Scissor Sisters, is a collection of Sapphic horror stories. I was not this book’s intended audience. I read Gladys Glows at Night by Hatteras Mange, You Oughta Be in Pictures by Anastasia Dziekan, and The Lady of the House on Legs by Ariel Marken Jack. The stories are well written but are true horror. I was expecting more ghost type stories and the first two are more on that end. The others are quite a bit darker, but all have a theme of love no matter how twisted it might get. The stories were well written and had a good flow to them. A person that enjoys horror would find Scissor Sisters to be a read well worth it.
I received an arc and am leaving this review of my volition.

This book was pretty decent, most all of the stories were really interesting. Anthology of sapphic authors.

Musings:

Since these are all short stories I will be rating each one individually.

Gladys Glows At Night by Hatteras Mange

4/5 this was a really cool concept. It talks about the women who worked with radium and had lost their lives due to sickness. I loved the revenge not just for the love of one woman but for the sake of all women.

You Outta Be In Pictures by Anastasia Dziekan

5/5 This story was so awesome. It’s absolutely horrific. It’s about a topic that makes me personally super uncomfortable, but it explores it in a way that’s fascinating. It’s an early favorite for sure.

The Lady of the House on Legs by Ariel Marken Jack

4/5 This story made me feel sad. Even the horror of it just felt like a surrender to a lesser of two evils. It’s painful to read. I feel the truth in it for so many women who are forced to not be able to love who they love. This one is heart wrenching in multiple senses.

To Wilt A Flower by Maerwynn Blackwood

5/5 This was such a sensually beautiful story. I loved the floral descriptions and especially the macabre ending. It was enchanting in the way that magic is stumbled upon and it was so so sexy in a dark way.

Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya by Avra Margariti

5/5 This is a very unique work of body horror. I have become more and more fascinated by body horror as I have gotten older. This piece was fascinating. A manifestation of vengeance growing painfully and grotesquely from the body. I found this story to be so cool.

Torbalan’s Gift by Grace R. Reynolds

5/5 I loved the idea of this story. To give your body up to become something other then yourself because life will not allow you to have that as society stands. It was beautiful. It was beautiful that it was birthed from an orgasmic release. That revenge and justice was brought in the end. I am enamored with this story.
Her Tongue, A Slippery Slope by Evelyn Freeling

3.5/5 I don’t know really what to think or feel with this one. It’s a horrible scenario, but I’m not really sure what I am supposed to make of it. It’s damnation, but in a true sense. I think this is something I will come back to and think on some more.

Modern Art Curse, Mixed Media by Hailey Piper

4/5 Another piece that I feel needs a lot more introspection. I loved how it ends and yet I still feel like I need to think about it to really understand what it leaves me feeling. The art of death. This work was fascinating.

The Flesh Grows Fonder by T.O. King

5/5 This was one that wasn’t horrific it was euphoric. It felt like an acceptance of one’s wantings and a willingness to submit to one’s truest desire. I found it to be a beautifully strange liberation.

Pilgrim of Worlds by M.S. Dean

4/5 this story felt like a moment that is the beginning and the end of many other moments before it. It’s a defining time where someone chooses a new path they’ve never taken and they are forever changed. Everything is different. It made me want to imagine what new things she would discover in the after.

Gingerbread Red by Chole Spencer

5/5 A very unusual and sexy twist on the old Hansel & Gretel tale. One where the witch is seen as a woman of power and where instead of something to be warned against she becomes someone to crave. It’s really such a cool way to flip the story on its head. Still horrific and terrible, but it celebrates that women can be devilish too.

Buckskin for Linen by Mae Murray

5/5 women, especially brown-skinned women, have been taken advantage of for ages. This story is a reminder of the way brown women have been stripped of their culture and the very nature of who they are and are buried for it. It’s cruel and yet there was a beauty of the unity of their death. Like eventually someone would discover and avenge them. That there’s a future where they could be who they really are and live fully.
Oubliette by L. R. Stuart

4/5 This story was romantic in a monstrous way. It was falling in love and destroying it with your own hands. It was a monster and the woman who loves her. Enabling horror because of love.

Conversations With Roe by Alex Luceli Jiménez

4/5 what happens when a woman who usually kills for fun commits a crime of passion? This is the aftermath. The cold reality of the injustice she inflicted on one person who loved her. It’s a sad story, but also it shows how a killer will justify their actions even against the ones they love most.

Our Lady of Devouring Violence by Cheyanne Brabo

5/5 I loved this story. A violent love where it’s two against the world. Something about that kind of love is pure freedom. The love in this story is a fiery revenge.

Family Planning by Luc Diamant

5/5 This is one of the most unsettling of the stories to me. One of the things that breaks my heart the most is manipulation. Even if technically the outcome is “good” it’s still a violation. Violating your partner to convince them to let you bring home a child is a nightmare.

Ungrateful Dead Things by Alyssa Lennander

5/5 I loved this twist on Frankenstein. It’s morbid and heartbreaking and corrupt. I wish I could read a whole book in this version and see what would happen if certain things happened after the fact. It’s such a fascinating concept.

