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Under Her Black Wings: 2020 Women of Horror Anthology; Volume One
- A glamorous actress whose very flesh is reanimated by a beloved Hollywood icon
- A Boy Scout Troupe encounters a frightening mythological creature in an American forest
- A lonely woman finds a home among a group of lost-and-found souls, all cared for by a tentacled sea-creature called Mother
- A Faceless Woman attacks like a virus and takes on the identities of her victims
- A post-apocalyptic battle for survival rages between human and insect
- A Shadow Woman leads the spirits of the murdered to take revenge in the desert
These are just some of the stories nineteen women came up with when tasked with creating their own Women Monsters. Step inside and experience tales of bloodsucking entities in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Cuban river goddesses, an Aztec bruja, werewolves, soul-stealers, obsessive lovers, furious spurned wives, bloody murder in Gothic manors and on Southern plantations... and so much more...
With Foreword by Brandon Scott (Author of Vodou and Sleight, Devil Dog Press)
- A Boy Scout Troupe encounters a frightening mythological creature in an American forest
- A lonely woman finds a home among a group of lost-and-found souls, all cared for by a tentacled sea-creature called Mother
- A Faceless Woman attacks like a virus and takes on the identities of her victims
- A post-apocalyptic battle for survival rages between human and insect
- A Shadow Woman leads the spirits of the murdered to take revenge in the desert
These are just some of the stories nineteen women came up with when tasked with creating their own Women Monsters. Step inside and experience tales of bloodsucking entities in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Cuban river goddesses, an Aztec bruja, werewolves, soul-stealers, obsessive lovers, furious spurned wives, bloody murder in Gothic manors and on Southern plantations... and so much more...
With Foreword by Brandon Scott (Author of Vodou and Sleight, Devil Dog Press)
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2020
44 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Jill Girardi
30 books96 followersJill Girardi is the internationally best-selling, award-nominated author of Hantu Macabre and the founder of Kandisha Press, a company dedicated to women horror authors from around the world. She loves writing darkly humorous creature features and still believes in twist endings. Find her on Instagram or Twitter @jill_girardi
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 29, 2020
Some of my favorite things this horror anthology contained:
Desolate Desert Landscapes- I absolutely loved the scenery of many of these stories. I live in the desert, therefore, I highly appreciated these little attention to detail moments. The smell of a monsoon, the humid rain heavy in the air, ugh the feels it evoked left my heart empty, covered in thick settled dust.
An Ocean Kingdom- I love mermaid horror stories. Horror and iridescent scales go so well together.
Revenge Parties- It's all fun and games until you find out why you truly are the center of attention.
Creepy Phone Calls- Always make for a good psychological adventure.
Creepy Children- Let's face it, children can be extra creepy, especially the on purpose creepy ones.
Other elements I enjoyed:
Revenge-All the fun ways revenge was taken... super fun! Morbid fun, but still. :)
Monsters- Supposed myths but these ladies brought them to life!
Evil- Who doesn't love evil twisted stories?
I'm a sensitivity reader. I knew going into this horror anthology that I would not be able to read it at night once it got dark. I also knew I couldn't read this while eating because of blood and gore.
So why did I read this?
A couple of reasons:
1. The cover looked sweet! I thought it was unique, pretty, and the colors popped right out at me. Most demons I've read about seem to have a male presence, I'm elated to see female demons getting more popular. (Probably because women are working towards equality still.)
2. It was free the day I found the sweet cover on Amazon. Lucky me!
3. I learned this was an ALL WOMEN horror anthology and I definitely wanted to support that. Women live with deep horrors, oftentimes even scaring the outside of the skin, if anyone should be writing about horror, it's those who have lived it and keep on living. Women who write horror, ugh ya I'm here for even if I am a little sensitive. The horror community had remained mostly male in the past. I love that this is an all-women edition. Can I fangirl over that enough? Not really.
4. Some of the authors I follow on Twitter were featured- I was excited to see what they came up with.
5. As I was reading these stories I became more and more inspired and encouraged to write about my own horrors I've lived to tell, in a creative way. Anything I can refer to over and over and draw inspiration from is something I can appreciate, even being a sensitivity reader.
If you enjoy the horror genre, you'll definitely find multiple, if not all of the authors you'll want to follow. I know I'm going to.
As I stated before, I downloaded this while it was free on Amazon. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is given freely.
Desolate Desert Landscapes- I absolutely loved the scenery of many of these stories. I live in the desert, therefore, I highly appreciated these little attention to detail moments. The smell of a monsoon, the humid rain heavy in the air, ugh the feels it evoked left my heart empty, covered in thick settled dust.
An Ocean Kingdom- I love mermaid horror stories. Horror and iridescent scales go so well together.
Revenge Parties- It's all fun and games until you find out why you truly are the center of attention.
Creepy Phone Calls- Always make for a good psychological adventure.
Creepy Children- Let's face it, children can be extra creepy, especially the on purpose creepy ones.
Other elements I enjoyed:
Revenge-All the fun ways revenge was taken... super fun! Morbid fun, but still. :)
Monsters- Supposed myths but these ladies brought them to life!
Evil- Who doesn't love evil twisted stories?
I'm a sensitivity reader. I knew going into this horror anthology that I would not be able to read it at night once it got dark. I also knew I couldn't read this while eating because of blood and gore.
So why did I read this?
A couple of reasons:
1. The cover looked sweet! I thought it was unique, pretty, and the colors popped right out at me. Most demons I've read about seem to have a male presence, I'm elated to see female demons getting more popular. (Probably because women are working towards equality still.)
2. It was free the day I found the sweet cover on Amazon. Lucky me!
3. I learned this was an ALL WOMEN horror anthology and I definitely wanted to support that. Women live with deep horrors, oftentimes even scaring the outside of the skin, if anyone should be writing about horror, it's those who have lived it and keep on living. Women who write horror, ugh ya I'm here for even if I am a little sensitive. The horror community had remained mostly male in the past. I love that this is an all-women edition. Can I fangirl over that enough? Not really.
4. Some of the authors I follow on Twitter were featured- I was excited to see what they came up with.
5. As I was reading these stories I became more and more inspired and encouraged to write about my own horrors I've lived to tell, in a creative way. Anything I can refer to over and over and draw inspiration from is something I can appreciate, even being a sensitivity reader.
If you enjoy the horror genre, you'll definitely find multiple, if not all of the authors you'll want to follow. I know I'm going to.
As I stated before, I downloaded this while it was free on Amazon. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is given freely.
October 26, 2020
A delightfully creepy book featuring 18 spooky and creepy stories.
I had been meaning to read this one and then I saw on Twitter it was for free! I decided to immediately buy it, doesn’t matter it was midnight and I wanted to sleep. First get this book. After that my hubby had to steal my Kindle as I started reading. 😛
These 18 stories are about all sorts of spooky things. From vengeful ghosts to people raised from the dead to mythical beasts in the midst of forests to loneliness to tentacle monsters. I loved the diversity in the stories. I loved that there were twists and turns that made me gasp. Sometimes I thought the story would go x way but then it would just stick out its tongue and go y. LOVE IT.
I wasn’t always a fan of the stories, some really ended very abruptly leaving me wondering what happened, I get these are short stories, but you can at least finish them. Some were just a bit too gory for me. Which would have delighted me from 10-ish years ago who wasn’t afraid of some blood spraying around and heads getting cleanly eaten.
I am very happy I found this anthology and that I had the chance to read it. It was just the kind of book that fits perfectly with Halloween.
1.What You Eat: Star rating, 5 stars Hansel and Gretel just now a bit different, but holy wow. While I wasn’t always a fan of the MC, she was just way to spoiled (pinching puppies, laughing at old people) and while I knew what was coming, I was also hoping for it to not happen. Great short story and great way to start.
2.The Aztec: Star rating, 3 stars I wasn’t always a fan of the lady and all she did. But the story itself was interesting and I was curious about the family, about the rituals, and then there is the ending.
3.The Riddled Path: Star rating, 3 stars While I did love the story and what they found in the woods, the gore was just too much for me. Plus, I would have liked a better ending.
