The Halloween Carnival series is a set of five ebooks, each containing five short stories set on and around October 31st. One volume has been released every Tuesday beginning October 3rd, with the final volume due to be published on Halloween itself. The books all contain stories by different authors so there is a wide range of styles on display; however, I would have liked to see more female authors included (just six of the twenty-five stories are written by women).

The stories cover a range of story types, some involving supernatural forces at play while in others the evil comes from more human sources – between the two, it’s hard to decide which type was the most horrifying. There is a noticeable American bias to the collection, which is understandable, but a few stories do focus on Dia de Los Muertos as well. Oddly, for a Halloween collection, I didn’t find very many of the stories to be particularly scary. Tragedy seemed to be more present than fear, although that sadness was always laced with spooky undertones.

As with any collection, there are hits, and then there are misses. Thankfully, those real misses are few and far between here, with far more good quality stories to be found than their poorer cousins. Personally, I found volumes one and three to be the best of the bunch in terms of overall quality, and volume four the weakest, although there is little to separate them. “The Rage of Achilles” by Kevin Lucia, “La Hacienda De Los Muertos” by Lisa Morton, “Mr. Dark’s Carnival” by Glen Hirshberg, “The Way Lost” by Kelley Armstrong, “When The Leaves Fall” by Paul Melniczek, and, “Swing” by Kevin Quigley were my stand out stories of the bunch.

Each of the five volumes is available on Kindle for just $2.40, so if you’re looking for some cheap chills to read this Halloween you can’t really go wrong.

Mr. Dark's Carnival (Glen Hirshberg)
Not bad for starters, but I thought there were too many story-lines fighting for
attention. However, it got better towards the end. ***

The Facts in the Case of my Sister (Lee Thomas)
My favorite story of this collection. Subtle but all the more chilling. Though I had a hunch where this would go the ending was a mean gut-puncher nonetheless. *****

Mischief Night (Holly Newstein)
Another more subtle story, dramatic and depressing. ***

The Ghost Maker (Del James)
Didn't do anything for me. What was it about? *

The Pumpkin Boy (Al Sarrantonio)
I heard of Orangefield before but haven't read a book in the series yet. This story convinced me to check it out. A rather sweet treat. ****

Just like a Halloween candy bag, you find some outstanding treats among mediocre stuff and maybe something you don't like the taste of. However, I can recommend this second volume for its second and last story.

With Halloween just around the corner this is a perfect read to get you into the Halloween spirit.

MR DARKS CARNIVAL
The best story in this volume. Who doesn’t love a haunted house urban legend...the ending was a bit predictable but that is what made it so great.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER
Not very Halloweenish but it does deal with monsters and it covers one of the worst ones.

MISCHIEF NIGHT
This story follows a group of boys that are up to no good.

THE GHOST MAKER
A mafia related Halloween story

THE PUMPKIN BOY
Detectives, missing children, sinister clowns and a walking talking robotic pumpkin boy. This story was great though I felt like it could have been longer.

This book contains five short stories which all revolve, either loosely or directly, around Halloween. "Mischief Night" is the story of an adolescent boy on Mischief Night, the traditional night before Halloween tricks-bordering-on-vandalism custom. His prank of revenge on his school principal goes horribly wrong, both for himself and an innocent neighbor. "The Facts in the Case of My Sister" switches back and forth between the male narrator's recollections of his childhood obsession with magic and memories of his younger sister, and his present-day vigil at her deathbed. "The Ghost Maker" consists of the narrative of a present-day mob enforcer, going back to his school days of petty crime and vandalism to the night he is coerced into attending a costume Halloween party by the childhood cohort who has guided him in his life of crime. All three of these stories were pretty good, well-written and relatively suspenseful. My two favorites were "Mr. Dark's Carnival" and "The Pumpkin Boy". "Mr. Dark's Carnival" is told by a college professor whose lectures on a mythic carnival in the town are a drawing point to his classes. The legend is that entry to this carnival is by invitation only, and what happens when he receives an invitation is truly bizarre and surreal. "The Pumpkin Boy" begins with a five-year-old boy seeing what appears to be a life-sized pumpkin boy walking through the pumpkin field next to his house. The little boy knows he's not supposed to leave the house, but he can't resist his curiosity and runs out to follow the creature. The story switches back and forth between his search and its results, to two police officers investigating his disappearance. This story involves a child predator, other missing children and the height of bizarre science. There are several twists toward the end and this is the kind of story that stays with you for a while. All in all, I really enjoyed this collection and two of the stories were top quality.
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With Halloween right around the corner, let's get right into this collection.

