Rhiannon
I first discovered Tindol 3 months ago with Hunting Snipe (which was incredible, btw) and so I was excited to get into some of his short fiction. This is a great and varied collection of nine shorts โ and I say varied because Tindol has an amazing ability to write excellent and compelling horror from several different sub-genres: cosmic, creature, hauntings, cults, urban legendsโฆ
Highlights for me were:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ was a brutal opener that for my reasonably flexible Canadian sensibilities was still a bit jarring despite, unfortunately, confirming my sometimes Morally-Superior-Canadian biases (I know, I know) towards guns. By the end of the 8th paragraph I just knew we must be in Texas (confirmed). ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ต. But! This story was far sneakier than I was expecting it to be. It subtly and cleverly morphed from the horror of โwhat have I doneโ to โwhy am I not a heroโ to the inevitable weight of crushing guilt.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ This has old school Stephen King short story vibes to it... The kind of story that turns into urban legend.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐๐โ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ท๐ถ๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ funny and creepy and how will I ever be able to have bread bowl spinach dip again? I guess Iโll just have to join the cultโฆ
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ a great creature feature that again has elements of urban (swamp?) legend that immediately feels strongly rooted in the deep south.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ will forever have me looking suspiciously at our canine companionsโฆ
โ๐๐ค ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ช๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ.โ
And I was ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ญ๐บ worried, but itโs not what you thinkโฆ
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ข๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ was a very impressive haunted-house story (the lengthiest in this collection) with something of an interdimensional/cosmic twist that left me wanting more (and thinking of haunting images of other-worldly doorways from Prince of Darkness and Legend.) As satisfying as the ending was, Iโd love to see this story expanded โ should Tindol have more to tellโฆ
The best writing is that which ends up taking up permanent residence in your subconscious, popping out at you in the most unexpected and inconvenient of times. Tindolโs stories do that. Much to the discomfiture of my peace of mindโฆ
My thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
I first discovered Tindol 3 months ago with Hunting Snipe (which was incredible, btw) and so I was excited to get into some of his short fiction. This is a great and varied collection of nine shorts โ and I say varied because Tindol has an amazing ability to write excellent and compelling horror from several different sub-genres: cosmic, creature, hauntings, cults, urban legendsโฆ
Highlights for me were:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ was a brutal opener that for my reasonably flexible Canadian sensibilities was still a bit jarring despite, unfortunately, confirming my sometimes Morally-Superior-Canadian biases (I know, I know) towards guns. By the end of the 8th paragraph I just knew we must be in Texas (confirmed). ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ต. But! This story was far sneakier than I was expecting it to be. It subtly and cleverly morphed from the horror of โwhat have I doneโ to โwhy am I not a heroโ to the inevitable weight of crushing guilt.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ This has old school Stephen King short story vibes to it... The kind of story that turns into urban legend.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐๐โ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ท๐ถ๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ funny and creepy and how will I ever be able to have bread bowl spinach dip again? I guess Iโll just have to join the cultโฆ
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ a great creature feature that again has elements of urban (swamp?) legend that immediately feels strongly rooted in the deep south.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ will forever have me looking suspiciously at our canine companionsโฆ
โ๐๐ค ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ช๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ.โ
And I was ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ญ๐บ worried, but itโs not what you thinkโฆ
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ข๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ was a very impressive haunted-house story (the lengthiest in this collection) with something of an interdimensional/cosmic twist that left me wanting more (and thinking of haunting images of other-worldly doorways from Prince of Darkness and Legend.) As satisfying as the ending was, Iโd love to see this story expanded โ should Tindol have more to tellโฆ
The best writing is that which ends up taking up permanent residence in your subconscious, popping out at you in the most unexpected and inconvenient of times. Tindolโs stories do that. Much to the discomfiture of my peace of mindโฆ
My thanks to the author for the advanced reader copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.