4.Desert Kisses: Star rating, 3 stars Another WTF and I felt quite uncomfortable reading this one as we read about a serial killer/rapist. The story still gets three stars because of Monica and the shadow train who is out for revenge.
5.Somewhere to Belong: Star rating, 4.5 stars This one just made me sad. That poor woman, poor those other souls. 🙁 I can understand her loneliness though I would never do that. Nope. Nope.
6.Heart for the Heartless: Star rating, 4.5 stars Zombies! Serial Killers. Murder. Gore (a bit too much). Poor Josie. Also that ending was just perfection. Well, good job guys, you fucked up.
7.The Darkness: Star rating, 5 stars This was an amazing post-apocalyptic read with a nice twist. I guess I could have seen it coming, but it really wasn’t until the cat that I knew something was very wrong. The part in the house, HOLY WOW. DANG.
8.Sarah Smiles: Star rating, 3.5 stars Another WTF story with an ending that is pretty shocking. I wasn’t a fan of the guy, he was just a bit too much for me and a bit too stalkerish. But I did like the story in overall and the ending definitely brought up the rating.
9.Goddess of the Lake: Star rating, 1 starsMeh. Just not that interesting to me. The ending was really what saved this story from 0.5 stars. That one was pretty WOAH. I kind of had expected it, but also not.
10.Abigail’s Army: Star rating, 3.5 stars Mostly because nothing was really happening until the very ending and that was a shame. I think if this one was fleshed out more it would be better. But I did like the twist at the end.
11.Road Rage: Star rating, 4.5 starsEww on the cheating, big big eww. But I love the twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. That ending! o.0
12.Cold Calling:Star rating, 2.5 stars Had potential, there was a revelation that was good, but it was also confusing because I just didn’t get what would happen if the girl would pop in the midst of people, I kept expecting monsters… but nothing happened and it ended WAY too sudden.
13.Upon Acceptance: Star rating, 1 stars Not a fan of the MC and what she did. And how dumb is she to do that at the end? Helllooo? The story wasn’t that fun, bit bland, and the ending? Why?
14.The Faceless Woman: Star rating, 5 stars This was such an amazing story and I loved how it ended.
15.Unplugged: Star rating, 3.5 stars So many twists and turns, oh my. This one I thought would be about x but then it turned out all to be about y. OH MY GOSH.
16.Firstborn: Star rating, 4 stars I loved the folklore + religion, and I loved how creepy the story got. I wasn’t a fan of the cheating however. Yes, I would call it that.
17.Sadie: Star rating, 2.5 stars This definitely had potential… but I am just not entirely sure what happened and how. How did she meet the little girl? How did the whole wolf thing happen? It was all a dream right? Whut?
18.Pontianak: Star rating, 2.5 starsThe dude was just too horny. I get that she was x, but really I was just a bit disturbed by his behaviour and how he often thought lewd thoughts. But the ending was awesome.
All in all, 3.5 stars. It was a great read and I am definitely spooked out. As I finished this one I started a new horror anthology, and I guess I shouldn’t. Woke up a few times last night (October 21st). 😛
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I had been meaning to read this one and then I saw on Twitter it was for free! I decided to immediately buy it, doesn’t matter it was midnight and I wanted to sleep. First get this book. After that my hubby had to steal my Kindle as I started reading. 😛
These 18 stories are about all sorts of spooky things. From vengeful ghosts to people raised from the dead to mythical beasts in the midst of forests to loneliness to tentacle monsters. I loved the diversity in the stories. I loved that there were twists and turns that made me gasp. Sometimes I thought the story would go x way but then it would just stick out its tongue and go y. LOVE IT.
I wasn’t always a fan of the stories, some really ended very abruptly leaving me wondering what happened, I get these are short stories, but you can at least finish them. Some were just a bit too gory for me. Which would have delighted me from 10-ish years ago who wasn’t afraid of some blood spraying around and heads getting cleanly eaten.
I am very happy I found this anthology and that I had the chance to read it. It was just the kind of book that fits perfectly with Halloween.
1.What You Eat: Star rating, 5 stars Hansel and Gretel just now a bit different, but holy wow. While I wasn’t always a fan of the MC, she was just way to spoiled (pinching puppies, laughing at old people) and while I knew what was coming, I was also hoping for it to not happen. Great short story and great way to start.
2.The Aztec: Star rating, 3 stars I wasn’t always a fan of the lady and all she did. But the story itself was interesting and I was curious about the family, about the rituals, and then there is the ending.
3.The Riddled Path: Star rating, 3 stars While I did love the story and what they found in the woods, the gore was just too much for me. Plus, I would have liked a better ending.
4.Desert Kisses: Star rating, 3 stars Another WTF and I felt quite uncomfortable reading this one as we read about a serial killer/rapist. The story still gets three stars because of Monica and the shadow train who is out for revenge.
5.Somewhere to Belong: Star rating, 4.5 stars This one just made me sad. That poor woman, poor those other souls. 🙁 I can understand her loneliness though I would never do that. Nope. Nope.
6.Heart for the Heartless: Star rating, 4.5 stars Zombies! Serial Killers. Murder. Gore (a bit too much). Poor Josie. Also that ending was just perfection. Well, good job guys, you fucked up.
7.The Darkness: Star rating, 5 stars This was an amazing post-apocalyptic read with a nice twist. I guess I could have seen it coming, but it really wasn’t until the cat that I knew something was very wrong. The part in the house, HOLY WOW. DANG.
8.Sarah Smiles: Star rating, 3.5 stars Another WTF story with an ending that is pretty shocking. I wasn’t a fan of the guy, he was just a bit too much for me and a bit too stalkerish. But I did like the story in overall and the ending definitely brought up the rating.
9.Goddess of the Lake: Star rating, 1 starsMeh. Just not that interesting to me. The ending was really what saved this story from 0.5 stars. That one was pretty WOAH. I kind of had expected it, but also not.
10.Abigail’s Army: Star rating, 3.5 stars Mostly because nothing was really happening until the very ending and that was a shame. I think if this one was fleshed out more it would be better. But I did like the twist at the end.
11.Road Rage: Star rating, 4.5 starsEww on the cheating, big big eww. But I love the twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. That ending! o.0
12.Cold Calling:Star rating, 2.5 stars Had potential, there was a revelation that was good, but it was also confusing because I just didn’t get what would happen if the girl would pop in the midst of people, I kept expecting monsters… but nothing happened and it ended WAY too sudden.
13.Upon Acceptance: Star rating, 1 stars Not a fan of the MC and what she did. And how dumb is she to do that at the end? Helllooo? The story wasn’t that fun, bit bland, and the ending? Why?
14.The Faceless Woman: Star rating, 5 stars This was such an amazing story and I loved how it ended.
15.Unplugged: Star rating, 3.5 stars So many twists and turns, oh my. This one I thought would be about x but then it turned out all to be about y. OH MY GOSH.
16.Firstborn: Star rating, 4 stars I loved the folklore + religion, and I loved how creepy the story got. I wasn’t a fan of the cheating however. Yes, I would call it that.
17.Sadie: Star rating, 2.5 stars This definitely had potential… but I am just not entirely sure what happened and how. How did she meet the little girl? How did the whole wolf thing happen? It was all a dream right? Whut?
18.Pontianak: Star rating, 2.5 starsThe dude was just too horny. I get that she was x, but really I was just a bit disturbed by his behaviour and how he often thought lewd thoughts. But the ending was awesome.
All in all, 3.5 stars. It was a great read and I am definitely spooked out. As I finished this one I started a new horror anthology, and I guess I shouldn’t. Woke up a few times last night (October 21st). 😛
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
June 9, 2022
Then he got serious, his face determined. “But you can’t tell anyone, yah?” He grasped my chin in his palm. “We need you to tell the hospital it was an animal attack. A hunting incident…. Okay?”