Mr. Dark's Carnival - Glen Hirshberg

A Montana ghost story thats got some nice creepiness. David is a college professor that teaches a class that explores folklore and his favorite part of the course is the folk tale of Mr. Dark's Carnival. For many years, it has been rumored that the mysterious carnival pops up in a rural setting and only a few select people get chosen to attend. David has never met anyone that has personally been to the carnival and doesn't believe it truly exists until he gets his ticket. A great ghost story that has a murky ending.

4 out of 5 stars


The Facts in the Case of My Sister - Lee Thomas

David's estranged sister, Joyce, is in the hospital from an "accident". The prognosis isn't good and David has doubts that her injuries were from an accident. When Joyce and he were kids, David taught himself how to do magic tricks from a book he got. Joyce was always his willing audience and participant. Now, David pulls out a trick from his past to learn what really happened to Joyce.

4 out of 5 stars


Mischief Night - Holly Newstein

Willard had a good life, a loving family and wife, and looked forward to his retirement. He was never a drinker after growing up with a nasty old drunk for a father. In what seemed like a harmless way to celebrate his retirement, the bottle grabs ahold of Willard and doesn't let go. On Mischief Night, Willard meets a troubled teen that stumbles into his basement. Can one man's bad decisions help alter the path the youngster is headed down?

4 out of 5 stars


The Ghost Maker - Del James

Halloween has it's own set of scares when you're a mob hit man. You have to be on your toes, even if you're the grim reaper. Great voice that makes for a fun read.

5 out of 5 stars


The Pumpkin Boy - Al Sarrantonio

Jody is a latchkey kid for half an hour every afternoon until his mom gets home. He knows he's not supposed to be outside and he follows that rule. Until, one day, he sees the Pumpkin Boy walking past his window and he can't believe his eyes. For police detective, Len Schneider, Jody's disappearance is bringing back old, haunted memories that he's been trying to lock away for 18 years. What started out as a promising novella, fell flat for me with the ending.

3 out of 5 stars


Overall, a nice little collection with mostly hits than misses. Well worth the time.

4 out of 5 stars

This has got to be one of my favorite anthology books I have read, regardless of genre. Though horror just happens to be my favorite. Usually, there is bound to be a dud in the group, but every single story is a standout. My favorite is the first story- I could literally fear the anxious fear of the characters and it surprised me as well. Good stuff.

Halloween Carnival Volume 2 has two novellas, one from Glen Hirschberg and Al Sarrantonio. Both stories are a great reason to read this edition. Both Mr. Dark's Carnival and The Pumpkin Bot are worth reading. Sometimes a story really is worth reading more than once and these fit that need. Mischief Night felt out of place, it wasn't really a horror story. There are some good thrills and chills in this book and an overall fun experience.

In this volume you will find five delightful stories that are for Halloween. They are erie tales. Each story reminds me of the stories written when I was young. I enjoyed reading all the stories. I don't want to give anything away so I'm not giving a description of each story.

The stories are well written. I like to read one each night so I can savor it. Read these or miss out!

Good atmospheric pieces that are spooky without being overly frightening. They work well together. Very enjoyable.

Thanks once again to Brian James Freeman and Hydra for allowing me the opportunity to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in a five volume set of anthologies – all revolving around Halloween. I can tell that these are probably going to be an annual read at this time of year; or at least select stories will be. While this volume was good, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one.

Mr. Dark's Carnival by Glen Hirshberg – This started out a little weird. As you read it, you’re not quite sure what is going on. You come to find out that there’s an “Urban Legend” about a haunted house that pops up on Halloween. Is it real? This one was creepy, suspenseful, and well-paced. It could have been my favorite of the lot, but I wasn’t sure of the ending.

The Facts in the Case of My Sister by Lee Thomas – Now this one was my favorite. A young boy dabbles in hypnosis and tries to help his sister overcome her fear of monsters. But monsters come in all shapes and sizes, and fearing them may save your life.

Mischief Night by Holly Newstein – Be careful playing harmless pranks, they may have dire consequences. Not really a scary tale, but a cautionary one.

The Ghost Maker by Del James – Not sure how I feel about this one. It’s a crime drama that takes place at Halloween. A hitman realizes that the knock on the door may be something other than a kid looking for candy. Again, the ending didn’t have the punch that the story should have had.

The Pumpkin Boy by Al Sarrantonio – I liked the story, and I liked the concept, but the writing was a little disjointed and off for me. A detective is assigned to a missing child case and is haunted by a previous one. The ending was a bit of a shock, and leaves a lot to the reader’s imagination as to what happened.

Again, not nearly as strong as the first volume, but still worth the read.

Halloween brings all our demons to the fore. It is a time to suspend disbelief and don that witch hat or ghost sheet and roam the night looking for the chills associated with meeting up with the dead. Making children shriek with delightful fear is a pastime in which some indulge. Others do mischief to their neighbors. It is a time to indulge your greatest fears.

In the lead up to Halloween this year, Brian James Freeman is setting several anthologies out into the wilds of readers' imaginations to make their skin crawl a little and the need to sleep with a light on just that much more appealing.

Buckle up and enjoy (is that the right sentiment?) the second volume of HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Here is a longish tale of search and denial in the realm of possibilities. Fact or folklore? It's up to you to decide. (4-stars)

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
Halloween is the time for monsters and magic, but what about the other 364 days and nights in the year? We tell our children that monsters don't exist and hope that nothing ever proves us wrong. (5 stars)
 
MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Seventh grade boys will be boys, or something like that. Put seventh grade boys onto a night made for vengeful pranks and you have a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, those boys do grow up. (5 stars)
 
THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
Bada bing, bada boom… a bit of noir for a change of pace. (4 stars)
 
THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
Here is scary Halloween as seen through the eyes of a child. Sometimes, you just need to believe what they say no matter how much you might want to resist. If you have children, you know your greatest fear. (5-stars)

Brian James Freeman continues to set loose a handful of authors to explore some Halloween horrors in Halloween Carnival Volume 2. As with the prior volume, there are five authors with five stories, all centered around the best holiday on the calendar, although some of these tales are more strongly pumpkin spiced than others...

MR. DARK'S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Hirshberg kicks off the volume with a wonderfully written short story filled with the rich lore of Mr. Dark's Carnival, as presented to us via a college historian who lives for Halloween. His favorite holiday, unfortunately, is tainted by the sudden suicide of a former PhD student who had previously been collaborating with him. I loved Hirshberg's prose, but couldn't completely buy into the twist ending and abrupt finish to this one.
4/5 stars

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
Halloween lingers deeply in the background of Thomas's short story, and the only ghouls to be found here are of the awful human variety. While it lacked that certain Halloweenish flavor, the story itself is damn good and involves a brother reminiscing about better times while his sister lays in her death bed. Although they've had a severe falling out and hadn't spoken to each out in years, he may be responsible for her current state of affairs, even if unknowingly. I dug this little powerhouse of a short story.
4/5 stars

