightmare at the Carnival by Amy Crandall ~ Well then, that was interesting!
Smoke & Mirrors by Aaron White ~ This one got a little confusing but it was good and twisted!
The Fate Machine by Rob Smales ~ That escalated quickly! Whew!
The Haunt by Erin Lee ~ This one didn't catch my interest.
The Monster Within by D.A. Roach ~ Holy cow!!!! Loved every minute of it. Wonderful ending to this anthology.
Cronos By Luke Swanson ~ This one was a DNR for me, the dates and times going back and forth lost me.
Freak Show by Liz Botts ~ This was something else! I am hoping for more on this, I'll have to look up this author to see if she has any novels that tie into this!
From Hunter to Hunted by Sara Schoen ~ Whew! What a ride! Grace and the others needed help, they needed Ilia. I really loved how this played out.
Karny Valle by Lisa Acerbo ~ Well then! This was all kinds of messed up. Loved it :D
Legend of Angreal by Samie Sands ~ Who is it? Who is it?!?!?!
Madame Violet's Secret by Rita Delude ~ Violet, Violet, Violet. I don't know about you.
Nightmare at the Carnival by Amy Crandall ~ Well then, that was interesting!
Smoke & Mirrors by Aaron White ~ This one got a little confusing but it was good and twisted!
The Fate Machine by Rob Smales ~ That escalated quickly! Whew!
The Haunt by Erin Lee ~ This one didn't catch my interest.
The Monster Within by D.A. Roach ~ Holy cow!!!! Loved every minute of it. Wonderful ending to this anthology.
May 14, 2019
Carnival of Strange Things is a collection of horror stories sure to thrill and delight readers. Delve into the darkness that lies between the pages. Discover the strange oddities that will linger long after you close the book. Enter the Carnival...if you dare.
I have to say, I really enjoyed the stories in this collection. There were a few that weren't necessarily my cup of tea, but I still found them to be well-written and fun. There is definitely at least one story, if not more, that will appeal to everyone who reads this book.
There's All the World's a Show, which is the first story, and it ended up sparking a crazy bout of research between myself and my husband. It's set in Pennyslvania, and we live in PA, so we spent close to 30 minutes after I finished the story looking online to see just how accurate the details in the story were. (no spoilers!)
Cronos tells the tale of a young man in 1930s New York who discovers a bus that can bring the past to life. Until one day, he conjurs up more than he bargained for.
Another good one is Karny Valle. It's about the seven deadly sins. A woman at a bar teaches a smarmy businessman just what it means to be greedy and selfish. I really enjoyed how messed up this one was.
Madame Violet's Secret is a fun little tale about a tarot card reader who runs her own carnival. But there's more to her than meets the eye.
The Monster Within is a story that brings to life the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for," and turns it on its head. An interesting little tale.
Honestly, though, I think The Fate Machine is my absolute favorite out of all of these. Think Zoltar in Big (the Tom Hanks film), but with more nefarious and sinister undertones. The woman in this story becomes fascinated and obsessed with the machine, and that becomes her downfall. I gleefully figured out her fate before she did, and when it happened, I may have let out a snort of laughter and a cheer. Definitely a good one.
If you enjoy horror stories set in and around carnivals (seriously one of my favorite themes in horror), then you'll want to grab a copy of this collection today!
I'm rating it 4 stars.
I have to say, I really enjoyed the stories in this collection. There were a few that weren't necessarily my cup of tea, but I still found them to be well-written and fun. There is definitely at least one story, if not more, that will appeal to everyone who reads this book.
There's All the World's a Show, which is the first story, and it ended up sparking a crazy bout of research between myself and my husband. It's set in Pennyslvania, and we live in PA, so we spent close to 30 minutes after I finished the story looking online to see just how accurate the details in the story were. (no spoilers!)
Cronos tells the tale of a young man in 1930s New York who discovers a bus that can bring the past to life. Until one day, he conjurs up more than he bargained for.
Another good one is Karny Valle. It's about the seven deadly sins. A woman at a bar teaches a smarmy businessman just what it means to be greedy and selfish. I really enjoyed how messed up this one was.
Madame Violet's Secret is a fun little tale about a tarot card reader who runs her own carnival. But there's more to her than meets the eye.
The Monster Within is a story that brings to life the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for," and turns it on its head. An interesting little tale.
Honestly, though, I think The Fate Machine is my absolute favorite out of all of these. Think Zoltar in Big (the Tom Hanks film), but with more nefarious and sinister undertones. The woman in this story becomes fascinated and obsessed with the machine, and that becomes her downfall. I gleefully figured out her fate before she did, and when it happened, I may have let out a snort of laughter and a cheer. Definitely a good one.
If you enjoy horror stories set in and around carnivals (seriously one of my favorite themes in horror), then you'll want to grab a copy of this collection today!