October 20, 2022
This will be a long review as for my own benefit and me memory I will be doing a short review of each short story. Will not give away details of the story though, since they’re already short! As mentioned; This is an Anthology of short horror stories written by women around the world. I would recommend it for that reason alone even if all the stories aren’t all great. I will have a * in front of the stories I did not enjoy that much. The theme of this specific collection is “woman monsters”. So lots of creatures of all different kinds in this!
What you eat- this one was super fun, and I really liked it. I wouldn’t say it was overly scary, but it had a delightfully unlikeable character, and a super unsettling old woman. The ending was so satisfying!
*Aztec- had potential to be a compelling witch story. But I didn’t like this one all that much. There was no awe or surprise to it. And the random Spanish really took me out of it. I love that there are not only women authors in this, but bipoc ones. I also love culture being inserted into a story. However, it was the way in which it was inserted that didn’t work for me. It also wasn’t a horror story like… at all. But I think it definitely tried to be.
The riddled path- gore, dad jokes, a forest, and a Sphinx. What’s not to like? This one was a really fun story and actually made me laugh out loud.
Desert kisses- where the last one was light hearted and funny, this one was actually really dark, gory and brutal. A really good tale of revenge from beyond the grave considering how short it is. Unique too. Totally worth reading. Trigger warning: sexual assault and mention of said assault.
*Somewhere to belong- this one wasn’t bad. But for being so short it just felt like it was everywhere and trying to be too many things at once. It features loneliness, lack of belonging, creepy kids, and cosmic horror.
*Heart for the heartless- this could have been good, but was also everywhere and the ending felt forced. It could have ended two pages prior and been better. Involves an undead model with a curious appetite. The writing was hard to connect with.
The darkness- this one was post apocalyptic and I loved it. It involves bugs and a pretty crazy twist for a short story. Super good.
Sarah smiles- this one was fine, leaning more on the “good” side of fine though. I enjoyed it, but wasn’t absolutely in love. Involves obsession and a cult!
*Goddess of the lake- this one was way too short. I appreciate the mythological appeal. But the story just lacked in general for me. It didn’t really satisfy me in any aspect sadly.
*Abigails army- I don’t want to be mean at all… but part of me doesn’t understand how this one was allowed to be put in here as is. It’s literally 4 pages and there’s absolutely nothing to it :(. Not to say the author isn’t a good writer though. The voice was actually pretty good.
Road rage- another tale of revenge from beyond the grave. I really loved this one. The guy in this was scum and deserved what he got! The writing was just really good too.
Cold calling- this one wasn’t perfect, but idk I enjoyed it. Another story that isn’t necessarily revenge but is a woman turning the tables on a awful man after he tries to prank her in a really humiliating way. I really liked the writing in this one.
*Upon acceptance- this one was a case of the author trying to give us one of those ironic endings and it just didn’t work. Instead it reads as the character being unbelievably stupid for no reason. Took enjoyment away for me.
The faceless woman- this one actually gave me chills and I really liked it! It’s paranormal and is about a spirit that sort of… latches on I guess you could say. Taking peoples faces! Super fun and the writing was good as well.
Unplugged- a porn star and her psychiatrist become friends. What could go wrong right? This one actually threw me for a bit of a loop because it didn’t end how I expected. Super clever on the authors part. A story of vengeance sort of..
First born- this one was a little longer than some of the ones I felt meh about and even some of the ones I liked! Imo this paid off big time as this was one of my favorites. It was written so well and the story was so interesting. Involves lore/creatures from another culture that like to steal/hurt newborns!
Sadie- I’m not entirely sure I understand what happened in this one. But it wasn’t bad! It’s either a creepy dream coming true, or mental illness based. I kinda hope it’s the former. But since I don’t know for sure I can’t say much.
Pontianak- this one was actually my favorite even though it wasn’t super scary. It’s Malaysian legend, and involves the story of a young girl who essentially had some terrible things happen to her and now is made to prey on men in the after life. Don’t wanna give too much away. But I really loved it and the writing was insanely good!
There were some misses in this but imo just as many hits. I loved the experience of reading this and will like to read the other 3. The ones that weren’t for me weren’t that long and weren’t totally terrible to read so they didn’t take away from my experience!
Liked: 12 Disliked: 6
What you eat- this one was super fun, and I really liked it. I wouldn’t say it was overly scary, but it had a delightfully unlikeable character, and a super unsettling old woman. The ending was so satisfying!
*Aztec- had potential to be a compelling witch story. But I didn’t like this one all that much. There was no awe or surprise to it. And the random Spanish really took me out of it. I love that there are not only women authors in this, but bipoc ones. I also love culture being inserted into a story. However, it was the way in which it was inserted that didn’t work for me. It also wasn’t a horror story like… at all. But I think it definitely tried to be.
The riddled path- gore, dad jokes, a forest, and a Sphinx. What’s not to like? This one was a really fun story and actually made me laugh out loud.
Desert kisses- where the last one was light hearted and funny, this one was actually really dark, gory and brutal. A really good tale of revenge from beyond the grave considering how short it is. Unique too. Totally worth reading. Trigger warning: sexual assault and mention of said assault.
*Somewhere to belong- this one wasn’t bad. But for being so short it just felt like it was everywhere and trying to be too many things at once. It features loneliness, lack of belonging, creepy kids, and cosmic horror.
*Heart for the heartless- this could have been good, but was also everywhere and the ending felt forced. It could have ended two pages prior and been better. Involves an undead model with a curious appetite. The writing was hard to connect with.
The darkness- this one was post apocalyptic and I loved it. It involves bugs and a pretty crazy twist for a short story. Super good.
Sarah smiles- this one was fine, leaning more on the “good” side of fine though. I enjoyed it, but wasn’t absolutely in love. Involves obsession and a cult!
*Goddess of the lake- this one was way too short. I appreciate the mythological appeal. But the story just lacked in general for me. It didn’t really satisfy me in any aspect sadly.
*Abigails army- I don’t want to be mean at all… but part of me doesn’t understand how this one was allowed to be put in here as is. It’s literally 4 pages and there’s absolutely nothing to it :(. Not to say the author isn’t a good writer though. The voice was actually pretty good.
Road rage- another tale of revenge from beyond the grave. I really loved this one. The guy in this was scum and deserved what he got! The writing was just really good too.
Cold calling- this one wasn’t perfect, but idk I enjoyed it. Another story that isn’t necessarily revenge but is a woman turning the tables on a awful man after he tries to prank her in a really humiliating way. I really liked the writing in this one.
*Upon acceptance- this one was a case of the author trying to give us one of those ironic endings and it just didn’t work. Instead it reads as the character being unbelievably stupid for no reason. Took enjoyment away for me.
The faceless woman- this one actually gave me chills and I really liked it! It’s paranormal and is about a spirit that sort of… latches on I guess you could say. Taking peoples faces! Super fun and the writing was good as well.
Unplugged- a porn star and her psychiatrist become friends. What could go wrong right? This one actually threw me for a bit of a loop because it didn’t end how I expected. Super clever on the authors part. A story of vengeance sort of..
First born- this one was a little longer than some of the ones I felt meh about and even some of the ones I liked! Imo this paid off big time as this was one of my favorites. It was written so well and the story was so interesting. Involves lore/creatures from another culture that like to steal/hurt newborns!
Sadie- I’m not entirely sure I understand what happened in this one. But it wasn’t bad! It’s either a creepy dream coming true, or mental illness based. I kinda hope it’s the former. But since I don’t know for sure I can’t say much.
Pontianak- this one was actually my favorite even though it wasn’t super scary. It’s Malaysian legend, and involves the story of a young girl who essentially had some terrible things happen to her and now is made to prey on men in the after life. Don’t wanna give too much away. But I really loved it and the writing was insanely good!
There were some misses in this but imo just as many hits. I loved the experience of reading this and will like to read the other 3. The ones that weren’t for me weren’t that long and weren’t totally terrible to read so they didn’t take away from my experience!
