I received a copy of Halloween Carnival in exchange for an honest review


Wow, volume 3 already, and I have to say as a reviewer, and a fan of horror, this is one series of anthologies that shows no signs of slowing down at all. If you're a fan of either of those things, well, this is one series that delivers. These are short, easy reads with the theme being Halloween. I had planned on reading the entire series before Halloween but I fell behind, so here we are at the beginning of November and I have two books left. As a series, I love the idea behind it, and I love that a lot of these stories aren't built on gore, or even typical horror that we've all come to expect. As a horror fan, I like that it's trying something unique and putting out stories with a true sense of purpose. Even if you're not a big fan of horror, there's still something here to draw you in.

I will even go out on a limb and say that each volume captures the spirit of Halloween perfectly. There are five stories here, and there's not a clunker in the bunch. For me the best stories here are The Way Lost, and the last three stories. These are the reason to buy this, but in reality, you should buy the first three anyway because it's chock full of classic horror that relies more on mood than blood, and violence. The book is short enough to knock out on a Saturday afternoon, or if you're brave enough, right before you go to sleep. The folks of Hydra have done a great job so far, and have given me a bunch of new authors to check out. Now onto Volume 4....

Frightfully good!

A creepy collection of Halloween stories to get you into the spirit of the spooky season! Each of these 5 stories brings the BOO! from a different point of view. After reading the offerings of these authors, you might want to leave the lights ON when you go to bed!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story collection through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

A++++
I loved this grouping of stories!!! Really great way to get in the Halloween mood!! Although I enjoyed every one of these, my favourite would probably fall to either to “The Devils Due” or “The Last Night in October.” “The Devils Due” had a feel of a Halloween Krampus and was just fabulous. “The Last Night in October” was just creepy and a perfect choice to end the collection.
Pure fun. Highly recommended.

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.

Funny, but I had to read this anthology twice. For the life of me, I couldn't recall a dang thing about it. Sometimes that happens. But, as they say, second times a charm!
Kelley Armstrong-The way lost. This shorty was dang good, and best of all it had one of those endings where "for me" I had to go back and see if I had missed anything. Pay attention, because it's gooooooood! I've heard much of this author, but after this story I bought a book of hers, and I can't wait to read it!
Kate Maruyam-La calavera dia da los muertas. Good, scary and sad.
Michael McBride-The devil's due. I almost always look forward to anything by McBride. This was a good one. Heck ya, I'd sacrifice a complicit town to save my family!
Taylor Grant-A thousand rooms of darkness. The ending creeps up on you! Oh, surprise!
Greg Chapman-The last night of October. It's a good one. I've read it before, and I know Greg can do much better.
My thanks to Hydra/Random House and Netgalley for letting me read and review.

I just finished reading Halloween Carnival Volume 3 by Kelley Armstrong, Kate Maruyama, Michael McBride, Taylor Grant. I recommend adding this title to your must read list, especially those who love to read this genre around Halloween time. The stories are just the right size to read when you don't have time to commit to reading an entire book....

⚠️ WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD! ⚠️

🎃 Horrificent Halloween Book! 🎃

N.B. Horrificent is totally a word (at least it is in my world and it's my review so you're in my world now whether you like it or not) and should be imagined as a unique blend of horrific and magnificent.

Halloween Carnival Volume 3 is the third of five volumes of short stories being released in time for Halloween. While I promise you I know how to count I didn't feel like reading something the length of a novella when I started Volume 2 and then got sucked into these stories.

The Way Lost by Kelley Armstrong - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved this story. It was short but grabbed me from the first sentence - "Every Halloween, one child in Franklin lost his way and never came home." Children in Franklin know not to go near the forest on Halloween night. Dale, however, can't help himself. He watches at the edge of the forest, hoping to solve the mystery of how Franklin's children lose their way, a mystery no one talks about. The creepy atmosphere in this story and the enticing dread had me wanting to sit by the edge of the forest to dare myself to uncover what was really happening to the children of this town. I need to read more by this author!