Straight Flush by Anya Leigh Josephs

5/5 this is one of the most enchanting stories I’ve ever read. It was like watching a movie and seeing this powerful woman be fair in her offering, but in the end as humans we all fail her. The betting with the devil was just so cool. I loved this story so much.

A Mirror Has Two Faces by Lindz McLead
3/5 this is one of the only stories in here that I felt just ok about. It’s good, but it didn’t blow me away. I think it’s more that it’s about manipulation but in a way that I see more often in regal life and I just don’t really like it. There wasn’t much shock or anything super compelling in this particular story for me. It’s very mild thriller I’d say.

The Turner House Heritage Store by Caitlin Marceau

5/5 This story was so unique and fascinating. Two wives dealing with an old family house that feeds on you as you walk through it and ages you. It was such a fascinating concept to read about. I loved it!

Enamored by Shelley Lavigne

5/5 I love these original stories in this collection. This one was soul sucking. It was beautiful and deadly in a way that the woman wanted it to be. The painting and the idea of making a perfect statue of a woman’s body was both beautiful and horrifying. This is another one of my favorites in this collection.

The Call of The Sea by Eric Raglin

5/5 All the body horror stories in this collection are so good. It was cool that this was the extra story and it was gay instead of lesbian. Yet it still felt like it fit the collection as a whole. It was terrifying and I thought it was a fantastic story.

All in all:

This is a sexy and horrifying collection of lesbian short stories. I loved how much each story made me think and left me with something new to ponder in the end. I highly recommend it! So many beautiful works of art created by so many incredibly talented women.

A great collection of feminine rage and sapphic villianary drawing from horror, fantasy and history.

This was a well put together collection with a nice variety of stories covering different genres, themes, and writing styles, but with a clear thread running throughout them and connecting them. As is usual for short story collections there were some I personally enjoyed more than others, but with such a wide variety there's likely to be something for all fans of horror/ dark fantasy.

Some personal favourites of mine were Gladys Glows at Night by Hatteras Mange, a story of revenge for the Radium Girls; Conversations with Roe by Alex Luceli Jiménez, a murderer's conversations with the lover she killed; and Our Lady of Devouring Violence by Cheyanne Brabo, where a woman stands before a court of men, explaining her connection to the beautiful murderous woman plaguing their town.

I did find the Lagniappe at the end a little strange. I had no issues with the story itself but it felt very out of place. (I understood that the idea was to have a potentially unrelated story at the end, but I personally don't think it works.)

Overall though, I would highly recommend if you're in the mood for something a little darker, or like your sapphics angry and/or morally grey.

This is a sapphic anthology that talks about a wide range of stories about history, injustices, vengeance, pain and suffering which is somehow a hit or miss. Some stories were okay but I got favorites.

I love all kinds of women in this collection. The different range of women and for the explicit scenes that I truly enjoy.

This was such a unique experience and quite refreshing! I want more!

To women! To sapphic lovers! And to empowerment!

I adored this! As with all anthologies, some of the stories are stronger than others. There's truly a mixture of subgenres and tales to delight - feeling the contrast of going from the poetic religious pregnancy horror of Evelyn Freelyn's 'Her Tongue, A Slippery Slope' to the more urban murder/supernatural painting tale of Hailey Piper's ('Modern Art Curse, Mixed Media'). Great book!

Be gay, do crimes.

As with any anthology, there is a variation of enjoyment and interest throughout the collection, sometimes polarisingly so. Whilst described as a sapphic horror, I found it was mostly about sex. Pretty much every story had smut, which wasn't what I was expecting and became irritating when it happened again and again, although I admit some had a poetic quality.

My favourite stories were "Gladys glows at night", "you outta be in pictures", "Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya", and "Gingerbread red" (which was weird ngl).

Overall, this was one of the more enjoyable anthologies that I've read, but I would've preferred to focus more on horror than fucking. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a unique reading experience. I can say each story had a life and voice of it's own and my favorite part of reading Scissor Sisters was how each author told their story. There is not one tale that resembles another, even if they all share sapphic villains as main characters. Quite refreshing to see so many original and passionate works.
My favorites were "Teroma, Cacodaemon, Erinya", by Avra Margariti and "Oubliette", by L. R. Stuart.

This book was amazing. Everything I wanted from an anthology of sapphic villains. Some of the stories made me cry, some terrified me, some confused me but all of them impacted me. It weird ways every single story was relatable in some way.

My favorites were “Her Tongue, a Slippery Slope”, “Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya”, “Our Lady of Devouring Violence”, and “Ungrateful Dead Things”.

This made me uncomfortable and creeped me out at times. There were bits that left me feeling ick. This will definitely find its crowd!

What did I just read….