Liked: 12 Disliked: 6
July 17, 2020
It’s odd sometimes in the book world how things can get missed. Somehow, I completely missed checking this anthology out when it was announced at the start of the year. Now, whether that was because it was offered up on Kendall Reviews and someone else snagged it, or simply because there is SO MUCH amazing work coming out, for whatever reason, this wasn’t even on my radar until just last week, when Sonora Taylor put me in touch with Jill Girardi of Kandisha Press about reviewing Vol. 2. Jill asked if I’d like to check out Vol. 1, which I happily agreed to read. I devoured Vol. 2 in one sitting. It was amazing. I immediately dove into Vol. 1 once finished and over the course of a few days, cruised through this anthology as well.
What I liked: ‘Under Her Black Wings’ brings a stunning variety of women authors, who all put their soul into creating some truly bleak stories.
The anthology opens with the amazing ‘What You Eat’ by Alys Hobbs. Much like Vol. 2 opened with a fantastically strong story, Vol. 1 uses that story to spring board into tale after tale of blackness and biting scenarios.
‘The Riddled Path’ by Somer Canon creeped me the hell out, ‘Desert Kisses’ by Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason reinforced why the Sisters of Slaughter are a force to be reckoned with (and I still need to get to their long work, sheesh!). In Vol. 2 one of the strongest stories was ‘Love You to Death’ by Yolanda Sfetsos. Here she is, featured in Vol. 1 as well and her story ‘Somewhere to Belong’ once again stands as one of the top dogs. Seriously, give her work a read. Her Short! Sharp! Shocks! release was outstanding as well.
‘Cold Calling’ by Paula R.C. Readman had me completely captivated. Readman also was in Vol. 2 and again – another of the S!S!S! family you should read.
Personally, I think my favorite was Jill Girardi’s. Her story ‘Firstborn’ was not only super intense and emotionally ravaging, but the subject matter was very refreshing. It’s not often we get middle eastern based horror stories (and I probably messed up on my region labeling) but wow! Loved that bit of folklore!
What I didn’t like: Much like Vol. 2, this will feel like a cop out, but there really isn’t anything I wasn’t a fan of. While Vol. 2 was so strong I had suggested it might’ve made sense to cut it into two releases, Vol. 1 felt perfect in it’s story quantity and the flow was done just right.
So, to be fair to my own reviews, I’ll give the company line of “some stories that I liked may not be the ones other readers like.”
There!
Why you should buy it: Look, I’ve been singing this loud and clear for what? two years now? SUPPORT WOMEN AUTHORS IN THE DARK FICTIONS! These stories were fantastic and there is some theme or narrative that will make each reader go “WOW!”
I absolutely dropped the ball here. I should’ve read this when it came out, but I have now and for those out there who have also missed it – time to fix that.
I would highly recommend you pair Vol 1. with Vol 2. They work so well as a pair and I think seeing as Vol. 2 is arriving in four days now, I can’t imagine we won’t get a Vol. 3.
Kudos again to Kandisha Press for their diligence in putting together two truly amazing anthologies.
What I liked: ‘Under Her Black Wings’ brings a stunning variety of women authors, who all put their soul into creating some truly bleak stories.
The anthology opens with the amazing ‘What You Eat’ by Alys Hobbs. Much like Vol. 2 opened with a fantastically strong story, Vol. 1 uses that story to spring board into tale after tale of blackness and biting scenarios.
‘The Riddled Path’ by Somer Canon creeped me the hell out, ‘Desert Kisses’ by Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason reinforced why the Sisters of Slaughter are a force to be reckoned with (and I still need to get to their long work, sheesh!). In Vol. 2 one of the strongest stories was ‘Love You to Death’ by Yolanda Sfetsos. Here she is, featured in Vol. 1 as well and her story ‘Somewhere to Belong’ once again stands as one of the top dogs. Seriously, give her work a read. Her Short! Sharp! Shocks! release was outstanding as well.
‘Cold Calling’ by Paula R.C. Readman had me completely captivated. Readman also was in Vol. 2 and again – another of the S!S!S! family you should read.
Personally, I think my favorite was Jill Girardi’s. Her story ‘Firstborn’ was not only super intense and emotionally ravaging, but the subject matter was very refreshing. It’s not often we get middle eastern based horror stories (and I probably messed up on my region labeling) but wow! Loved that bit of folklore!
What I didn’t like: Much like Vol. 2, this will feel like a cop out, but there really isn’t anything I wasn’t a fan of. While Vol. 2 was so strong I had suggested it might’ve made sense to cut it into two releases, Vol. 1 felt perfect in it’s story quantity and the flow was done just right.
So, to be fair to my own reviews, I’ll give the company line of “some stories that I liked may not be the ones other readers like.”
There!
Why you should buy it: Look, I’ve been singing this loud and clear for what? two years now? SUPPORT WOMEN AUTHORS IN THE DARK FICTIONS! These stories were fantastic and there is some theme or narrative that will make each reader go “WOW!”
I absolutely dropped the ball here. I should’ve read this when it came out, but I have now and for those out there who have also missed it – time to fix that.
I would highly recommend you pair Vol 1. with Vol 2. They work so well as a pair and I think seeing as Vol. 2 is arriving in four days now, I can’t imagine we won’t get a Vol. 3.
Kudos again to Kandisha Press for their diligence in putting together two truly amazing anthologies.
January 16, 2021
3.5 stars. Full RTC
October 19, 2021
As part of the countdown to Vol. 4 of Kandisha Press' Women of Horror Anthologies DON'T BREAK THE OATH, I'm reading the first three volumes straight through! First up- women monsters!
One of the things I love most about anthologies is variety. Sure there's a common thread, but getting to hear different voices tell stories, give their takes on whatever the theme is...it just never gets old. In UNDER HER BLACK WINGS we get 19 stories written by women from all over the world. These ladies killed it! Or killed her...or him...or them...you get it. Because women monsters. There wasn't a single story I didn't like in here, and at 19 stories, that's no short order. Of course, I liked some more than others, but overall this was strong all around.
Here are a few of my favorites -
THE RIDDLED PATH by Somer Canon: A group of Boy Scouts finds goes on a hike they'll never forget.
SOMEWHERE TO BELONG by Yolanda Sfetsos: A woman decides to visit a playground on a rainy day.
FIRSTBORN by Jill Girardi: I'm not going to say what this is about. I will say the creature in this was creepy as hell.
I love that Kandisha is publishing dark fiction by women, because we all need more of that. And I need this series to not end. The only good thing about me waiting until now to read this volume is that I don't have to wait for the next one. Now excuse me while I go hunt down other work by all of these authors.
One of the things I love most about anthologies is variety. Sure there's a common thread, but getting to hear different voices tell stories, give their takes on whatever the theme is...it just never gets old. In UNDER HER BLACK WINGS we get 19 stories written by women from all over the world. These ladies killed it! Or killed her...or him...or them...you get it. Because women monsters. There wasn't a single story I didn't like in here, and at 19 stories, that's no short order. Of course, I liked some more than others, but overall this was strong all around.
Here are a few of my favorites -
THE RIDDLED PATH by Somer Canon: A group of Boy Scouts finds goes on a hike they'll never forget.
SOMEWHERE TO BELONG by Yolanda Sfetsos: A woman decides to visit a playground on a rainy day.
FIRSTBORN by Jill Girardi: I'm not going to say what this is about. I will say the creature in this was creepy as hell.
I love that Kandisha is publishing dark fiction by women, because we all need more of that. And I need this series to not end. The only good thing about me waiting until now to read this volume is that I don't have to wait for the next one. Now excuse me while I go hunt down other work by all of these authors.
Read
April 17, 2020Kandisha Press put out its first anthology, Under Her Black Wings, in January, 2020, highlighting nineteen short stories by women writing horror. The title reminded me of the similarly-named Danzig song, which suits. Engaging cover art by Corinne Halbert looms like a demonic Little Orphan Annie, pupil-less and all!
International legends involving and written by women, some translated into English, rub shoulders. Demons with seductive faces, shape shifters, a “necromantic” serial killer, and other horrors stalk the pages.