La Calavera by Kate Maruyama - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trish works hard on her calavera for this year's Día de los Muertos Festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. She attended each year with her roommate of five years, Jasmine (pronounced Yasmeen). On the day of the Festival Trish receives a phone call at work from Hector, who is supposed to still be in jail. This is a tale of binge-watching, waffles, family, obsession and letting go. I worked out how this story was going to play out fairly early but I still really enjoyed it.


The Devil's Due by Michael McBride - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Building the initial dread into full blown panic and then hovering around desperation for the rest of the story, this one blew me away. Taking place in Pine Springs, Colorado, this town was founded in 1867 and has a long history of prosperity. Huddled in their ranch on the evening of 30 October, Thom and Tammy silently wait, hoping against hope that this isn't their year. Their daughter and son are asleep upstairs, unaware of the danger that infiltrates their postcard perfect community this night every year. This year there's a bloody handprint on the Martin's door and soon the mayor and chief of police will be coming to collect Thom so he can do his duty. I'm going to be checking out this author's other work for sure.


A Thousand Rooms of Darkness by Taylor Grant - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trigger Warnings for content related to mental illness and suicide.

Anne has phasmophobia (fear of ghosts) and samhainophobia (fear of Halloween), and with good reason. Panic attacks and phobias have contributed to the breakdown of Anne's previous relationships so she is understandably terrified of telling the new love of her life, Evan, of her crippling fears. But this year her haunting starts early. I enjoyed the buildup to Halloween and the increased fear Anne faces. I loved the initial twist but the final wrap up felt a tad rushed.


The Last Night of October by Greg Chapman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gerald sits in his wheelchair, oxygen mask affixed trying to deliver its breath to his emphysema affected lungs, watching the front door. He keeps watch every Halloween night until dawn, waiting for it to come. It comes every Halloween without fail. This Halloween Gerald can't avoid it. This novella started with such promise but I found a key component of the story implausible. It jarred me out of the lovely flow I was in and I never got my momentum back.

If you haven't read this story, please don't view the spoiler as it will wreck the mystery of the story for you.

⚠️While I had no problems with the crossroads and what the boys found there I didn't believe that Martha could so easily convince Gerald to kill his friend. They were best friends and yes, I understand they were kids and terrified, but even if that was always going to be the outcome I would have expected a longer exchange between the three characters before the murder occurred. ⚠️


My favourites in this collection were The Way Lost and The Devil's Due. I think The Devil's Due may have won in the photo finish but both stories had me taking note of who wrote them so I can explore their work further.

The overall theme that runs through these stories is that things are not always what they seem and while I'd expect this in Halloween tales, there's bloodshed in each of them. While I've only read two of the five volumes so far I much preferred this one overall than Volume 1. I loved that even after working out that all of these stories had elements where things were not as they seemed, there were still some where I didn't pick up on the twist until after it happened.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

Kelley Armstrong, Kate Maruyama, Michael McBride, Taylor Grant, and Greg Chapman unleash the unsettled spirits of the past in five frightening stories collected by celebrated editor, author, and horror guru Brian James Freeman.

Creepier than the last book, there's something in here for almost everyone. Whether you like your stories supernatural or not, gory or not graphic at all. They're all dark but different. One or two even has a lesson in there somewhere. I enjoyed some more than others, but appreciated each of the five stories. These are great books for quick spooky reads in October.

The Way Lost
One kid in Franklin disappears every Halloween night. It's expected. It's normal. They are seen near the woods before they disappear forever. You'd think that would make young Dale stay away from those trees...
My thoughts: Might be my favorite in the book. Quick and unnerving, just what I was looking for.

La Calavera
Two friends always visit the Hollywood Cemetery for Dia De Los Muertos. Trish was always so happy that Jasmine included her in her family's tradition... but what is she to do now that Jasmine is gone?
My thoughts: Dark and creepy, very unique.