I'm rating it 4 stars.
May 13, 2019
Carnival of Strange Things Anthology
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
All the World’s a Show by Stacy Longo ⭐️⭐️
This story seemed like the type of thing I would have seen on Tales From the Crypt. I felt as though the story was too rushed; I never had the chance to connect to Dom in anyway, even for a short story. The last bit of the ending was sick though.
Cronos by Luke Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I really got a kick out of the story. The descriptions are great; the back-and-forth within the timeline is very effective, revealing things at just the right moment to amp up the suspense, often leaving me at the edge of my seat. The ending was kind of perfect in the way in which karma intervened.
Freak Show by Liz Botts
⭐️⭐️⭐️
My biggest problem with this story is Lucy’s parents. Who the hell has a missing child and doesn’t report it? Or sends their other child to school? This made me think that they had something to do with her disappearance. They story was enjoyable and the cliffhanger at the end worked well.
From Hunter to Hunted by Sara Schoen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story seemed to be a Jeffrey Dahmer version of The Frighteners set in a freak show. I enjoyed the narration , the action at the end, and I especially enjoyed the father with the cell phone being Grace’s “victim” in the tour.
Karny Valle by Lisa Acerbo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Pride, gluttony, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust.... Step on up and take the carnie tour of the seven deadly sins with your tour guide, Karny Valle. I liked this story, watching as Karny created the ending to her show. I kept wondering what new sin was next and how it would present itself.
Legend of Angreal by Samie Sands
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like the way the story is written, giving every character a chance to speak, even Angreal. I like how the reader is left not knowing which girl became Angreal. It’s a great cliffhanger.
Madame Violet’s Secret by Rita Delude
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was quite a bit different than the others, but I enjoyed it a lot. Like many of the other stories, the narration coming from multiple characters brings a lot to the story. I also actually liked some of the characters!
Nightmare at the Carnival by Amy Crandall
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was a little confused by this one. Are her recollections inaccurate and she’s really a monster of a person, did her actions turn her into a monster, or is it something else? I didn’t like the use of flashbacks.
Smoke and Mirrors by Aaron White
⭐️⭐️1/2
This was a five star story with the most abrupt, ending that left me very disappointed. I enjoyed all the characters and the action, gluing me to the story...until the end.
The Fate Machine by Rob Smales
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my absolute favorite story in the entire collection. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode “Nick of Time” but with a dark, macabre twist. I love how it drew me in, kind of like Piper was drawn to Zoltar, and the end it left me satisfied and, honestly, laughing; I mean, talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!
The Haunt by Erin Lee
⭐️⭐️1/2
This story seem to jump around a lot, and there was a lot of information in the story that was focused on, but that nothing came of, like Rosa being pregnant. While I found Xavier to have his reasons for why he does what he does, but I just found myself not caring to hear the story of his life.
The Monster Within by D.A. Roach
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The phrase, “Be careful what you wish for” perfectly sums up the story. I enjoyed the story a lot. I felt for (most of) the characters, rooting for them at the end. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side...
I received a free, electronic review copy of Carnival of Strange Things Anthology for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
All the World’s a Show by Stacy Longo ⭐️⭐️
This story seemed like the type of thing I would have seen on Tales From the Crypt. I felt as though the story was too rushed; I never had the chance to connect to Dom in anyway, even for a short story. The last bit of the ending was sick though.
Cronos by Luke Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I really got a kick out of the story. The descriptions are great; the back-and-forth within the timeline is very effective, revealing things at just the right moment to amp up the suspense, often leaving me at the edge of my seat. The ending was kind of perfect in the way in which karma intervened.
Freak Show by Liz Botts
⭐️⭐️⭐️
My biggest problem with this story is Lucy’s parents. Who the hell has a missing child and doesn’t report it? Or sends their other child to school? This made me think that they had something to do with her disappearance. They story was enjoyable and the cliffhanger at the end worked well.
From Hunter to Hunted by Sara Schoen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story seemed to be a Jeffrey Dahmer version of The Frighteners set in a freak show. I enjoyed the narration , the action at the end, and I especially enjoyed the father with the cell phone being Grace’s “victim” in the tour.
Karny Valle by Lisa Acerbo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Pride, gluttony, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust.... Step on up and take the carnie tour of the seven deadly sins with your tour guide, Karny Valle. I liked this story, watching as Karny created the ending to her show. I kept wondering what new sin was next and how it would present itself.
Legend of Angreal by Samie Sands
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I like the way the story is written, giving every character a chance to speak, even Angreal. I like how the reader is left not knowing which girl became Angreal. It’s a great cliffhanger.
