Lincoln Crisler’s first anthology consists of ten short stories. Many contain paranormal elements and some are written as human horror, but all of them are worth reading. I found each story to be easy to read, allowing readers of all levels to enjoy this collection. “Easy to read” doesn’t mean this is a book for minors, because it is definitely not. Included within the pages of Despairs & Delights are mentions of gore, incest, and necrophilia, so it’s definitely NOT aimed at young adult. Not to name all of the stories in this book, but three in particular stood out to me.
“Lane Feeds the Multitude” is the first one I shall mention. It focuses on a “soup kitchen” that is having trouble funding their project in order to keep everyone well fed. One of the workers, Lane, gets an idea that will help everyone out, and takes it upon himself to “track down” some food.
“The Hitchhiker” was probably my favorite story out of this collection. It is about a hitchhiking werewolf, Jason, who is headed towards what he feels is his “destiny”. Most people would expect a very different destiny for a werewolf, but Jason feels strongly about his decision and has given up everything to make it happen.
“Victory Feast” is yet another fine piece by Crisler. In this story, a son is willing to make one of life’s greatest sacrifices in order to keep his secret from getting out. What is the secret and what is the great sacrifice? The answer is found within the pages of Crisler’s Despairs & Delights.
I would recommend this collection to all horror fans and especially those looking to get into horror without worrying about picking up a book containing extremely graphic sex and gore. Lincoln’s stories skirt around the graphic scenes and get right to the point. Despairs & Delights would be a welcome addition to any library collection.
Contains: Adult Situations, Adult Language
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian.com
“Lane Feeds the Multitude” is the first one I shall mention. It focuses on a “soup kitchen” that is having trouble funding their project in order to keep everyone well fed. One of the workers, Lane, gets an idea that will help everyone out, and takes it upon himself to “track down” some food.
“The Hitchhiker” was probably my favorite story out of this collection. It is about a hitchhiking werewolf, Jason, who is headed towards what he feels is his “destiny”. Most people would expect a very different destiny for a werewolf, but Jason feels strongly about his decision and has given up everything to make it happen.
“Victory Feast” is yet another fine piece by Crisler. In this story, a son is willing to make one of life’s greatest sacrifices in order to keep his secret from getting out. What is the secret and what is the great sacrifice? The answer is found within the pages of Crisler’s Despairs & Delights.
I would recommend this collection to all horror fans and especially those looking to get into horror without worrying about picking up a book containing extremely graphic sex and gore. Lincoln’s stories skirt around the graphic scenes and get right to the point. Despairs & Delights would be a welcome addition to any library collection.
Contains: Adult Situations, Adult Language
Review also posted at MonsterLibrarian.com
No comments:
Post a Comment