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
After two solid shorts, I guess it was time for this anthology to slow down a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't find Newstein's story to be anything special. While it's not bad, it's not wonderful either and it felt fairly contrived. It’s set on the night before Halloween, and involves an inadvertent home invasion after a prank-playing kid seeks shelter. It’s kinda bland, and like the prior story, with its lack of overt supernatural influences, it just doesn’t scream Halloween to me...
3/5 stars

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
A low-life hitman gets invited to a Halloween party and frets about his costume. That’s seriously it, and it takes a long time before we even get to that part--long enough that I had to double-check and make sure I had opened the right Kindle book and was still reading a Halloween anthology. While there's some good one-liners, the story is instantly forgettable and the Halloween aspect feels like a poorly tacked-on afterthought.
1/5 stars

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
After several stories disappointingly lacking in the Halloween spirit, Sarrantonio makes up for it in spades with his pumpkin-headed boy Frankenstein. There's kidnappings, a possible serial killer on the loose, urban legends, Halloween carnivals, and a nifty little culprit behind all these shenanigans affecting Orangefield. Thank goodness somebody remembered to bring the Halloween spirit with them!
4/5 stars

While this second entry in the Carnival series is significantly weaker than the prior installment, there's at least a few saving graces. My main complaint is that I just didn't get a strong enough sense of Halloween throughout, and some of the authors do little more than pay meagre lip service to the holiday.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

The cover of Halloween Carnival book 2 really made me interested and then the synopsis had me requesting it from NetGalley. Now we are in October, I fancied some Halloween reads, and thought Halloween Carnival was just the thing I was looking for.

Not one for too much violence in stories or blood-and-guts gore, I devoured the stories in this book (5 in all) as my iPad read them out to me. Exciting and good pace from start to finish. The book had suspense and spooky moments as well as parts where I felt for the characters. All this kept me absorbed in the stories.

Thanks to Glen Hirshberg and Random House for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm looking forward to seeing what the other books are like, and I'd recommend this one.

Here we go with the second in the series, and it was definitely a step-up from the first. Yet again I averaged out all of my ratings for each story, and the book as a whole came to 3.2 stars (.6 stars more than the last one, which trust me, is a decent amount in my opinion). Most of the stories in this one were enjoyable, and it followed in the footsteps of its predecessor by bringing the book to a close with the best story of the bunch. In fact, the final story in this one, The Pumpkin Boy by Al Sarrantonio, was the best story in this series so far.

The breakdown of each story’s rating is as follows:

Mr. Dark’s Carnival by Glen Hirshberg (3 stars)
Mr. Dark’s Carnival is a large part of local lore on Halloween night. What is Mr. Dark’s Carnival? Well, we don’t really know, and even when you do discover the mystery behind the Carnival you’re left wondering. So much is led up to in this one, and so little is really revealed. While this is one of the longer stories in the book, and the writing is pretty good with a spooky atmosphere, it never quite delivers. Much is implied for us to figure out for ourselves, but I feel like more should have been bluntly stated. The idea here is a good one, that alone warranting the 3 stars, but it’s never fully realized.

The Facts in the Case of My Sister by Lee Thomas (3.5 Stars)
David’s sister is dying, and a trip through David’s childhood memories may lead to the reason why. The writing near the beginning of this one was a bit scattered, and I figured out a while before the end what the “twist” would be, but it was a great story nonetheless. The best in the anthology? No. But still very worth the read.

Mischief Night by Holly Newstein (2.5 Stars)
An old drunk and a mischievous boy converge on Halloween night. Oh, this atta be good. Here is another case of “doesn’t-quite-deliver”. The writing was good, but the story itself? I feel so much more could have been done with this one instead, it feels like the author needed to write something that fit the anthology and couldn’t come up with a real plot. So we’re left with a well-written yet forgettable story.

The Ghost Maker by Del James (2 Stars)
An assassin who hates Halloween... yeah, not much more worth telling in this one. Even though this is the second to last story of the bunch, I literally forgot what it was about by the end of the book. I had to go back to the book’s blurb in order to remember. We’re told the main character’s life story, and how he came to lead a life of crime, but it probably would have been a more interesting tale if expanded upon. I would have liked to experience things with him rather than just be told what happened. Another issue I had was with characters that were offhandedly given names and only mentioned once then quickly forgotten. Him not liking Halloween felt thrown in, maybe because they needed another mention of Halloween to make the story fit the anthology. And the ending, while you may have seen it coming it was abrupt, and you’re never given a reason for it, making the rest of the story feel pointless. “The Ghost Maker” is probably my least favorite of this book, even so, I could see someone out there liking it.

The Pumpkin Boy by Al Sarrantonio (5 Stars)
A young boy follows a strange pumpkin figure into the woods, and he never returns. Detective Schneider tries to figure out what happened, but he’s haunted by a past case, and it may cause him to mess up all over again. This one is just plain fantastic. Well thought out plot, believable characters, great writing, and it has the consistently mysterious and spooky atmosphere you’re looking for in a Halloween story. You don’t want to miss out on this one, I promise. It takes up a good amount of space in the book too, which I was perfectly happy with.

The only stellar story to be had here was the last, but I wouldn’t have been entirely disappointed if I had paid for this anthology. Even though there were one or two worthwhile reads in the first book, I would have much rather skipped right to this one.

**This book was given to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Editor's note: This review first appeared on the Mountain Time (Boone, NC) website on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017: http://www.wataugademocrat.com/mountaintimes/horror-writing-for-the-mind-brian-james-freeman-s-halloween/article_d8689f00-81fd-590c-aad9-e1ae44571894.html

Horror writing for the mind: Brian James Freeman's 'Halloween Carnival' series offers weekly dose of terror

By Tom Mayer
tom.mayer@mountaintimes.com

We join our heroes and villains in media res. Sort of.

Not sort of because we are short of heroes or villains — there are plenty of each in Brian James Freeman’s well-edited five-volume “Halloween Carnival” (Hydra) anthology series — but because the volumes are publishing as an e-book one per week on the five Tuesdays of October. Currently, we are on Volume 2, with Volume 3 following on Oct. 17, Volume 4 on Oct. 24 and the whole thing smartly culminating with the Oct. 31, Halloween release of Volume 5.

Not to worry. Since the series is e-reader only with each volume composed of stand-alone short stories of the horror variety, it’s an easy matter, and fairly inexpensive at $2.99 each, to quickly catch up at your favorite online platform.

Which, after reading any volume in the queue, is what you’ll want to do.

Volume 2 is where I picked up the series, and was hooked by the end of Glen Hirshberg’s “Mr. Dark’s Carnival,” an eerie tale reminiscent of the best horror writing from a generation ago. Well-written with the type of competency that appear effortless, Hirshberg offers the "I watched Tricia trot out the string of studiously whitened teeth like a row of groomed show horses” throwaway metaphor that seems so easy we all could do it.

But we can’t, and neither can most authors, at least not to the level of mastery in these five volumes.

From the likes of Hirshberg’s wonderfully dark tale and the even more wonderfully unsettling Al Sarantonio’s “The Pumpkin Boy” in Volume 2, to those authors you’ll look forward to in other volumes, including Richard Chizmar, Lisa Tuttle and Peter Straub, these are some of the best horror stories you’ve never read, and some of the best you may have — most stories are of 2017 origin, with a few, such as Hirshberg’s and Sarrantonio’s, having an earlier copyright.

Yet, every tale reads like it was written as an homage to the Golden Age of terror. Can a horror story be both character and plot driven, both contemporary and generational? The best can, and there are many fine examples in these volumes.

Freeman, an author, publisher and editor who sold his first short story at 14 and first novel at 24, has collaborated with many of the authors you’ll find in these pages. He’s in great editor mode here, producing enough chilling tales in just the right weekly bytes to take you from now to Halloween.

I received Halloween Carnival Vol 2 in exchange for an honest review


It's hard to keep momentum going throughout an anthology series especially if the theme is Halloween. I liked this one better than the first volume because the stories here were a bit darker, and didn't start out wanting to depress you. I like where the series is going and each story presents you with something different. What I'm finding is that these stories aren't about the scares, but the atmosphere. These stories embody the dark, almost foreboding atmosphere of what the holiday is about.

It does stumble a bit, but still, it's not a terrible read and shows a great deal of promise. These five stories are meant to be read in a dark room, or told around a bonfire. It reminds me a lot of the anthologies I read in the eighties. It all about finding a new author, and exposing myself to stuff I probably would never find on my own. Vol 2 of the Halloween Carnival is shaping up to be an interesting series and Hydra really knows how to put together a solid anthology series.

The best stories here are the first three. They each offer something unique, and keep your eyes glued to the page. The remaining stories aren't terrible by any means, but when you have three strong stories open your book, it's hard to keep the momentum going. For fans of horror this is a series you should definitely be checking out.

It had moments I really liked, but fell a bit short for me personally compared to the first volume. I will still most likely continue, because I love having spooky short stories to read leading up to Halloween. The first story was the longest and slow to get moving, but ended up being my favorite in the book. The stories are clever and well written, but didn't spook me as much as the first volume which falls to personal taste. A couple of them were more unnerving cautionary tales than scary stories.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

The second offering from in this series keeps the chills and scares coming. With this lineup how can you go wrong? I enjoyed this with my Jack-O-Lantern burning by my side.

This is the second in a series of anthologies being released in the run up to Halloween, and is a collection of five short stories with some spook factor.
First up is Mr Dark's Carnival by Glen Hirshberg, a story about a legendary horror show where the reality is darker than any show.
Next up is The Facts in the Case of My Sister by Lee Thomas, a truly dark and disturbing tale of monsters and men, and probably my favourite in the collection.
Mischief Night by Holly Newstein is the story of a prank that goes wrong with some gruesome consequence.
The Ghost Maker by Del James feels a little out of place, its less of a horror story , but still an interesting tale.
Al Sarrantonio brings the collection to a close with The Pumpkin Boy, a tale that blends technology and terror to great effect.
Overall a strong collection of interesting stories, perfect to dip in and out of at this time of year.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
A College professor teaching about the local Urban Legend Mr. Dark's Carnival. He's obsessed with finding the real one of it exists or it is just that an urban legend. But that night he receives tickets to the carnival, will he finally be proven wrong or is this just another frat boy prank.

This is one of those that can leave you feeling "WTF" sometimes it a good feeling and sometimes bad in my case with this book it left me indifferent. It was creepy and I love the lore he put into it but the ending just fell flat. So many unanswered questions.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
When a young boy tries to help his sister get over her fear of monster with hypnosis he taught himself. What he doesn't realize is what he opens her up to not until years later.

It's all in the wording. This was creepy and it was good but I don't know if it belonged.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
"Cabbage Night, Goose Night, Devil’s Night—they’re all the same. Before the treats come the tricks. It’s all in good fun . . . until someone gets hurt." blurb

In all honesty, I did not remember this one. I could not remember what it was about. When I looked back in the book I thought "oh yeah, that one" I was left very underwhelmed with this one.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
Hit man for the mob on Halloween, talking.

I'm not much one for mob type stories. It was interesting but not very memorable.

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
A young boy gets lured out of his house by a pumpkin boy. Police detective becomes obsessed trying to find the boy. Detective Len Schneider is trying to make up for the past, a serial killer was caught but not before he murdered his last victim a young boy. The young boy's mother sees a animatronic pumpkin boy speaking with her son's voice. Soon after another young boy goes missing.

This is what I like. Cops with baggage, missing kids, possible serial killer on the loose, creepy af. Best one in the anthology.