Brian Bowyer is easily one of my top authors in this genre. His writing can literally do no wrong. I became obsessed after reading Flesh Rehearsal, and never once has one his books disappointed. This new collection showcases his impeccable writing. If you’ve ever read anything by him, or know who he is, it’s safe to say you know what I mean when I say the guy is just a total vibe… and so is this collection. On that note, let’s take the stories one by one.

Scarlett:

“Yes. Some whisper, and others scream, but all works of art must say something. And I definitely want my first painting to say something. I’m waiting for a story to tell.”

Ah. Perfect story to start a collection. Quick one sitting read and really shows off what I love about Brian. His ability to tell a hell of a story whether it’s 20 pages or 200+. I love a good haunting story, and this is top tier.

Countdown to Oblivion:

“The drugs made her hideous, but pain made her beautiful. She’s flying with all the angels now.”

This little gem was absolutely perfect. Less than 50 pages; so a nice quick read but everything you could want and more from plot, character, detail, etc. It’s a heavy hitter and packs a punch. I read this story in the past as a standalone and it was one that actually got me out of a reading slump. Fantastic story.

Black Cat Bones:

“The mind’s an awfully big place. There’s a lot of places people can go and hide inside their minds.”

Brutal. Brilliant. Beautiful. Around 40 pages and like the others, packs a hell of a punch. Definitely a page turner. I love how his stories can be read in one sitting and be so impactful. This story is a perfect example of that with his writing.

Wow! What a delightful collection of short horror stories! I have not read anything by Brian Bowyer before and I'm glad this collection was my introduction to his work. My favorite story was COUNTDOWN TO OBLIVION- a drug-fueled, end of the world ride with a touch of depravity. I was hoping for a bit more extreme horror, but these were a joy to read. I will definitely be reading more from Bowyer!

“Storyslave” is a collection of terrifying fiction & also part wild memoir by the author. Bower’s book is totally captivating. His life events and imagination transform & elevate his prose into fantastic scary stories. I really appreciated the insight into how his experiences show through in his work.

Within these pages readers learn to beware of black cat bones, follow a family of addicts during the last hours of humanity, and meet a grieving mother who is willing to help the spirit of a child.
I enjoyed each one for its randomness, interesting characters, and endings.

This was just plain good storytelling.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and RDS Publishing/ Uncomfortably Dark Horror for a copy!

I picked this up off Netgalley but I really saw a review from Danielle and knew I needed to read it, and lucked into it there.

This was wonderful, and will be getting purchased by me when it released.

Do I have a new to me author I will be checking, out?
Yes !

Three novelettes and I need to pick a favorite, or do I ?

Scarlett ( I know, I know this is what caught my eye)
This one is a wild take on a serial killer, and how one person hunts them down, I loved it in the same way I loved The Shining Girls and Black Phone, if you know what I mean, that weird, crazy, story that unfolds and you are like, holy crap what is happening, but you can’t stop reading it. I was gripped the entire time.

Countdown to Oblivious
Maybe it was the family feud, maybe it was the drug use, and how it makes everything worse, but something about this story just hit hard for me, and I loved it, when that comes together in a down to the wire type situation, it just had all the elements I love in horror, the “people pressure” I like to call it where its not just the things going on around you that make shit scary, its the people, the ones you can’t tell what they will do next, that make the real horror in the story.

Black Cat Bones ( I am a liar, this was my favorite lol )
I enjoyed this one as well, how could I pass up a kid destroying her actual real monster??
I dont want to spoil too much, but while on the run with her mother, they run into someone or something and well, when your a kid, that not only endured the monster, but also slayed it, well it leaves some marks that you can’t just roll on past, and somehow this stranger, helps her out with that.

I loved this, and will be checking out more by Brian, this is the kind of author I love running across.