The Devil's Due
The town of Pine Springs in Colorado has been prosperous for a long time, untouched by the economic problems other cities have been plagued by. They're not getting that for free. Now it's time for Thom to make a sacrifice... but now that it's personal, he's not so sure.
My thoughts: Slow creep. Kinda disliked the main character, but that made it interesting. Watch for the lesson to be learned...

A Thousand Rooms of Darkness
Anne's fear of Halloween started long ago. She's seen so much death in her life... always on the last day of October. One day, it will be her turn.
My thoughts: Super strong start, the crazy ending lost me a little. It did manage to surprise me, though.

The Last Night of October
Gerald has been haunted by Halloween for many years. Every year, a dead boy comes to his door. Every year, he manages to ignore him and survive the night. This year, he's coming in.
Very original, but a little too slow for me in a book of short stories. This is the longest in the book.

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

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Why? You get to dress up in costumes, go trick or treating (or at last I did when I was a kid), go to Halloween parties, and read scarey stories. They were all my favorite things to do! This volume has creepy stories that were fun for me to read. With supernatural and psychological tales of horror, I find it difficult to pick one that was my favorite. I know that anyone who reads this volume is in for a treat!

Volume 3 of Halloween Carnival is full of spooky tales which all have a Halloween connection. Some are psychological and others are supernatural and they are all worth the time to read them. The Way Lost" by Kelly Armstrong had great twist that had me thinking I should read the story again to try and solve the mystery. The Last Night of October" by Greg Chapmen had me really turning pages and had my attention and I couldn't put it down.

As with volumes one and two, Halloween Carnival Volume 3 collects five short stories centered around, as the title would imply, Halloween. Here's what's what:

THE WAY LOST by Kelley Armstrong
Kelly Armstrong kicks this anthology off on a strong note. Every Halloween, a child in Franklin goes missing. I've only read a few short stories by Armstrong, all of which I've enjoyed immensely, and she does a great job setting a particular mood here, and ends the story on a high note - and a very creepy one at that!
5/5 stars

LA CALAVERA by Kate Maruyama
DNF. Got about halfway through it and found myself severely bored by what felt more like a romance story than Halloween horror. No scares, no tension, no point. Moving on...
No rating

THE DEVIL'S DUE by Michael McBride
I'm not going to lie - one of the reasons I was interested in this series of Halloween Carnival books was because of McBride's involvement in this volume (Kealan Patrick Burke, Norman Prentiss, and Richard Chizmar were some more great reasons to invest some time in this series). I've become a big fan of McBride's work in short order over the last couple years, and this story reminded me a little bit of his Snowblind novellas (always good). Here, McBride delivers a fantastic tale of a small town that, every Halloween, offers up one its children in sacrifice. There's lots of chills and suspense in this one!
5/5 stars

A THOUSAND ROOMS OF DARKNESS by Taylor Grant
This story might have the catchiest title in this anthology. Thankfully, the story isn’t half-bad either. Grant sends up some pretty wild swerves in the finale, and it took me a bit to reorient myself to sudden changes. Overall, it was pretty solidly done and kept me hooked throughout.
4/5 stars

THE LAST NIGHT OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman
Every Halloween, there's a knock on Gerald's door from a Trick or Treater unlike any of the other neighborhood kids. Now wheelchair bound and infirm, Gerald tries to shoo away his nurse before sunset, but the two quickly find themselves entrenched and in a struggle for survival. Chapman dishes out a really effective ghost story and I dug the heck out of this one! Good stuff all around.
4/5 stars

Halloween Carnival Volume 3 was probably the most consistent and on-point in terms of quality from this series thus far. I found myself enjoying the stories quite a lot more than in Volume 2, and the anthology keeps a pretty high standard of stories and talent for the majority of its page-count.

Now on to Volume 4!

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

I read this book because one of the short stories is from Kelley Armstrong. I am a fan of her writting so I decided to check out this book. I admit I have not read anything by the other authors but I like finding new to me authors so I gave this a shot.

This volume has 5 short stories by 5 different authors.

I did read all the stories and I liked them all which is a shocker because usually books like this I will read one or two stories I do not like. These stories are all very well written and do not feel rushed.

I give this 5 out of 5.

3.5/5 stars

Halloween Carnival Volume 3 consists of the following stories:
1. THE WAY LOST by Kelley Armstrong
2. LA CALAVERA by Kate Maruyama
3. THE DEVIL’S DUE by Michael McBride
4. A THOUSAND ROOMS OF DARKNESS by Taylor Grant
5. THE LAST NIGHT OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman

This volume includes five short stories by five different authors. All of the stories are about Halloween or they take place on Halloween.

One of my favorite authors is Kelley Armstrong so I was anxious to grab this Volume of spooky stories.


THE WAY LOST by Kelley Armstrong

This story was about a boy named Dale who lives in Franklin. Every Halloween a kid in Franklin disappears. This story wasn't bad. It was short, but great to get a new Kelley Armstrong story regardless of the length.

LA CALAVERA by Kate Maruyama

This story was about a woman, her roommate Jasmine and a cemetery. This story was really creepy.

THE DEVIL’S DUE by Michael McBride

This story was about a town with a secret. And what a father will do to protect his family. This story was a good read.

A THOUSAND ROOMS OF DARKNESS by Taylor Grant

This story was about a woman named Anne who has panic attacks and a bunch of phobias. Terrible and crazy things have happened on Halloween. I liked this story the best until the ending.

THE LAST NIGHT OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman

This was a creepy story about an old man named Gerald. He is super afraid of someone who comes knocking on his door every Halloween.

Overall, these stories really put me in the mood for Halloween.

Got it for the Kelley Armstrong story which I loved

The third volume of the Halloween Carnival series didn't grab my attention or hook me as much as the second one did, and it seemed more gory.I did like the 5th and 6th stories in the book. Visual and atmospheric, and a good Halloween read!

Thanks to Kelley Armstrong and all the other participating authors as well as Random House for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Once again, many thanks to Brian James Freeman and Hydra for the wonderful opportunity to receive an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review. It was a pleasure, as always.

HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL – what a cool title for a really neat concept. Brian is taking Halloween stories from the best of the best, and including them in a five volume set of books – 5 stories in each. Each one released a week in October. Reading these books may become a yearly “October tradition”, unless Brian decides to do this again next year (fingers crossed).
So now, a little blurb about the stories:

THE WAY LOST by Kelley Armstrong – Wow, was this an unexpected gem. Every Halloween one child goes missing in the town of Franklin. The whole town knows it, and accepts it. But sometimes the truth is scarier than the myth.

LA CALAVERA by Kate Maruyama – I wasn’t sure about this one, and it’s my least favorite out of the lot. It takes place during the Dia de los Muertos Festival, where a young lady is celebrating without her friend for the first time – in her friends honor. The story was a little confusing, and, while interesting, the ending could be seen within a few pages. Would have worked well as a Twilight Zone episode.

THE DEVIL’S DUE by Michael McBride – This one was your typical “Town has a secret that everyone knows about until one rogue decides to break the pact” story, but told in an eerie and well written way. How far would a father go to save his daughter? What evil is he willing to face? Being a father who would go against the grain to save my kids, I enjoyed this story very much.

A THOUSAND ROOMS OF DARKNESS by Taylor Grant – This may sound like “fanboy” talk (and yes, I am a HUGE fan of Taylor’s), but I don’t know why this guy doesn’t have more exposure, and isn’t sitting on the NY Times best seller list. Someone is asleep at the wheel. But I digress since this isn’t his anthology. I had the opportunity to read this story a few months ago and was happy to see it was accepted for publication. Taylor takes two fears Samhainophobia: an irrational fear of Halloween and Phasmophobia: an irrational fear of ghosts – and uses them to torture a woman who finally thought she had her life on the right track. Boy, paybacks are a (insert favorite euphemism here).

THE LAST NIGHT OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman – Y’all probably know that I “fanboy” over Greg as much as Taylor, so I was very happy to see both included here. Just like Taylor’s story, I had also read Greg’s when he released it as a novella, but – just like Taylor’s – I re-read it it because it was that good. Gerald, an old man with emphysema, has a dark secret that haunts him every Halloween. This year it catches up with him – to the horror of his substitute nurse. Only Greg can find a way to include the word sphygmomanometer in a story (the clinical term for a blood pressure meter). The first time I read this story, I likened it to the pilot episode of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, but with a much more sinister twist.

This volume was another hit for Brian. Now off to read Volume four. Give yourself a little treat this Halloween and pick these books up.

Having recently read Volume 1 and 2 of the Halloween Carnival series I knew pretty much what to expect in terms of content and the quality of writing before commencing Volume 3. As Halloween approaches this is exactly the right time of year to read such spooky tales of terror and torment which all have a Halloween connection. Some are psychological and others are supernatural.

In all there are 5 stories in this volume of varying lengths and I would say there are all worth reading.

The first is "The Way Lost" by Kelly Armstrong and is set in the small town of Franklin where according to the version of events told by the narrator a child losses their way every Halloween in the forest and just disappears. No one investigates and no questions are asked. But can this version of events be relied on or is there another version other than the narrator's which is equally if not more chilling? A great twist which has you wanting to read the story again for lost clues.

"La Calavera" by Kate Maruyama is a tale of pure horror but also resonates with sadness as we learn how obsessional love can descend into delusional madness.

"The Devil's Due" by Michael Mcbride is set in Pine Springs, Colorado, a small town that is on the surface perfect in every way. There is no crime and the inhabitants have no desire to leave. People are born there and live their entire lives there. But what seems a magical place has a dark secret, for a diabolical deal has been made and the price of that deal is about to be claimed.

"A thousand Rooms of Darkness" by Taylor Grant is a twisting turning story that has you guessing until the terrifying end. Is Anne really being plagued by supernatural forces or his she suffering from mental illness? Or could there be another explanation?

Finally the last story which is also the longest is "The Last Night of October" by Greg Chapmen. Gerald Forsyth is a truly haunted man and his worst fears occur every Halloween when outside his home someone or something always comes a knocking. Who, what or why? keeps the reader guessing throughout. A real page turner indeed.

So I think there should be something here for everyone on these windy dark nights.

It is really hard to review short stories, or even novellas, since even reference to the point of the tale can be a huge spoiler. I hate spoilers and pretty much refuse to put them into my reviews. I try to convey something of why I did, or did not like a particular story, with at least a clever one line tease.

I am always ready and willing to review anthologies edited by Brian James Freeman because his choices always hit the right nerve for anyone who reads genre (make that horror) fiction.

You may, or may not recognize the names of all the authors contained herein, but, once you read them in the short form, you will want to seek out more of their works both long and short.

THE WAY LOST by Kelley Armstrong
You've heard that perception is everything? Here is a tale of losing one's way in more ways than one. (5-stars)

LA CALAVERA by Kate Maruyama
More than friendship drives this tale. Subtle changes in language, like verb tense and personal pronouns, lead you to the inevitable conclusion. Nothing like a good cemetery crawl on Los Dias de Los Muertos. (5-stars)

THE DEVIL’S DUE by Michael McBride
How far would you go to give the Devil his due? The story had a vague familiarity as I started to read it; however, that did not diminish the horror that played out on Devil's Night. (5-stars)

A THOUSAND ROOMS OF DARKNESS by Taylor Grant
Living with phobias is like always waiting for the other shoe to drop. In the end, light is just the other side of darkness, and when that shoe drops, it's with a huge thud. (5 stars)

THE LAST NIGHT OF OCTOBER by Greg Chapman
I read this both expecting and dreading the outcome. How many ways are there to terrify a reader? How many ways can tropes be employed? After finishing, my answer to both questions is an infinite number. Greg Chapman has definitely put a new spin on some old concepts here. (5 stars)

Hands down, HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL Volume 3 is a 5-star read!

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.