To start with I do not like horror but I love anything sapphic so I read this. Each and every story is unique and very well written but just not for me. I have no doubt that this will be loved by many others!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

this was a great anthology, it had everything that I was hoping for in a horror anthology. The stories were everything that I was hoping for and thought each story was wonderfully written. There wasn't a weak story in the bunch and I was glad I was able to continue this story. Each author has a great concept and worked with the theme.

This was a fascinating mix of dark romance, erotic horror, and other forms of horror. I particularly enjoyed the first three stories, very randomly, but a few others throughout stood out. Overall, as with most anthologies, it was a mixed bag for me, but there were more hits than misses.

thanks to netgalley for a free arc of this title in exchange for an honest review. usually i can devour an anthology in a matter of days, but this one took forever for me to get through due to the sheer verbosity. going into this, i was expecting far more villainous behavior, evildoers and the like, but rather it was mostly a slew of morally grey tales that were mostly written okay, but read so inaccessible. a lot of this was far too intertextual for me to enjoy as a cohesive collection. best tales in this collection were “modern art curse, mixed media” and “conversations with roe.”

Finishing it made my disappointed because I was invested in the story and characters. I need more. The spice was just the right amount that makes you want to read more on the next page. I am a fan and can't wait for the next book.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book!


Wow wow wow!!! I really enjoyed most of these stories. The different genres kept me hooked as well as the creepiness. Amazing. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from these authors.

I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of "Scissor Sisters," a captivating anthology curated by April Yates and Rae Knowles. As someone who values diverse narratives and representation in literature, I eagerly dove into this collection of 21 tales.

Anthologies pose a unique challenge when it comes to assigning a star rating, as the quality and impact of individual stories can vary greatly. However, after careful consideration, "Scissor Sisters" receives an overall rating of 3.5 stars from me. While some stories resonated with me more deeply than others, each one left an indelible mark on my heart.

This anthology is the kind of book I wish I had access to earlier in life. It's a celebration of complexity and diversity, showcasing a myriad of sapphic characters who defy stereotypes and expectations. Each character is crafted with depth and nuance.

What struck me most about "Scissor Sisters" is the remarkable diversity of voices and perspectives represented within its stories. Each author brings their own unique style and storytelling prowess to the table.

We need more narratives that celebrate the complexity and diversity of sapphic experiences, and "Scissor Sisters" is a step in the right direction. It's a bold and unapologetic celebration of villainy, queerness, and the power of storytelling.

The way this book gives you everything you need for a perfect horror even though it’s short stories it’s great. The broad range this book gives is amazing the erotic details brings a more engaging experience if you like stories like that too.

When I first saw the title Scissor Sisters, I obviously turned my mind to a story involving sapphics. What I did not expect was that Scissor Sisters was indeed a collection of short stories, all dealing with the macabre and the Gothic, along with horror and its own subgenres. Each of Scissor Sisters‘ stories has its own distinct source of tension oozing across its pages.

In total, Scissor Sisters has twenty-two unique short stories, each penned by a different author. My favourites of this collection were “You Oughta Be in Pictures” by Anastasia Dziekan and “Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya” by Avra Margariti. A close second would be “Modern Art Curse, Mixed Media” by Hailey Piper purely for the reason that Piper utilizes the second voice in order to craft a compelling and unique story. Truly, each story offers something unique to the anthology, but these three stories are my absolute favourites out of all of them. Their voices were truly unique and outstanding in an anthology already filled with incredible authors.

My one criticism for this anthology is the placement of its Content/Trigger Warnings. The book opens with a statement that reads “Content Warnings can be found at the back of the book,” which utterly defeats the purpose of content warnings. Content and trigger warnings ought to be at the beginning of piece so the reader may be forewarned of the story’s subject matter and determine whether or not they are able to read that story in that moment.

All in all, I will sing Scissor Sisters’ praises and recommend this to any sapphic who loves horror for it is a truly unique piece in a world full of horror that does its best to depict queerness as monstrosity.

Conclusion

A recommend read for fans of dark fiction, paranormal romance, body horror and queer horror. A sapphic horror anthology well worth reading and a great new addition to queer fiction and the horror and dark fiction genres.

Review

Scissor Sisters was a particularly diverse dark fiction and horror anthology. Although united by a common theme of sapphic horror vengeful or defiant lovers, there was a good selection of interpretations in the stories.

Those stories that really stood out among this anthology were “Gladys Glows at Night” by Hatteras Mange, “Modern Art Curse, Mixed Media” by Hailey Piper, “Conversations with Roe” by Alex Luceli Jimenez”, “You Oughta Be in Pictures” by Anastasia Dziekan, “Our Lady of Devouring Violence” by Cheyanne Brabo and “This Flesh Grows Fonder” by T.O. King.

Among this anthology are lovers defiant of societal norms, scorned and angry, vengeful or embracing a darkness. The range of settings spans historical Victorian eras, scandalous 1920s, modern eras and realms in between realities. A strongly written anthology that holds the reflection of sapphic horror to the audience in an unflinching and deeply honest portal. Although not all stories carried the same weight and impact, the essence of the theme was represented throughout.