Madame Violet’s Secret by Rita Delude
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was quite a bit different than the others, but I enjoyed it a lot. Like many of the other stories, the narration coming from multiple characters brings a lot to the story. I also actually liked some of the characters!
Nightmare at the Carnival by Amy Crandall
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was a little confused by this one. Are her recollections inaccurate and she’s really a monster of a person, did her actions turn her into a monster, or is it something else? I didn’t like the use of flashbacks.
Smoke and Mirrors by Aaron White
⭐️⭐️1/2
This was a five star story with the most abrupt, ending that left me very disappointed. I enjoyed all the characters and the action, gluing me to the story...until the end.
The Fate Machine by Rob Smales
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my absolute favorite story in the entire collection. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode “Nick of Time” but with a dark, macabre twist. I love how it drew me in, kind of like Piper was drawn to Zoltar, and the end it left me satisfied and, honestly, laughing; I mean, talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!
The Haunt by Erin Lee
⭐️⭐️1/2
This story seem to jump around a lot, and there was a lot of information in the story that was focused on, but that nothing came of, like Rosa being pregnant. While I found Xavier to have his reasons for why he does what he does, but I just found myself not caring to hear the story of his life.
The Monster Within by D.A. Roach
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The phrase, “Be careful what you wish for” perfectly sums up the story. I enjoyed the story a lot. I felt for (most of) the characters, rooting for them at the end. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side...
I received a free, electronic review copy of Carnival of Strange Things Anthology for an honest review.
May 13, 2019
Ok I will admit I am a major creepy vibe person who loves all things creepy , and scary, well when I saw DA Roach had a story in this anthology I jumped at the chance to read it and wow , let's just say staying up into the middle of the night alone with cats in the house reading these stories made my heart race a little more than usual.
Each author brings their own unique style and their stories made me love them.
You have got to read this and you will see where I am coming from.
Each author brings their own unique style and their stories made me love them.
You have got to read this and you will see where I am coming from.
Want to read
March 13, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/13/2020)! 🎁
May 18, 2019
I loved this collection of stories. I found the stories fascinating and at times slightly horrifying. Each author brought something unique, and I especially loved Karny Valle. Overall, these are a great and entertaining read, but I would advise against reading them while home alone at night. There is a major creep factor, so if you are into horror, there is definitely a story here for you.
September 21, 2019
The best short stories
I love all the Carnival books. Once you start reading you can't stop until the end. And the stories tie into one another in a great way.
I love all the Carnival books. Once you start reading you can't stop until the end. And the stories tie into one another in a great way.
February 17, 2020
Reviewing Legend of Angreal by Sami Sands
Excellent story with just the right amount of creepiness and weirdness. I have only read the one story by Sami Sands but I purchased the book because I have read the previous two in their entirety and loved them! This one looks wonderful as well and with Sami Sand's story, it promises more great stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Excellent story with just the right amount of creepiness and weirdness. I have only read the one story by Sami Sands but I purchased the book because I have read the previous two in their entirety and loved them! This one looks wonderful as well and with Sami Sand's story, it promises more great stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 17, 2020
I’ve read Legend of Angreal by Samie Sands in this anthology. This is a great story and well written. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this anthology.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 30, 2019
What a great book of stories. I absolutely loved it
May 31, 2019
I enjoyed all the stories in this anthology! I have never read anything by any of the authors in this book but I must say that from now on I will be checking their books out! If you love a good horror read then pick this up it won’t disappoint!
March 21, 2020
Fantastic! This is possibly the best anthology I've read to date. All the stories in this book were entertaining in their own ways, but there were two standouts that were my favorites. The first story in the book, All the World's a Stage, had no supernatural elements and was all the more disturbing because of that. And The Fate Machine kept me on the edge of my seat until the very, ironic end.
January 9, 2020
Creepy, thrilling and exciting
March 25, 2020
Definitely strange
This anthology delivers exactly what it promises. The characters, settings and events may be some of the strangest things you ever read about.
This anthology delivers exactly what it promises. The characters, settings and events may be some of the strangest things you ever read about.
May 14, 2019
This book is a collection of horror stories. A few of the stories creeped me out. I will let you guess which ones if you dare. There was one I found too be a little unbelievable. All are new authors to me and I enjoyed reading this book. ARC received for honest opinion.
June 9, 2020
WOW SCARY AS HE'LL !!!
This book will scare you silly. There's a little bit of everything. If you like horror don't pass up this book. It will keep you up with the lights on until the wee hours of the night. Highly recommended.
This book will scare you silly. There's a little bit of everything. If you like horror don't pass up this book. It will keep you up with the lights on until the wee hours of the night. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2019
Don't buy it!
This book is disgustingly violent. If I had known that it was this type of book I never would have considered it.
This book is disgustingly violent. If I had known that it was this type of book I never would have considered it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews