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It Calls From the Sea: An Anthology of Terror On the Deep Blue Sea
Prepare to die. The sea awakens.
Within the Mariana Trench, a research vessel’s crew is threatened by a mysterious force. A father and daughter’s holiday by the ocean turns deadly as a sinister creature stalks them. A group of friends learn that some things should remain in the ocean. Filled with a sense of wonder, a young biologist discovers a new species of kelp, but with disastrous consequences.
It Calls From the Sea is an all-original anthology of twenty brutal tales of horror from the deep blue sea.
Eerie River brings you another round of insatiable horror. There is no end to the terrors we have in store and there is nowhere left to hide. Get comfy, this is going to be a wild ride.
Featuring stories by:
Chris Bannor“Euphoria”, Chris Hewitt “Reef Encounter” Christopher Bond “The Ocean Sings Softly”, Dan Le Fever “Xook” David Green “Into The Depths”, Georgia Cook “Dead Ships”, Holley Cornetto “Heaven's Lake”, Julie Sevens “Shoney's Revenge”, Lin Darrow “Cry of the Hunger Fish”, M.B.Vujacic “Jelly”, Mason Gallaway, “The Sea Reaches Up”
McKenzie Richardson “The Hunter and the Prey”, R. L. Meza “Long Pork”, S.O. Green “The Shadow Over Innsmouth High”, Steve Neal “Hostile Territory”, T. M. Brown “Buoy 21415”, Tim Mendees “Fronds”, Trey Dowell “Abyssal Horror”, Watt Morgan “Please Leave”
Within the Mariana Trench, a research vessel’s crew is threatened by a mysterious force. A father and daughter’s holiday by the ocean turns deadly as a sinister creature stalks them. A group of friends learn that some things should remain in the ocean. Filled with a sense of wonder, a young biologist discovers a new species of kelp, but with disastrous consequences.
It Calls From the Sea is an all-original anthology of twenty brutal tales of horror from the deep blue sea.
Eerie River brings you another round of insatiable horror. There is no end to the terrors we have in store and there is nowhere left to hide. Get comfy, this is going to be a wild ride.
Featuring stories by:
Chris Bannor“Euphoria”, Chris Hewitt “Reef Encounter” Christopher Bond “The Ocean Sings Softly”, Dan Le Fever “Xook” David Green “Into The Depths”, Georgia Cook “Dead Ships”, Holley Cornetto “Heaven's Lake”, Julie Sevens “Shoney's Revenge”, Lin Darrow “Cry of the Hunger Fish”, M.B.Vujacic “Jelly”, Mason Gallaway, “The Sea Reaches Up”
McKenzie Richardson “The Hunter and the Prey”, R. L. Meza “Long Pork”, S.O. Green “The Shadow Over Innsmouth High”, Steve Neal “Hostile Territory”, T. M. Brown “Buoy 21415”, Tim Mendees “Fronds”, Trey Dowell “Abyssal Horror”, Watt Morgan “Please Leave”
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 8, 2021
So, this is totally my fault, but I did not realise these were all horror stories when I started reading; I thought they were different genres, connected by all being about the sea. If I'd known they were all horror, I might not have read them the exact day I was going to the beach for a holiday...
As with all anthologies, there's a variety of skill levels shown here. Some of the stories don't quite explain themselves (was that a time loop near the end?) and several have the same basic idea; something in the Deep calls humans telepathically and forces them into the water. There are a lot of tentacles and beaks, but I guess that's the nature of sea creatures.
My favourite was Dead Ships (even though it's one that doesn't explain exactly what's going on.) The atmosphere, the story of it is brilliant; I'd happily read a whole novel on that setup. There wasn't any story that I didn't like; they were all at least interesting and readable.
Edit: Some days later, I'm still thinking about the jellyfish! Not Dead Ships at all, just the jellyfish. Yuck.
The same publisher has done other collections of short stories and I would be very interested in trying more. I enjoyed this collection very much.
As with all anthologies, there's a variety of skill levels shown here. Some of the stories don't quite explain themselves (was that a time loop near the end?) and several have the same basic idea; something in the Deep calls humans telepathically and forces them into the water. There are a lot of tentacles and beaks, but I guess that's the nature of sea creatures.
My favourite was Dead Ships (even though it's one that doesn't explain exactly what's going on.) The atmosphere, the story of it is brilliant; I'd happily read a whole novel on that setup. There wasn't any story that I didn't like; they were all at least interesting and readable.
Edit: Some days later, I'm still thinking about the jellyfish! Not Dead Ships at all, just the jellyfish. Yuck.
The same publisher has done other collections of short stories and I would be very interested in trying more. I enjoyed this collection very much.
June 11, 2021
“It had mouths. Everywhere.” — ABYSSAL HORROR, Trey Dowell
IT CALLS FROM THE SEA is a delightfully creepy collection of horror tales that run the gamut from mildly thrilling to absolutely freaky and everything in between. Some stories were longer than others, but they’re all the perfect length for when you just want something quick, dirty, and spooky. Each tale is delightfully different from the others, but they all have the common thread of water creatures that tie them together.
This anthology has something for everyone. Like swamp monsters? You’re covered. River monsters? Yup, got those too. Ocean monsters, lake monsters, sharks, kraken, giant squid? If you like it, it’s probably here somewhere, along with several others of unidentifiable variety.
Bottom line — this was a fantastic collection of water monster tales and if I weren’t already terrified of open and deep water, I definitely would be afterwards. 5 glorious tentacles.
*Many thanks to R&R Booktours and the publisher for the review copy.
IT CALLS FROM THE SEA is a delightfully creepy collection of horror tales that run the gamut from mildly thrilling to absolutely freaky and everything in between. Some stories were longer than others, but they’re all the perfect length for when you just want something quick, dirty, and spooky. Each tale is delightfully different from the others, but they all have the common thread of water creatures that tie them together.
This anthology has something for everyone. Like swamp monsters? You’re covered. River monsters? Yup, got those too. Ocean monsters, lake monsters, sharks, kraken, giant squid? If you like it, it’s probably here somewhere, along with several others of unidentifiable variety.
Bottom line — this was a fantastic collection of water monster tales and if I weren’t already terrified of open and deep water, I definitely would be afterwards. 5 glorious tentacles.
*Many thanks to R&R Booktours and the publisher for the review copy.
June 7, 2021
If you’re a fan of horror, you’re not going to want to miss It Calls From The Sea!!! I can’t pick a favorite story from this anthology. Each was unique and packed a real punch.
We are given twenty amazing short stories from twenty incredibly talented authors. Each story touches on themes surrounding water and myths of monsters. I absolutely loved the variety.
I was up late, reading through as many stories as I could before I fell asleep. This is not an anthology you’ll want to put down. Highly recommended!!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
We are given twenty amazing short stories from twenty incredibly talented authors. Each story touches on themes surrounding water and myths of monsters. I absolutely loved the variety.
I was up late, reading through as many stories as I could before I fell asleep. This is not an anthology you’ll want to put down. Highly recommended!!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
August 9, 2021
I'm a fan of Eerie River and their anthologies, ever since the first It Calls from the Forest volume. Every book in this series has been fantastic up until It Calls from the Sea. Admittedly, this collection didn't wow me the way the others did before it. Only seven of the stories scored a 4 or higher in my reading, which is roughly 37% of the available content. That being said, those seven stories are still the equivalent of a novella in word count. Coupled with fantastic design work (this is a beautiful and haunting book in appearance), It Calls from the Sea still surfaces (see what I did there?) as a recommended purchase. Below, I have attached my quick notes on the seven stories that left the biggest impressions on me.
*** Warning: Minor spoilers in the notes that follow! ***
The Ocean Sings Softly by Christopher Bond
This story is as hypnotic as it is dark. The visuals are haunting and the monster is frightening. There's also a cosmic feel to this one.
Fronds by Tim Mendees
Aside from some meh dialogue, this was a really unique and interesting story. Unlike most of these entries, there weren't really monsters to be found here; instead you had growth from an asteroid making things like seaweed and clams more aware and humanoid in their reactions. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and liked how the author used his own pet crab in the story as a lab pet.
Buoy 21415 by T.M. Brown
I found the technical talk really interesting, and the story itself is a weird and cool concept. I've liked this author in previous anthologies, so it might be time to get his novella.
Dead Ships by Georgia Cook
This was short and to the point, which I appreciated. There's an unanswered mystery here, which works well, but I also think I may have liked it more if I got the answer to where the Dead Ships were coming from and why.
Heaven's Lake by Holley Cornetto
Very unique with a terrifying sequence at the lake for the Easter revival, sacrificing the boy as if he was Jesus crucified; freaky stuff.
Long Pork by R. L. Meza
This was mysterious and dark and unsettling. A ship that runs out of food takes on a strange man floating on a raft, kills him, and then eats him. But he's tainted with something monstrous and maddening..
Into the Depths by David Green
The atmosphere is rich with this one. The feeling of isolation and growing madness is palpable, despite a less than stellar ending. The system reset scene brought to mind Jurassic Park, which was a nostalgic win.
*** Warning: Minor spoilers in the notes that follow! ***
The Ocean Sings Softly by Christopher Bond
This story is as hypnotic as it is dark. The visuals are haunting and the monster is frightening. There's also a cosmic feel to this one.
Fronds by Tim Mendees
Aside from some meh dialogue, this was a really unique and interesting story. Unlike most of these entries, there weren't really monsters to be found here; instead you had growth from an asteroid making things like seaweed and clams more aware and humanoid in their reactions. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and liked how the author used his own pet crab in the story as a lab pet.
Buoy 21415 by T.M. Brown
I found the technical talk really interesting, and the story itself is a weird and cool concept. I've liked this author in previous anthologies, so it might be time to get his novella.
Dead Ships by Georgia Cook
This was short and to the point, which I appreciated. There's an unanswered mystery here, which works well, but I also think I may have liked it more if I got the answer to where the Dead Ships were coming from and why.
Heaven's Lake by Holley Cornetto
Very unique with a terrifying sequence at the lake for the Easter revival, sacrificing the boy as if he was Jesus crucified; freaky stuff.
Long Pork by R. L. Meza
This was mysterious and dark and unsettling. A ship that runs out of food takes on a strange man floating on a raft, kills him, and then eats him. But he's tainted with something monstrous and maddening..
Into the Depths by David Green
The atmosphere is rich with this one. The feeling of isolation and growing madness is palpable, despite a less than stellar ending. The system reset scene brought to mind Jurassic Park, which was a nostalgic win.
May 31, 2021
Another strong collection of dark tales from Eerie River. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this collection, though to be honest, I enjoyed their other anthologies more. There are a lot of creepy, well-written stories. However, I think since I grew up near a forest and nowhere near the ocean, collections like It Calls from the Forest affected me more. Even so, all of the authors do an excellent job orienting the reader, whether it be sailing a ship, surfing, or in a submarine.
Normally I select three favourites, but this time I have five I really enjoyed:
Abyssal Horror - Trey Dowell - I love how this one started with the POV of a whale. It's a tense apocalyptic tale that gave me shivers.
The Ocean Sings Softly - Christopher Bond - A story about a woman and her grandchild coming together to face an ancient curse.
Dead Ships - Georgia Cook - Possibly the one that scared me the most. Dead Ships plague a small oceanside town. Their mysterious presence has unsettling implications that the townsfolk have to grapple with.
Heaven's Lake - Holley Cornetto - Russ is drawn back to his hometown and forced to face the source of the childhood trauma that he fled. I love stories about small towns, dark pasts, and confronting them.
Cry of the Hunger Fish - Lin Darrow - My favourite one in the whole book. A woman takes a strange job in a scientific lab. What I enjoyed most about this one was not just the dark, claustrophobia inspired by the lab, but also the pull of the grief that the main character has to face as she battles against madness. Also, some things are just better left in the ocean.
I enjoyed this collection, though to be honest, I enjoyed their other anthologies more. There are a lot of creepy, well-written stories. However, I think since I grew up near a forest and nowhere near the ocean, collections like It Calls from the Forest affected me more. Even so, all of the authors do an excellent job orienting the reader, whether it be sailing a ship, surfing, or in a submarine.
Normally I select three favourites, but this time I have five I really enjoyed:
Abyssal Horror - Trey Dowell - I love how this one started with the POV of a whale. It's a tense apocalyptic tale that gave me shivers.
The Ocean Sings Softly - Christopher Bond - A story about a woman and her grandchild coming together to face an ancient curse.
Dead Ships - Georgia Cook - Possibly the one that scared me the most. Dead Ships plague a small oceanside town. Their mysterious presence has unsettling implications that the townsfolk have to grapple with.
Heaven's Lake - Holley Cornetto - Russ is drawn back to his hometown and forced to face the source of the childhood trauma that he fled. I love stories about small towns, dark pasts, and confronting them.
Cry of the Hunger Fish - Lin Darrow - My favourite one in the whole book. A woman takes a strange job in a scientific lab. What I enjoyed most about this one was not just the dark, claustrophobia inspired by the lab, but also the pull of the grief that the main character has to face as she battles against madness. Also, some things are just better left in the ocean.
June 7, 2021
A fantastic collection of short horror stories. The sea theme led to some excellent, atmospheric stories, and I thought there was a great mix of styles and creative plots. I also discovered some great, new (to me) authors to check out. This was a really entertaining anthology, I highly recommend it.
May 21, 2021
A good mix of underwater tales from the eerie to the down right strange
May 24, 2021
Horror from the deep
Sea creatures from the abyss. Leviathans of rare intelligence. Monsters who will drag you into the deep. The variety in this book is amazing. Each story is well written and some of them are unforgettable and terrifying.
Sea creatures from the abyss. Leviathans of rare intelligence. Monsters who will drag you into the deep. The variety in this book is amazing. Each story is well written and some of them are unforgettable and terrifying.
May 25, 2021
❤💙💦 A great surprise ! 😨😰😱💦
Twenty scary short stories, twenty different talented authors to discover, all on the theme of water, oceans, lakes and rivers, myths and legends, monsters an dangerous beasts, the unexpected and the surprising, a lot of mystery...
An excellent read, scary, surprising !
You will no longer see the water💦, and what is below, in the same way...
A MUST READ that I absolutely recommend ❤
Twenty scary short stories, twenty different talented authors to discover, all on the theme of water, oceans, lakes and rivers, myths and legends, monsters an dangerous beasts, the unexpected and the surprising, a lot of mystery...
An excellent read, scary, surprising !
You will no longer see the water💦, and what is below, in the same way...
A MUST READ that I absolutely recommend ❤
June 8, 2021
It Calls From The Sea is an anthology of 20 stories all drawing on inspiration of the ocean. The stories range from the eerie to the haunting, strange to the scary, and even gory body horror.
The tales are all tied together by the central theme, like the tentacles of a sea creature. I read the book in one sitting, excited to see what next adventure or horror lay within the pages.
Within the collection, there are a huge variety of stories. Here are just some of the threads woven through the anthology.
A panic-stricken and claustrophobic tale on a submarine.
A grandmother faces old demons on Persephone to save her granddaughter.
A scuba diving job unearths ancient evil.
A mother and daughter move to a new town with a unique quirk.
A father and daughter get more than they bargained for during an overnight stay at a fancy underwater apartment.
It Calls From The Sea is a chilling horror anthology full of scares, screams and myriad of grisly creatures that you never want to come across on a swim in the sea.
The tales are all tied together by the central theme, like the tentacles of a sea creature. I read the book in one sitting, excited to see what next adventure or horror lay within the pages.
Within the collection, there are a huge variety of stories. Here are just some of the threads woven through the anthology.
A panic-stricken and claustrophobic tale on a submarine.
A grandmother faces old demons on Persephone to save her granddaughter.
A scuba diving job unearths ancient evil.
A mother and daughter move to a new town with a unique quirk.
A father and daughter get more than they bargained for during an overnight stay at a fancy underwater apartment.
It Calls From The Sea is a chilling horror anthology full of scares, screams and myriad of grisly creatures that you never want to come across on a swim in the sea.
June 4, 2021
It Calls From the Sea holds a collection of stories sure to entertain most readers and fans of the horror genre. A few of them were definitely inspired by Lovecraft. So for those that enjoy stories reminiscent of Cthulhu, they'll be sure to find a story or two to enjoy. Of the collection, there were only a couple stories that I didn't care for. The remainder of them, the majority of them, were entertaining. These creepy eerie stories are well written. I received an ARC. However, the opinions in this review are my own.
May 21, 2021
This hefty anthology is sure to have something to send shivers up your spine. I really enjoyed the wide variety of horrors. An awesome assembly of scares.
July 31, 2021
The greatest of horrors of all, lurk in the sea.
The truly awesome people of Eerie River Publishing sent me 'It Calls From The Sea' anthology and turned my world upside down.
20 lovely, aquatic horror tales, from both new and familiar authors come to haunt your summer nights.
Well written, exceptionally terrifying and deliciously put together with a perfectly designed cover this anthology will make you rethink the next time you step your foot anywhere near the vast water element.
I loved it all. From horrors on claustrophobic submarines to dead ships terrorizing seaside towns; from pirates and mermaids to evil lurking in the Mariana Trench; from family members coming together to fight ancient evil to apocalyptic stories featuring huge whales and terrifying sea creatures; from horrific hunger fish to aquatic alien worms and from hungry ship crews to family holidays gone awfully wrong, this collection of beautifully done aquatic horror packs serious scares.
Oh and tentacles. Huge, menacing tentacles to draw you in and hold you tight on your reading spot.
Even though I enjoyed each and every story, a few stood out that I loved a bit more.
Georgia Cook's 'Dead Ships' : Small seaside town terrorized by ships manned by the dead. Oh what's there not to love? Great writing, creepy scene and an underlying sense of dread throughout this wonderful story.
Holley Cornetto's 'Heaven's Lake' : Dark past, small town, unspicable horror from a body of water. Aquatic horror at its finest.
David Green's 'Into The Depths' : Mariana Trench mysteries and secrets unfold only to unleash unspeakable horrors? One great aquatic horror story. Hooked from the very first sentences by an author that could easily captivate you with his writing even by reading his grocery list.
There is beauty in the Sea, but there are also wonderful mysteries and horrors. Let them unleash through 'It Calls From The Sky' now and you are set for a fantastic read.
Featuring stories by:
Chris Bannor “Euphoria”
Chris Hewitt “Reef Encounter”
Christopher Bond “The Ocean Sings Softly”
Dan Le Fever “Xook”
David Green “Into The Depths”
Georgia Cook “Dead Ships”
Holley Cornetto “Heaven's Lake”
Julie Sevens “Shoney's Revenge”
Lin Darrow “Cry of the Hunger Fish”
M.B.Vujacic “Jelly”
Mason Gallaway “The Sea Reaches Up”
McKenzie Richardson “The Hunter and the Prey”
R. L. Meza “Long Pork”
S.O. Green “The Shadow Over Innsmouth High”
Steve Neal “Hostile Territory”
T. M. Brown “Buoy 21415”
Tim Mendees “Fronds”
Trey Dowell “Abyssal Horror”
Watt Morgan “Please Leave”
Get it at:
https://www.amazon.com/Calls-Sea-Anth...
The truly awesome people of Eerie River Publishing sent me 'It Calls From The Sea' anthology and turned my world upside down.
20 lovely, aquatic horror tales, from both new and familiar authors come to haunt your summer nights.
Well written, exceptionally terrifying and deliciously put together with a perfectly designed cover this anthology will make you rethink the next time you step your foot anywhere near the vast water element.
I loved it all. From horrors on claustrophobic submarines to dead ships terrorizing seaside towns; from pirates and mermaids to evil lurking in the Mariana Trench; from family members coming together to fight ancient evil to apocalyptic stories featuring huge whales and terrifying sea creatures; from horrific hunger fish to aquatic alien worms and from hungry ship crews to family holidays gone awfully wrong, this collection of beautifully done aquatic horror packs serious scares.
Oh and tentacles. Huge, menacing tentacles to draw you in and hold you tight on your reading spot.
Even though I enjoyed each and every story, a few stood out that I loved a bit more.
Georgia Cook's 'Dead Ships' : Small seaside town terrorized by ships manned by the dead. Oh what's there not to love? Great writing, creepy scene and an underlying sense of dread throughout this wonderful story.
Holley Cornetto's 'Heaven's Lake' : Dark past, small town, unspicable horror from a body of water. Aquatic horror at its finest.
David Green's 'Into The Depths' : Mariana Trench mysteries and secrets unfold only to unleash unspeakable horrors? One great aquatic horror story. Hooked from the very first sentences by an author that could easily captivate you with his writing even by reading his grocery list.
There is beauty in the Sea, but there are also wonderful mysteries and horrors. Let them unleash through 'It Calls From The Sky' now and you are set for a fantastic read.
Featuring stories by:
Chris Bannor “Euphoria”
Chris Hewitt “Reef Encounter”
Christopher Bond “The Ocean Sings Softly”
Dan Le Fever “Xook”
David Green “Into The Depths”
Georgia Cook “Dead Ships”
Holley Cornetto “Heaven's Lake”
Julie Sevens “Shoney's Revenge”
Lin Darrow “Cry of the Hunger Fish”
M.B.Vujacic “Jelly”
Mason Gallaway “The Sea Reaches Up”
McKenzie Richardson “The Hunter and the Prey”
R. L. Meza “Long Pork”
S.O. Green “The Shadow Over Innsmouth High”
Steve Neal “Hostile Territory”
T. M. Brown “Buoy 21415”
Tim Mendees “Fronds”
Trey Dowell “Abyssal Horror”
Watt Morgan “Please Leave”
Get it at:
https://www.amazon.com/Calls-Sea-Anth...
June 10, 2021
The days may be getting warmer, but this anthology is sure to chill you to the bone.
Welcome to the tour for It Calls from the Sea, a collection of tales from the high seas by a fantastic group of authors.
This was honestly really fun to read. I’ve long been a fan of deep sea horror, as well as water horror in general. There is something inherently scary about the water.
Right away this anthology series captures my attention, with so many fantastic authors giving their own spin on a multitude of stories that feature the water. The first story, as well as a couple of others, have some great creature horror. The stories range from quick paced, to a bit of a slower and subtle build to the waiting horror. The authors are very descriptive in their story telling, detailing everything and helping to really set the scene for the reader. There were tension filled stories that filled my own heart with pure dread. So many different POV options in this anthology series, and even some great shocking gore in at least one story. Some great twists to keep things interesting with each story presented.
The stories were each very immersive in their own way, each story sucking the reader into its own world of horror. This was truly a tremendous collection of tales to be read and interpreted in various ways. If you are a fan of sea horror, this is an absolute must buy!
(Thanks to Shannon of R&R Book Tours for allowing me a spot on this tour!)
Welcome to the tour for It Calls from the Sea, a collection of tales from the high seas by a fantastic group of authors.
This was honestly really fun to read. I’ve long been a fan of deep sea horror, as well as water horror in general. There is something inherently scary about the water.
Right away this anthology series captures my attention, with so many fantastic authors giving their own spin on a multitude of stories that feature the water. The first story, as well as a couple of others, have some great creature horror. The stories range from quick paced, to a bit of a slower and subtle build to the waiting horror. The authors are very descriptive in their story telling, detailing everything and helping to really set the scene for the reader. There were tension filled stories that filled my own heart with pure dread. So many different POV options in this anthology series, and even some great shocking gore in at least one story. Some great twists to keep things interesting with each story presented.
The stories were each very immersive in their own way, each story sucking the reader into its own world of horror. This was truly a tremendous collection of tales to be read and interpreted in various ways. If you are a fan of sea horror, this is an absolute must buy!
(Thanks to Shannon of R&R Book Tours for allowing me a spot on this tour!)
June 10, 2021
It calls from the sea is a horror short story collection, all featuring the sea or water in some way or form.
What I love about these types of collections is how each author brings their own spin to the theme creating unique and different stories. Honestly, there's not one story in this collection that I thought 'oh this feels the same.'
There's really something for every horror fan, from pulse pounding adventures to twisted fairytale like stories to menacing monsters and a whole lot more.
Of course there were some standouts like Abyssal Horror by Trey Dowell, The Hunter and the prey by McKenzie Richardson, Please Leave by Watt Morgan and Dead Ships by Georgia Cook. Each of those stories really stuck with me after I read them.
I will say beware before you go into the collection it's definitely not for the faint of heart! The plenty of gruesome and gory scenes scattered throughout the stories.
It calls from the sea is a fantastic collection that both horrified and captivated me at the same time.
What I love about these types of collections is how each author brings their own spin to the theme creating unique and different stories. Honestly, there's not one story in this collection that I thought 'oh this feels the same.'
There's really something for every horror fan, from pulse pounding adventures to twisted fairytale like stories to menacing monsters and a whole lot more.
Of course there were some standouts like Abyssal Horror by Trey Dowell, The Hunter and the prey by McKenzie Richardson, Please Leave by Watt Morgan and Dead Ships by Georgia Cook. Each of those stories really stuck with me after I read them.
I will say beware before you go into the collection it's definitely not for the faint of heart! The plenty of gruesome and gory scenes scattered throughout the stories.
It calls from the sea is a fantastic collection that both horrified and captivated me at the same time.
June 10, 2021
It's 90 degrees out, and I've got goose bumps on my arms from the chills running down my spine. This was an absolutely delightful, terrifying, collection. The ocean is already a vast, unknown, mostly unexplored place, but these stories will take you into those mystifying depths. The authors all had unique voices, and each story presented a fresh horror to the reader. Of course, you have the option to pause in between reading each story, but I definitely stayed up until dawn reading story after story. Perfect for horror lovers looking for something new!
August 8, 2021
Fantastic horror anthology!!! I'm truly impressed with the level of talent in each story! And, as a huge ocean nerd, this particular collection of water horrors was truly scary and wonderful.
October 4, 2021
It Calls From the Sea is a new anthology by Eerie River Publishing containing "brutal tales of horror from the deep blue sea". I was excited for this collection, having a personal fear of the oceans—due to my cousin getting wrapped up in a Portuguese Man-O-War when I was very little. That, and let's be honest, growing up in the "Jaws" generation. There's something about not knowing what's in the deep waters underneath your feet that can send shivers up your spine. Or even worse, knowing what actually is! What better to read than a themed collection about one of the things that truly terrifies me.
Containing twenty tales from twenty different authors, this collection of watery horrors has a little something for everyone. There's killer kelp, menacing mermaids, elder gods, family curses, and all things in between. Honestly I'm amazed at the variety of the stories while still keeping with the aquatic theme. Mythology from multiple pantheons, body horror, tales of revenge, and maritime monstrosities all find their way across these pages. These tales are claustrophobic, tense, and oh, so wonderful.
Some standouts in the collection:
"The Ocean Sings Softly" by Christopher Bond - I loved this tale of a grandmother and her horrifying past. A past that is reaching out with cold dead hands to drag her granddaughter down with it.
"Please Leave" by Watt Morgan - The sea gave something back this time, something that should have never drug itself out of the waters of the bay. This one creeps up little by little and had some pretty horrifying imagery that was very effective.
“The Hunter and the Prey” by McKenzie Richardson - When a story starts with " You'd look even prettier if you smiled", I can't wait to see where it leads. The twist at the end of this one was simply marvelous.
"Cry of the Hunger Fish" by Lin Darrow - Talk about a claustrophobic tale. This definitely gave me Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" vibes as the narrator's experience becomes more and more surreal.
"Euphoria" by Chris Banner - I adore stories about Kelpies, those water horses in Scottish folklore that drown their victims. While the author didn't reinvent the wheel, this was the perfect horror version of one of my favorite creatures.
Eerie River Publishing has also put out collections It Calls From the Forest (Vol 1 and Vol. 2) and It Calls From the Sky. Considering this strong collection of works, I will definitely be adding those others to my TBR.
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Containing twenty tales from twenty different authors, this collection of watery horrors has a little something for everyone. There's killer kelp, menacing mermaids, elder gods, family curses, and all things in between. Honestly I'm amazed at the variety of the stories while still keeping with the aquatic theme. Mythology from multiple pantheons, body horror, tales of revenge, and maritime monstrosities all find their way across these pages. These tales are claustrophobic, tense, and oh, so wonderful.
Some standouts in the collection:
"The Ocean Sings Softly" by Christopher Bond - I loved this tale of a grandmother and her horrifying past. A past that is reaching out with cold dead hands to drag her granddaughter down with it.
"Please Leave" by Watt Morgan - The sea gave something back this time, something that should have never drug itself out of the waters of the bay. This one creeps up little by little and had some pretty horrifying imagery that was very effective.
“The Hunter and the Prey” by McKenzie Richardson - When a story starts with " You'd look even prettier if you smiled", I can't wait to see where it leads. The twist at the end of this one was simply marvelous.
"Cry of the Hunger Fish" by Lin Darrow - Talk about a claustrophobic tale. This definitely gave me Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" vibes as the narrator's experience becomes more and more surreal.
"Euphoria" by Chris Banner - I adore stories about Kelpies, those water horses in Scottish folklore that drown their victims. While the author didn't reinvent the wheel, this was the perfect horror version of one of my favorite creatures.
Eerie River Publishing has also put out collections It Calls From the Forest (Vol 1 and Vol. 2) and It Calls From the Sky. Considering this strong collection of works, I will definitely be adding those others to my TBR.
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June 12, 2021
It's so rare that I get to experience an anthology where almost every story's a winner. I enjoyed this book immensely! Here's a brief rundown of the stories in it:
Steve Neal's Hostile Territory
Huge crocs and other sea horrors
Trey Dowell's Abyssal Horror
Sperm whales and other sea beasts
Dan Le Fever's Xook
An ancient civilization that has no intention of being an extinct one
Christopher Bond's The Ocean Sings Softly
Grandma and granddaughter face an old horror
McKenzie Richardson's The Hunter and the Prey
A boy who doesn't understand consent and a girl who teaches him a lesson
Tim Mendees's Fronds
A research mission on a water body, built due to impact by an asteroid, goes very wrong.
T. M. Brown's Buoy 21415
Malfunctioning buoys or something more sinister?
Alanna Robertson-Webb's She Calls from the Sea
A pirate captain and her dark past with mermaids.
Watt Morgan's Please Leave
A husband who cannot grieve over his wife's death since she won't let him!
Georgia Cook's Dead Ships
A sleepy town keeps coming across ships piloted by the dead while the world around them falls silent.
Holley Cornetto's Heaven's Lake
For a lake with such an innocent name, its craving for violence may come as a surprise.
M.B.Vujacic's Jelly
Are there jellyfish in your pool? Tummy? Life? How sure are you?
Lin Darrow's Cry of the Hunger Fish
The Oceanarium houses the weirdest specimen ever to have populated the ocean's floor. All of them agree that the Hunger Fish's the worst.
Chris Bannor's Euphoria
A kelpie in action.
S.O. Green's The Shadow Over Innsmouth High
How far would a mother-daughter team go to fit in?
Chris Hewitt's Reef Encounter
Coral reef orgasm gone wrong.
Julie Sevens's Shoney's Revenge
Marine Alien-like worms.
Mason Gallaway's The Sea Reaches Up
This vacation would have been great for a divorced father and his daughter, except for the coral Hand of Glory.
R. L. Meza's Long Pork
A starving crew on a ship stuck in the middle of nowhere, a captain who's trying to prevent mutiny, and a stowaway boy.
David Green's Into The Depths
The Mariana Trench doesn't want to be explored. Those who ignore its wishes, beware!
August 4, 2021
As with most anthologies, some stories you like better than others, but in this case I'm so into sea based horror stories that all the stories were at least enjoyable.
The title is a little misleading as some of the stories deal with water in general rather than the ocean, but still, this is great collection of horror stories.
If this sounds like something you think you'll like, you probably will.
The title is a little misleading as some of the stories deal with water in general rather than the ocean, but still, this is great collection of horror stories.
If this sounds like something you think you'll like, you probably will.
July 26, 2021
I think this was my favorite one of the "It Calls From" series. Very imaginative and creepy stories. I don't think I'll look at the ocean, river, etc. the same after this book. Great collection of stories from various authors. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!!
May 20, 2021
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
July 30, 2022
What a truly gripping set of stories each has a pull to water and those things that dwell in there. We know so little about the ocean yet we’re drawn to it nonetheless.
My favourites are Fronds, Please leave, the hunter and the prey, jelly and into the depths
My favourites are Fronds, Please leave, the hunter and the prey, jelly and into the depths
July 13, 2022
This was a great anthology. All of the stories had something to do with the ocean or other bodies of water and all of them are horror stories. Naturally an anthology like this has some stories that are better than others but overall they were all interesting and well written stories. Of the lot there were a couple that I especially enjoyed.
Dead Ships by Georgia Cook was eerie, intriguing, and off putting. It's on the shorter side but sticks with you and makes you think about it after it's finished.
Please Leave by Watt Morgan was fantastic. It was bizarre and as you read you aren't quite sure what is happening and by the end you're only slightly sure of what has happened. It made me cringe and wince in disgust at times. It is a surreal, nautical, horror story that really stands out from the rest.
Definitely give this anthology a try. I plan on reading the rest from this series of anthologies soon.
Dead Ships by Georgia Cook was eerie, intriguing, and off putting. It's on the shorter side but sticks with you and makes you think about it after it's finished.
Please Leave by Watt Morgan was fantastic. It was bizarre and as you read you aren't quite sure what is happening and by the end you're only slightly sure of what has happened. It made me cringe and wince in disgust at times. It is a surreal, nautical, horror story that really stands out from the rest.
Definitely give this anthology a try. I plan on reading the rest from this series of anthologies soon.
Read
August 3, 2021Another entertaining horror anthology. My favourite of this collection would have to be Please Leave by Watt Morgan, a deeply unsettling story where the main character finds himself in a situation that reminded me a lot of the novel Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, only somehow even darker. It takes a lot for written horror to get under my skin, but this one certainly did.
A close second would be Dead Ships by Georgia Cook. I love horror stories about isolation, and the way that feeling of unease just grows and grows until the end really stands out.
A close second would be Dead Ships by Georgia Cook. I love horror stories about isolation, and the way that feeling of unease just grows and grows until the end really stands out.
September 22, 2022
As with all anthologies, some of the entries are better than others, but there really are no bad stories here. I think that what makes this superior to most collections is the theme which, while not being entirely nautical, is all about water-focused scares. A few of the stories genuinely creeped me out, with one in particular making me feel deeply uncomfortable, but that’s just what body horror does to me I suppose.
Overall a solid collection, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this series in the future.
Overall a solid collection, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this series in the future.
July 29, 2021
It Calls From The Sea was an interesting anthology but my attention wasn't really captured by many of the stories. My favorite read was Xook because the author did a good job of incorporating the mythology of the sea creatures into the tale. My personal preference for horror is to have more details and a satisfying resolution to I'll stick to full books from now on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2022
If you love the sea
I very much enjoyed these short stories and how they focused on different creatures of the deep, it had a very creepy feel.
I very much enjoyed these short stories and how they focused on different creatures of the deep, it had a very creepy feel.
January 16, 2023
Pretty good. My first read into "It Calls.. " series
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