Today I have another of the Rayne Hall anthologies up for review. Today's e-book is titled The Devil Eats here: A Diabolic Anthology. (Yes I realize I'm posting this on a Sunday - God's day. That's the twisted irony which is me.)
Blurb:
Each of the nine authors in this book presents a different approach to storytelling, a different writing style, and a different interpretation of the theme. Some of the stories are very short, others are long. In some tales, the devil is a literal figure, in others a metaphorical one, and in several he is something else altogether.
1. The Sacrifice by April Grey
Be careful what you pray for.
2. The Angel and the Jungle God by Siewleng Torossian
Ali's special day has arrived.
3. The Best of all Possible Worlds by Tara Maya
Personal Paradise Inc. caters for a special clientele.
4. Round and Round the Garden by Jonathan Broughton
Children will listen.
5. Mean Dick Skyler by John Blackport
Is this deal as sweet as it first appears?
6. The Devil, You Say by Alice Gaines
Was he the devil, or an angel in disguise?
7. Devil Take It by Douglas Kolacki
Being blind and getting jerked around by the bus lines was bad enough. But now...
8. Rejection Letter by John Hoddy
An editor gets some of his own.
9. The Devil Eats Here by Rayne Hall
Join the prince of hell for lunch at your local diner.
Most of these stories have been previously published in magazines, e-zines and anthologies.
Review:
I was really looking forward to reading this collection, I think just because it seemed like something different from my typical reads. I was not disappointed in the least, although honestly the Christian half of me is screaming out against some of these but I won't go into my ethical and religious issues.
It was quite interesting reading this anthology, because as an aspiring author myself, I found myself drawing ideas from the stories and right up to the point of reading The Devil, You Say by Alice Gaines I was forming a kind of love story with the devil in my mind. So ironically, I then actually read The Devil, You say and wow! I got to really enjoy a story somewhat along those lines. I think it's needless to say, this story was by far my favorite of the bunch. I really enjoyed every little turn of this story, and I found it quite different... I could certainly identify with the main character who is struggling with self image issues, and finds help in an unexpected way.
A few of the stories in this anthology I found somewhat funny - such as The Angel and the Rainforest God. The Sacrifice I found short, with a disturbing look at the dark side of humanity. The Best of All Possible Worlds I found amusing, interesting and it inspired a good retrospect. It reminded me of Terry Pratchett's Strata in some ways. I did find it very odd to read about ethnic cleansing in Acadia of all places. That story obviously did not take place in our own universe!
I will note that up until this point, this collection proved to be quite different than what I had expected. In a good way. I'm not sure what I expected precisely, but I will say The Devil, You Say more than filled that gap of my expectations (can you tell how much I enjoyed that story?)
Round and Round the Garden I found to be twisted, yet good. I did find the character Anthony very obnoxious, but that ended well. Mean Dick Skyler I found a little long, kind of confusing at first yet interesting. I really liked the idea of the plodder. I found it good, funny, enjoyable and different - I just have one question: why would the devil keep his promise if Dick didn't uphold his end of the deal?
Devil Take It I enjoyed. Rejection Letter disturbed me greatly, and it made me cringe at the mere thought of some day publishing my stories and having to deal with all of the publishers and what not. Bleh. The Devil Eats Here (the story, not the book) was a short, good read.
Edit: I forgot to mention, this is definitely not a book for younger audiences.
This e-book is available on Amazon for 99 cents. Another great buy!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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