Anthology of Extreme Horror

Happy Tuesday, fellow readers! It's getting colder here in Pennsylvania, US. I hate how early it gets dark, but it does urge me to grab my hot cocoa and a good book and of course a fuzzy blanket. These items will come in handy for this week's recommendation, "Anthology of Extreme Horror." It lurks in the darkest corners and is not for the faint of anything. If you have zero triggers and are intrigued, please read on. If you want to atleast check out the trigger warnings list first... it's a doozy... but, please, be my guest. If you are squeamish at all, I'll see you next week.

If you are still with me, let's roll out that trigger warning list. (I think I got them all, but who knows. There isn't much they didn't cover in this one.)

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Trigger Warnings:

Adult language

Abuse

Torture

Kidnapping/Captivity

Rape

Incest

Racism

Drug use

Death/Murder

Sexual acts

Necrophelia

Suicide

Mental health

Animal abuse/death

Homophobia

Urine/fecal play

Cannibalism

Pedophilia

Pregnancy

Miscarriage

Okay, if you are still here, you are just as hard core as me. Or atleast you want to be. Haha. Since this one is an anthology, I'll touch a bit on my favorites and least favorites of the 18 horrific tales it contains. They range from cringe, to nightmare fuel, to stomach churning, to some that aren't really extreme at all. Ready? Here we go.

Story one is a bit of a milder kickoff with an uncomfortable twist. It is called The Interview by Matt Shaw. I'll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the story itself. 🌶🌶 for the sexual content and 🤢🤢 for the cringe/twist.

Story two is The Umpire Strikes Back by Joe Pasquale. This one has more of a true crime feel taking place in the morgue. The twists with drugs and sick behavior bring it into the extreme. I enjoyed the twist. I give this one a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the story. No spice on this one. 🤢🤢 for the cringe.

Story 3 is Goreslut by Taylor Z. Adams. This is the first extreme horror of the anthology. It's a difficult read having a ton of those trigger warnings in it. It even made me a bit queasy, and I have to applaud the author for that. This one is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. 🌶🌶🌶 for spice and 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 for the nausea inducing imagery. As far as extreme, it was one of my favorites in the anthology.

Story 4 is How to go Cold Turkey on the Coldest Night of the Year by Priyanuj Mazumdar.

This was an odd one. It was horror for sure but nothing I'd consider extreme. It was a decent read despite the long title for such a short story. It comes at a great time for Thanksgiving, though. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Story. No spice. 🤢 for cringe.

Story 5 is Eddy Longlegs by Gabriel Giddings.

I had to let this one digest a moment. It's a mindfuck style tale, and I do enjoy those. The author had me questioning what actually happened, and that's a quality I admire. It's gritty, wild, and all over the place. I enjoyed it. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. 🌶🌶🌶 for spice. 🤢🤢🤢 for cringe and twist. Well done. It is another of my favorites.

Story 6 is Luster by Dave Davis. Another real crime kind of story. It's another that is horror but not really extreme. I mean cannibalism is on the edge but just barely. It was a decent story but nothing too terribly gripping. I give it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ for story. 🌶 for spice and 🤢 for cringe.

Story 7 is No Pain, No Gain by Paul Lonardo.

This is another that is horror but not extreme. A deal with the devil is hardly extreme. It's an entertaining tale though so I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. No spice. No real cringe or unexpected twists.

Story 8 is Of Flesh and Kin by Anthony Ferguson.

This tale was interesting. It had a true crime revealed serial killer style vibe. The twist was pretty good. Overall, it was entertaining. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. 🌶 for spice and 🤢 for cringe.

Story 9 is Transplant by James H. Longmore.

It's a good midpoint to the anthology. Another true crime and actually following with detectives this time. It has expected and unexpected twists and leaves you guessing. It is extreme with the brutality of the murders/attacks and the seemingly senselessness of the acts. It is a good read. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. No spice. 🤢🤢 for cringe.

Story 10 is Show Your Work by Keith Durocher. I wanted more from this one. I feel like it has good bones and potential, but it isn't quite there for me. The boredom of the main character kind of rubbed off on the story making it a bit dull. It has decent gore, torture and twist though, so I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Nothing spicy and 🤢🤢 for some good torture and gore.

Number 11 is The Janus Experiment by Ronan Grey.

This tale is a psychological medical experiment gone very wrong. It had Saw movie style vibes. It was grueling and gruesome and left you wondering what happened. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. No spice. 🤢🤢🤢 for the torment/cringe. It is another of my favorites.

Story 12 is the Nordsolen by Galo Romero.

This one goes back to the 1930s and invokes a Dracula vibe. It is horror but not extreme. I like the Viking inclusions and the end is satisfying. Overall, I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. No spice and no real cringe.

Number 13 is The Tooth Fairy by Kira Blackwood.

Trippy. Drugs. Lots of drugs. It's gritty and psychological. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. No spice. 🤢🤢 for triggers and cringe.

Story 14 is The Misplaced Heart by James Patrick Riser.

This was my least favorite of the anthology. It's was way too short, too predictable, and not extreme in the least. I give it credit for killing off a bad guy and the second person point of view made it uncomfortable to read which felt intentional. There was much more that could have been done with the bones of this one. ⭐️⭐️ for story. 🌶 for spice. 🤢🤢 for cringe.

Number 15 is When Dan and Lam Come to Visit by Dewey L. Yeatts. This was a fast and furious attack on the senses by cringe and debauchery. Another dispatch of a bad guy that I applaud. There wasn't much of an actual story here but what was there I give ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 🌶🌶🌶🌶 for the extremeness of the spice mentioned. 🤢🤢🤢 for the extreme cringe and general unlikeability of the main character.

Story 16 is You Are What You Eat by Gore-Mand Alastair Feasterback. Okay, the author name... I love it so much. It fits so well with the story too. This one is a blog style entry involving cannibalism. It is taken to an extreme in how it is done, and I appreciate the theatrics. It is well written and even a bit humorous. I enjoyed it, and I think it's my actual overall favorite of the anthology. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. No spice. 🤢🤢 for gore and twists.

Story 17 is Witch Boy by Daniel Rust. This tale was a little disorienting in its back and forth style, but I think that just lent to the extreme. It's brutal and chaotic. It's a bit satisfying in a very dark and demented kind of way. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. 🌶 for spice, and 🤢🤢 for gore, brutality, and cringe.

Last and not least is When We Were Dreamers by Brit Jones at number 18. This one has a commune/cult vibe with dark twists. The ending is twisty too which I appreciate. The story wasn't quite as coherent as I would have liked and could have used more detail, but it was pretty good. It had some justice, some gore, and a paranormal element. Overall, I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for story. No spice and 🤢🤢 for deaths and cringe.

Here is my official review for the anthology.

The Anthology of Extreme Horror definitely brings in the extreme. If you need trigger warnings, then this one isn't for you. I don't think they missed much if anything as far as possible triggers go. Some stories are harder to read than others and a couple that do not quite reach the extremes. Overall, it is a sick twisted little jaunt into the pitch blackness, and I loved it.

I know that was a lot and if you read it all, I hope that it inspires you to go check out the "Anthology of Extreme Horror" published by Hellbound Books. You can find it here: https://a.co/d/iD55GZu

That does it for me for this week, dear readers. Please join me again next week for another wonderful recommendation. Until then, curl up with a good book.