As with any such grouping, some voices resonate more strongly than others. For me, the cornball humor of Somer Canon’s “The Riddle” brought some needed levity to our present Covid-miring experience. Somehow, Stevie Kopas’ twisty tale “The Darkness” felt strangely timely, and I enjoyed the good last line of Sharon Frame Gay’s “Road Rage.” There’s a certain sadness to Yolanda Sfetsos’ “Somewhere to Belong,” and “The Aztec” by Carmen Baca haunts. With such a diverse sampling of voices, readers are sure to find favorites, and one must wonder, when’s Kandisha Press publishing its next anthology?
International legends involving and written by women, some translated into English, rub shoulders. Demons with seductive faces, shape shifters, a “necromantic” serial killer, and other horrors stalk the pages.
As with any such grouping, some voices resonate more strongly than others. For me, the cornball humor of Somer Canon’s “The Riddle” brought some needed levity to our present Covid-miring experience. Somehow, Stevie Kopas’ twisty tale “The Darkness” felt strangely timely, and I enjoyed the good last line of Sharon Frame Gay’s “Road Rage.” There’s a certain sadness to Yolanda Sfetsos’ “Somewhere to Belong,” and “The Aztec” by Carmen Baca haunts. With such a diverse sampling of voices, readers are sure to find favorites, and one must wonder, when’s Kandisha Press publishing its next anthology?
June 21, 2020
Lots of really creepy stories in here from some epic writers!
November 25, 2020
The place where it is the darkest is Under Her Black Wings. High praise to Kandisha Press and Jill Girardi (who compiled all these works—that must’ve been a massive feat) for an excellent collection of horror collaborating with the top names of women writing horror today. All the stories within this collection affected me in different ways (or a combination of the following), whether I was unnerved by the creepy (and many of them had a high creep factor), shocked into open-mouthed wonder by the surprising twists (or double-twists), grossed out by the disgusting or actually scared by the creatures that roamed between these pages. It was such an excellent variety of eclectic horror. Thank you to all the women in the collection for sharing your stories with me. Instead of stars, I’m giving five black feathers on this one pulled straight from her black wings.
WHAT YOU EAT by Alys Hobbs - such a creepy, disgusting, little story. If you could’ve seen my face as I read this one. Great descriptions; I squirmed a little on this one.
THE AZTEC by Carmen Baca - Living life by placing spells on items and people to get what you want can have grave repercussions in the end. Karma’s a bitch. This was such a great story.
THE RIDDLED PATH by Somer Canon This is the one story of the book that scared me the most. Great descriptions of the creature in this one.
DESERT KISSES by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason - High praise for this one. It had a twist (or was that two) that I didn’t see coming. Well-crafted. Very good writing/descriptions. Payback is hell! Always love it when the bad guy gets it in the worst way.
SOMEWHERE TO BELONG by Yolanda Sfetsos - Such a heartbreaking story but one with such a happy and feel-good ending. Enid is exactly where she belongs now.
HEART FOR THE HEARTLESS by Charlotte Monroe - A different take on the Frankenstein tale but oh, so damn great...with even an added twist on the end. Loved this one.
THE DARKNESS by Stevie Kopas - This story flipped me on my head. It made you think one thing but turned out to be something totally different. A very satisfying read. One of my favorites in this collection. Loved it!
SARAH SMILES by Christy Albridge - Obsession is a terrible thing; it can lead to doing terrible things. It can lead you into a bad situation. Wasn’t expecting that ending and neither was Chad. Like Sarah, I was smiling at the end of that story.
GODDESS OF THE LAKE by Malena Salazar Macia - When you least expect it, the tables can be turned on a situation. In this one; it happened extremely fast. So visceral.
ABAGAIL’S ARMY by Sharon Frame Gay, a twisted, little tale about two women and the way they were winning the Civil War.
ROAD RAGE by Sharon Frame Gay was an amazing story of Karma. You might think you know where this story is going, but you really won’t. That was a great piece of writing and oh so creepy.
COLD CALLING by Paula RC Readman - A creatively told story about playing a trick on someone and how the tables can turn on them. A very satisfying read.
UPON ACCEPTANCE by Copper Rose - Sometimes you have to do some dirty work to save the one you love. It was really great that she succeeded but really sucks that it wasn’t in the way she wanted. This had a heart-wrenching ending. I just hurt for the lead in this one.
THE FACELESS WOMAN by Marie Lanza - This one, by far, the creepiest story in this bunch. Sometimes the urban legends are real and can be possessive. This on holds on and won’t let go...literally.
UNPLUGGED by Dawn DeBraal - This was a dark a cleverly-told tale. Events in this story are not always as they seem. Ms. Dawn got me on this story. I approve. So good.
FIRSTBORN by Jill Girardi - A vicious, fast-paced story about a man’s fight against a legendary creature (The Penanggal) to protect his family and lineage. This one was a heavy-hitter.
SADIE by Lynda Prime - A tale where nothing is as it seems for Sadie and the reader...until the end. Couldn’t help but think of the phrase: “me, myself and I”, that Sadie was all three characters. Such a great little, bloody story.
PONTIANAK by Tina Isaacs - A man’s detailed account to his son about his encounter with the Pontianak years ago. Loved the detailed account of exactly what went down. Very unnerving when the true appearance came shining through. Great writing on this story.
WHAT YOU EAT by Alys Hobbs - such a creepy, disgusting, little story. If you could’ve seen my face as I read this one. Great descriptions; I squirmed a little on this one.
THE AZTEC by Carmen Baca - Living life by placing spells on items and people to get what you want can have grave repercussions in the end. Karma’s a bitch. This was such a great story.
THE RIDDLED PATH by Somer Canon This is the one story of the book that scared me the most. Great descriptions of the creature in this one.
DESERT KISSES by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason - High praise for this one. It had a twist (or was that two) that I didn’t see coming. Well-crafted. Very good writing/descriptions. Payback is hell! Always love it when the bad guy gets it in the worst way.
SOMEWHERE TO BELONG by Yolanda Sfetsos - Such a heartbreaking story but one with such a happy and feel-good ending. Enid is exactly where she belongs now.
HEART FOR THE HEARTLESS by Charlotte Monroe - A different take on the Frankenstein tale but oh, so damn great...with even an added twist on the end. Loved this one.
THE DARKNESS by Stevie Kopas - This story flipped me on my head. It made you think one thing but turned out to be something totally different. A very satisfying read. One of my favorites in this collection. Loved it!
SARAH SMILES by Christy Albridge - Obsession is a terrible thing; it can lead to doing terrible things. It can lead you into a bad situation. Wasn’t expecting that ending and neither was Chad. Like Sarah, I was smiling at the end of that story.
GODDESS OF THE LAKE by Malena Salazar Macia - When you least expect it, the tables can be turned on a situation. In this one; it happened extremely fast. So visceral.
ABAGAIL’S ARMY by Sharon Frame Gay, a twisted, little tale about two women and the way they were winning the Civil War.
ROAD RAGE by Sharon Frame Gay was an amazing story of Karma. You might think you know where this story is going, but you really won’t. That was a great piece of writing and oh so creepy.
COLD CALLING by Paula RC Readman - A creatively told story about playing a trick on someone and how the tables can turn on them. A very satisfying read.
UPON ACCEPTANCE by Copper Rose - Sometimes you have to do some dirty work to save the one you love. It was really great that she succeeded but really sucks that it wasn’t in the way she wanted. This had a heart-wrenching ending. I just hurt for the lead in this one.
THE FACELESS WOMAN by Marie Lanza - This one, by far, the creepiest story in this bunch. Sometimes the urban legends are real and can be possessive. This on holds on and won’t let go...literally.
UNPLUGGED by Dawn DeBraal - This was a dark a cleverly-told tale. Events in this story are not always as they seem. Ms. Dawn got me on this story. I approve. So good.
FIRSTBORN by Jill Girardi - A vicious, fast-paced story about a man’s fight against a legendary creature (The Penanggal) to protect his family and lineage. This one was a heavy-hitter.
SADIE by Lynda Prime - A tale where nothing is as it seems for Sadie and the reader...until the end. Couldn’t help but think of the phrase: “me, myself and I”, that Sadie was all three characters. Such a great little, bloody story.
PONTIANAK by Tina Isaacs - A man’s detailed account to his son about his encounter with the Pontianak years ago. Loved the detailed account of exactly what went down. Very unnerving when the true appearance came shining through. Great writing on this story.
June 27, 2020
One of the best compilations of short stories I've read, in quite some time.
February 18, 2020
Strong voices; diverse stories. I particularly enjoyed the multi-cultural aspect of the anthology. The first story, What you Eat, by Alys Hobbs, was an outstanding piece of writing, and one I'll come back to again and again. I loved it so much in fact that I immediately searched for other work by this author and was disappointed to find none. My other personal favorites were The Aztec, by Carmen Baca, Firstborn, by Jill Girardi, and Pontianak, by Tina Isaacs. As with any anthology, there will be some stories which resonate louder than others. Having said that, each and every one of them was an enjoyable read. Well done girls!
Read
July 10, 2022Greatly enjoyed this read, there's a fantastic range of stories to choose from. Whether you're into horror that's steeped in melancholy, or appreciate a joke or two nestled between your suspense, you're going to find something you like.
Some I enjoyed more than others and questioned whether they suited the overall collection and the intended theme, but I suppose that's inevitable with anthologies, they're always going to be a mixed bag in regards to personal preference.
What You Eat, Somewhere To Belong, and Firstborn were my personal highlights, but I did enjoy exploring each piece - looking forward to reading more from this press in the future.
Some I enjoyed more than others and questioned whether they suited the overall collection and the intended theme, but I suppose that's inevitable with anthologies, they're always going to be a mixed bag in regards to personal preference.
What You Eat, Somewhere To Belong, and Firstborn were my personal highlights, but I did enjoy exploring each piece - looking forward to reading more from this press in the future.
March 4, 2020
Loved these stories! Some are scarier than others, but the overall effect is that of talented women doing amazing horror writing. When does Under Her Black Wings 2 come out??? ;-)
September 10, 2021
3/5 Stars
This is the first anthology I've ever read through! I thought it was a nice collection, mostly about female creatures written by female writers. Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of a lot of the stories in this anthology, I felt that I wanted more from a monster story than most of them delivered. I did end up really liking a few of the stories even if there were a good amount that didn't do anything for me. Don't get me wrong because these women are very talented and these are all written very well, it was just more about what suits my fancy. I would recommend this for people who love quick monster reads.
Out of all of the stories in this anthology, here are my Top 5:
1. Firstborn by Jill Girardi
2. What You Eat by Alys Hobbs
3. The Darkness by Stevie Kopas
4. Somewhere To Belong by Yolanda Sfetsos
5. Desert Kisses by Michelle Garza & Melissa Larson
This is the first anthology I've ever read through! I thought it was a nice collection, mostly about female creatures written by female writers. Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of a lot of the stories in this anthology, I felt that I wanted more from a monster story than most of them delivered. I did end up really liking a few of the stories even if there were a good amount that didn't do anything for me. Don't get me wrong because these women are very talented and these are all written very well, it was just more about what suits my fancy. I would recommend this for people who love quick monster reads.
Out of all of the stories in this anthology, here are my Top 5:
1. Firstborn by Jill Girardi
2. What You Eat by Alys Hobbs
3. The Darkness by Stevie Kopas
4. Somewhere To Belong by Yolanda Sfetsos
5. Desert Kisses by Michelle Garza & Melissa Larson
October 26, 2020
"Hey you! Yeah, you! What are you doing walking around the woods alone? Never mind, you’re with me now and I know these woods and I know this ain’t the place to be at nightfall, trust me, but since you’re here let’s talk about what scares you."
The first line few sentences of this Anthology pulled me right in. I was like, yeah, let's talk about that! In this Anthology there are 18 scary tales by female horror writers. The one thing I can say about nearly all of these stories is that the authors did a fantastic job at building the scenery and building dread. Was I ever really terrified, no? But full of dread as I turned the pages, yes. To me, that's just as good as being scared. I give it four starts because I really thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories. I'll talk about three of them below.
"Somewhere to Belong" by Yolanda Sfetsos.
This one was really creepy. It preys on loneliness and while I was reading I at one point said to myself "you're not getting out of this one".
"The Darkness" by Stevie Kopas.
Whaaaat. What what WHAT. That is all I've got for that one.
"Road Rage" - Sharon Frame Gay.
This one had a huge satisfying twist, but the whole story overall made me sad. I mean, I felt quite a few emotions throughout, but the underlying tone was sadness. Won't say why because spoilers, but I have to say I'm a bleeding heart for innocents. It was super suspenseful when you get to the middle and then at the end you're like "YAAAAASSSSS".
The first line few sentences of this Anthology pulled me right in. I was like, yeah, let's talk about that! In this Anthology there are 18 scary tales by female horror writers. The one thing I can say about nearly all of these stories is that the authors did a fantastic job at building the scenery and building dread. Was I ever really terrified, no? But full of dread as I turned the pages, yes. To me, that's just as good as being scared. I give it four starts because I really thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories. I'll talk about three of them below.
"Somewhere to Belong" by Yolanda Sfetsos.
This one was really creepy. It preys on loneliness and while I was reading I at one point said to myself "you're not getting out of this one".
"The Darkness" by Stevie Kopas.
Whaaaat. What what WHAT. That is all I've got for that one.
"Road Rage" - Sharon Frame Gay.
This one had a huge satisfying twist, but the whole story overall made me sad. I mean, I felt quite a few emotions throughout, but the underlying tone was sadness. Won't say why because spoilers, but I have to say I'm a bleeding heart for innocents. It was super suspenseful when you get to the middle and then at the end you're like "YAAAAASSSSS".
December 28, 2020
I enjoyed this anthology. It's a healthy mix of voices from all over the world and it really shows the care the anthologist took to bring them together and the mixing was very well crafted.
My favorites:
Desert Kisses - The Sisters of Slaughter
Heart for The Heartless - Charlotte Munro
Cold Calling - Paula Readman
Sarah Smiles - Christy Aldridge
Sadie - Lydia Prime
Firstborn - Jill Girardi
Really, I found little fault with any story in this anthology.
Well Done!
5-Stars!!
My favorites:
Desert Kisses - The Sisters of Slaughter
Heart for The Heartless - Charlotte Munro
Cold Calling - Paula Readman
Sarah Smiles - Christy Aldridge
Sadie - Lydia Prime
Firstborn - Jill Girardi
Really, I found little fault with any story in this anthology.
Well Done!
5-Stars!!
July 18, 2020
I was excited to have the opportunity to read this, the 2020 Women of Horror Anthology! Nineteen stories by some authors I am familiar with and most being my first chance for reading their works! This holds tales of strange appetites, woman scorned and the revenge they take, monsters both in physical form and monsters of the mind.
As each of us is different, each of these stories will horrify us differently! A couple that stuck with me were:Unplugged by Dawn DeBraal-woman wants to unplug from her former life so she begins to get rid of everyone close to her. The Riddled Path by Somer Canon-boyscout troop comes upon a part beast, part woman during a hike in the mountains, asks riddles of them, wrong answer gets them killed, right answers she allows them to pass. Also Desert Kisses by Sisters of Slaughter, Road Rage by Sharon Frame Gay and The Darkness by Stevie Kopas! This is well worth the read to see which stories push your personnel horror button!
As each of us is different, each of these stories will horrify us differently! A couple that stuck with me were:Unplugged by Dawn DeBraal-woman wants to unplug from her former life so she begins to get rid of everyone close to her. The Riddled Path by Somer Canon-boyscout troop comes upon a part beast, part woman during a hike in the mountains, asks riddles of them, wrong answer gets them killed, right answers she allows them to pass. Also Desert Kisses by Sisters of Slaughter, Road Rage by Sharon Frame Gay and The Darkness by Stevie Kopas! This is well worth the read to see which stories push your personnel horror button!
September 1, 2020
You can read my full review at: https://mediadrome.wordpress.com/2020...
Although there were two stories that didn’t click with me at all, this is overall a pretty solid collection of stories by and about women. Although, as I mentioned above, I think the opportunity to have a quality foreword written by a woman as well was wasted. I am hoping that this will be remedied in Graveyard Smash, which I’m still definitely looking forward to!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
Although there were two stories that didn’t click with me at all, this is overall a pretty solid collection of stories by and about women. Although, as I mentioned above, I think the opportunity to have a quality foreword written by a woman as well was wasted. I am hoping that this will be remedied in Graveyard Smash, which I’m still definitely looking forward to!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
January 28, 2021
An incredible collection of stories from some amazing writers. Heartbreaking, horrifying, and even hilarious at times. The Riddled Path and Sadie were two that really stuck with me!
November 28, 2021
Great stories! Hard to pick one as my favorite and I usually don't have that problem. I definitely recommend this book.
October 20, 2023
I love how diverse the horror field is these days, with an extraordinary depth and richness. For this anthology of stories, the authors were asked to come up with their own interpretations of the theme 'Woman Monsters' and the results, drawing on mythologies from a variety of countries, did not disappoint.
As always with anthologies, readers will need to find those stories that most appeal to them personally. For me, the highlights of this collection were:
THE RIDDLED PATH by Somer Canon - wonderful characterization and a compelling sense of menace, not to mention a dash of dark humour;
DESERT KISSES by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason (The Sisters of Slaughter) - a darkly enjoyable story of a victim denied rest;
HEART FOR THE HEARTLESS by Charlotte Munro - a gracefully unfolding tale that almost teases as it gradually reveals its chilling truth, giving new life to an old favourite;
THE DARKNESS by Stevie Kopas - action-packed, taking a couple of widespread and deep-seated fears and combining them in a novel way;
THE FACELESS WOMAN by Marie Lanza - a genuinely creepy, urban-legend-style ghost story, which I would love to have been a little longer and given a touch more depth to what happens to one of the protagonists. With only 2 characters and a single main location, I reckon this one could make a fantastic and atmospheric short film;
FIRSTBORN by Jill Girardi - features my long-time favourite folkloric entity, but I won't say more than that because I hate spoilers!
My rating is for the collection as a whole, and my particular favourites mentioned above might not match yours but there's only one way for you to find that out!
As always with anthologies, readers will need to find those stories that most appeal to them personally. For me, the highlights of this collection were:
THE RIDDLED PATH by Somer Canon - wonderful characterization and a compelling sense of menace, not to mention a dash of dark humour;
DESERT KISSES by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason (The Sisters of Slaughter) - a darkly enjoyable story of a victim denied rest;
HEART FOR THE HEARTLESS by Charlotte Munro - a gracefully unfolding tale that almost teases as it gradually reveals its chilling truth, giving new life to an old favourite;
THE DARKNESS by Stevie Kopas - action-packed, taking a couple of widespread and deep-seated fears and combining them in a novel way;
THE FACELESS WOMAN by Marie Lanza - a genuinely creepy, urban-legend-style ghost story, which I would love to have been a little longer and given a touch more depth to what happens to one of the protagonists. With only 2 characters and a single main location, I reckon this one could make a fantastic and atmospheric short film;
FIRSTBORN by Jill Girardi - features my long-time favourite folkloric entity, but I won't say more than that because I hate spoilers!
My rating is for the collection as a whole, and my particular favourites mentioned above might not match yours but there's only one way for you to find that out!
July 6, 2020
Under Her Black Wings: 2020 Women of Horror Anthology is an anthology of all female-authored stories (19 of them). The overall quality is quite good, although I found one or two stories that didn’t entirely appeal to me. I also thought it was a little tone-deaf to have a man write the foreword for a book of all women authors, as if someone thought the book wouldn’t stand on its own without at least one guy involved.
The only content warning I have is for some animal harm and some gore. Nothing extreme. I do have a mild objection to the fact that multiple stories identify their bad guys by bad teeth, which is really just another variation on the old “ugly = evil” stereotype that I hate so much. On an entertaining side though, I find it amusing that an anthology written by women has at least two stories for which the moral seems to be “never accept a party invitation from someone who wouldn’t normally give you the time of day.” That seems to be a very female-driven setup.
Alys Hobbs’s “What You Eat” is a bit bizarre. A young woman’s strange new governess keeps pushing food at her.
Carmen Baca’s “The Aztec” is intriguing. Señora Atlacamani Ahuatzi is looking for a particular woman who will suit her needs.
One of my favorite stories in here is “The Riddled Path” by Somer Canon. Mark takes his son’s Boy Scout troop for a hike and encounters a Sphynx. The Sphynx’s riddles are just entirely too much fun! Normally I find riddle stories to be kind of eh, but this one made me laugh out loud.
“Desert Kisses” by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason is a satisfying tale of beyond-the-grave vengeance.
“Somewhere to Belong,” by Yolanda Sfetsos, is a very poignant story. It’s oddly horrifying and yet sort-of weirdly optimistic at the same time. Enid meets a mysterious little girl at the playground who wants to help her shed her loneliness.
Charlotte Munro’s “Heart for the Heartless” is a bizarre story of obsession and life after death. It has some nuance to it, although it’s also a bit “talky.”
Another favorite story is Stevie Kopas’s “The Darkness.” The world has ended in plague and a mysterious Darkness. Lana needs to find food before her starving younger sister Katie dies. It just gets awesome from there.
I didn’t entirely enjoy “Sarah Smiles.” I mean sure, it’s great to see a guy who obsesses over a girl and won’t give up after she breaks up with him get a rather harsh lesson in letting go, but the rest of the story is just sort of… random. It left me with too many unanswered questions.
“Goddess of the Lake” by Malena Salazar Maciá is short but sweet. Morgo decides to use two hapless refugees as bait in order to hunt the Goddess of the Lake. Only things don’t turn out the way he expected.
Sharon Frame Gay’s “Abigail’s Army” introduces us to two sisters during the Civil War trying to maintain their farm. When an injured soldier comes looking for a place to rest and hide, they offer to help him in exchange for his help with their farm. I started out disliking Abigail, and absolutely loved her at the end.
Sharon Frame Gay has a second story in here called “Road Rage.” Chris’s husband is a cheater, and he just died in a car accident. From there things get interesting.
Paula R.C. Readman wrote “Cold Calling,” a story in which Evelina has been roped into helping her boss’s daughter decorate for a Halloween party–and now she’s invited.
Copper Rose’s “Upon Acceptance” is the other story in which a woman receives an unexpected invite to a party with the beautiful people. This story felt a bit glib for its subject.
Maria Lanza’s “The Faceless Woman” involves a couple who are speculating about various urban legends connected to the place where they’re hanging out. The ending is a little abrupt.
Andrea Dawn’s “Kingdom By The Sea” is melancholy and beautiful. Allan is an orphan with a lung disease; there’s little he can do to help out in the whaling town where he lives. Then he meets a gorgeous, exotic woman who lives in the sea. This is a very poignant tale.
I feel like Dawn DeBraal’s “Unplugged” is a great concept with questionable execution. Vivian Markley, former pornstar, becomes good friends with her therapist, Dr. Lauren Fenton. The point of view is slippery; sometimes it slides from one character to another in the middle of a scene, which is very awkward. Also the pacing is odd, with too many short, terse sentences.
Interestingly, there are two stories involving Malaysian mythology. In Jill Girarde’s “Firstborn,” Adi Mansur’s wife Hajar is due to give birth at any time–while Adi has intense erotic dreams about a mysterious young woman. In Tina Isaacs’s “Pontianak,” Corey wants to visit Malaysia–but his father won’t let him go. Finally his dad tells his son the truth about what happened when he visited in his own youth. My only problem with this story is that it’s hard to imagine a father telling his teenaged son a story in this much explicit detail, down to phrases like “her moist core.”
Lydia Prime’s “Sadie” is short but interesting, starting off with a woman having absolutely bizarre nightmares that eventually bleed into reality.
All in all I enjoyed this anthology. It had a few rough spots, but otherwise was entirely worthwhile
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/07/r...
The only content warning I have is for some animal harm and some gore. Nothing extreme. I do have a mild objection to the fact that multiple stories identify their bad guys by bad teeth, which is really just another variation on the old “ugly = evil” stereotype that I hate so much. On an entertaining side though, I find it amusing that an anthology written by women has at least two stories for which the moral seems to be “never accept a party invitation from someone who wouldn’t normally give you the time of day.” That seems to be a very female-driven setup.
Alys Hobbs’s “What You Eat” is a bit bizarre. A young woman’s strange new governess keeps pushing food at her.
Carmen Baca’s “The Aztec” is intriguing. Señora Atlacamani Ahuatzi is looking for a particular woman who will suit her needs.
One of my favorite stories in here is “The Riddled Path” by Somer Canon. Mark takes his son’s Boy Scout troop for a hike and encounters a Sphynx. The Sphynx’s riddles are just entirely too much fun! Normally I find riddle stories to be kind of eh, but this one made me laugh out loud.
“Desert Kisses” by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason is a satisfying tale of beyond-the-grave vengeance.
“Somewhere to Belong,” by Yolanda Sfetsos, is a very poignant story. It’s oddly horrifying and yet sort-of weirdly optimistic at the same time. Enid meets a mysterious little girl at the playground who wants to help her shed her loneliness.
Charlotte Munro’s “Heart for the Heartless” is a bizarre story of obsession and life after death. It has some nuance to it, although it’s also a bit “talky.”
Another favorite story is Stevie Kopas’s “The Darkness.” The world has ended in plague and a mysterious Darkness. Lana needs to find food before her starving younger sister Katie dies. It just gets awesome from there.
I didn’t entirely enjoy “Sarah Smiles.” I mean sure, it’s great to see a guy who obsesses over a girl and won’t give up after she breaks up with him get a rather harsh lesson in letting go, but the rest of the story is just sort of… random. It left me with too many unanswered questions.
“Goddess of the Lake” by Malena Salazar Maciá is short but sweet. Morgo decides to use two hapless refugees as bait in order to hunt the Goddess of the Lake. Only things don’t turn out the way he expected.
Sharon Frame Gay’s “Abigail’s Army” introduces us to two sisters during the Civil War trying to maintain their farm. When an injured soldier comes looking for a place to rest and hide, they offer to help him in exchange for his help with their farm. I started out disliking Abigail, and absolutely loved her at the end.
Sharon Frame Gay has a second story in here called “Road Rage.” Chris’s husband is a cheater, and he just died in a car accident. From there things get interesting.
Paula R.C. Readman wrote “Cold Calling,” a story in which Evelina has been roped into helping her boss’s daughter decorate for a Halloween party–and now she’s invited.
Copper Rose’s “Upon Acceptance” is the other story in which a woman receives an unexpected invite to a party with the beautiful people. This story felt a bit glib for its subject.
Maria Lanza’s “The Faceless Woman” involves a couple who are speculating about various urban legends connected to the place where they’re hanging out. The ending is a little abrupt.
Andrea Dawn’s “Kingdom By The Sea” is melancholy and beautiful. Allan is an orphan with a lung disease; there’s little he can do to help out in the whaling town where he lives. Then he meets a gorgeous, exotic woman who lives in the sea. This is a very poignant tale.
I feel like Dawn DeBraal’s “Unplugged” is a great concept with questionable execution. Vivian Markley, former pornstar, becomes good friends with her therapist, Dr. Lauren Fenton. The point of view is slippery; sometimes it slides from one character to another in the middle of a scene, which is very awkward. Also the pacing is odd, with too many short, terse sentences.
Interestingly, there are two stories involving Malaysian mythology. In Jill Girarde’s “Firstborn,” Adi Mansur’s wife Hajar is due to give birth at any time–while Adi has intense erotic dreams about a mysterious young woman. In Tina Isaacs’s “Pontianak,” Corey wants to visit Malaysia–but his father won’t let him go. Finally his dad tells his son the truth about what happened when he visited in his own youth. My only problem with this story is that it’s hard to imagine a father telling his teenaged son a story in this much explicit detail, down to phrases like “her moist core.”
Lydia Prime’s “Sadie” is short but interesting, starting off with a woman having absolutely bizarre nightmares that eventually bleed into reality.
All in all I enjoyed this anthology. It had a few rough spots, but otherwise was entirely worthwhile
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/07/r...
September 14, 2020
A Great Collection of Horror Stories:
This anthology is a great collection of horror stories written by women authors. I enjoyed some stories more than others, but found nearly all of them to be very well written. My favorites include: one about a boy scout trip, a vengeful ghost, a bloodthirsty village creature, and an apocalypse story.
If you are looking for something to read for Halloween, or just a handful of creepy stories to pass the time, this book will not disappoint you. I am looking forward to reading Volume 2 next!
This anthology is a great collection of horror stories written by women authors. I enjoyed some stories more than others, but found nearly all of them to be very well written. My favorites include: one about a boy scout trip, a vengeful ghost, a bloodthirsty village creature, and an apocalypse story.
If you are looking for something to read for Halloween, or just a handful of creepy stories to pass the time, this book will not disappoint you. I am looking forward to reading Volume 2 next!
February 12, 2022
There were some great stories in this Anthology, some of my favourites are
Desert Kisses - revenge from the grave story
The Darkness - An apocalyptic story of survival of the fittest
Goddess Of The Lake - a fork law tale
Unplugged - a stalker story
Desert Kisses - revenge from the grave story
The Darkness - An apocalyptic story of survival of the fittest
Goddess Of The Lake - a fork law tale
Unplugged - a stalker story
October 11, 2020
An anthology of different writers is always difficult to review... but the 4 stars given talk about my enjoyment of this book by kandisha press. Some stories stayed better in my mind like What You Eat by Alys Hobbs. The Aztec by Carmen Baca. The Riddled Path by Somer Canon was another good one. Desert Kisses was spooky and great. Goddess of the Lake another favourite. Abigayl’s Army was a good one with an unexpected ending that I loved. The Darkness by Stevie Kopas was really great. Loved the spookiness of this one. Firstborn by Jill Girardi was right up my alley. I love Malaysian ghost stories. They’re so creepy. And Pontianak by Tina Isaacs was another great Malaysian horror ghost story. I could probably mention all of the stories in this book as they were all good. But I guess these were my favourites. All in all a great compilation of horror stories and if you’re into horror go get this book. You won’t regret it... though you might have a few sleepless nights.... mwahahaha!
August 24, 2020
A collection of horror short stories. Some goid some bad. Favorite was Unplugged by Dawn DeBraal. Great anthology overall.
February 11, 2021
** 3.14 **
18 cuentos
1- What You Eat
Alys Hobbs ---------------> 3.0
2- The Aztec
Carmen Baca ---------------> 2.5
3- The Riddled Path
Somer Canon ---------------> 3.3
4- Dessert Kisses
Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason ---------------> 3.3
5- Somewhere To Belong
Yolanda Sfetsos ---------------> 3.0
6- Heart For The Heartless
Charlotte Munro ---------------> 3.0
7- The Darkness
Stevie Kopas ---------------> 3.5
8- Sarah Smiles
Christy Aldridge ---------------> 3.3
9- Goddess Of The Lake
Malena Salazar Maciá ---------------> 3.2
10- Abigail's Army
Sharon Frame Gay ---------------> 3.0
11- Road Rage
Sharon Frame Gay ---------------> 3.3
12- Cold Calling
Paula R.C. Readman ---------------> 3.2
13- Upon Acceptance
Copper Rose ---------------> 3.0
14- The Faceless Woman
Marie Lanza ---------------> 3.0
15- Unplugged
Dawn DeBraal ---------------> 3.2
16- Firstborn
Jill Girardi ---------------> 3.5
17- Sadie
Lydia Prime ---------------> 3.0
18- Pontianak
Tina Isaacs ---------------> 3.2
May 24, 2020
A generally uninspired collection with few frights, or thrills.
Most of the writing is serviceable but there is no passion or fire behind these stories.
Most of the writing is serviceable but there is no passion or fire behind these stories.
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