horrorbutch's reviews
1224 reviews

 Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review. 

A short story collection centered around the theme of “Deadly Women of the Sea”. Of course, many of these short stories and poems focus on various creatures quite familiar from folklore around the globe, sirens and mermaids and selkies, but there are also some more intriguing creatures included, which I enjoyed. 

This anthology includes 52 different pieces (+ one extra short story from another anthology, included by the publisher as a freebie), from very short poems over flash fiction pieces to longer short stories on only 250 pages, so as you can imagine many are too short. They often focus on the darker aspects of the lore surrounding various oceanic creatures and hauntings, but sometimes adding newer or unexpected twists, which I enjoyed. However, due to the incredible amount of stories featured here, there are quite a few repetitions, particularly when it comes to the poems, which were often quite short and nothing particularly special, which was sad. In general, I think this collection could have been better if it had included fewer stories, focusing on the standout ones and the stories doing something new with creatures from the sea (such as Meat Cute by Desirée Niccoli, which features a Leviathan or Jellies by Elana Gomel, which includes Jellyfish-pregnancy horror or The Specter of Pearlhall by Cassandra Taylor, which is an incredibly well written gothic haunting)  instead of the more folklore focused stories of sailors and sirens and mermaids drowning men and selkies escaping from abusive men, of which there were many stories and so they felt a bit repetitive after a while. Especially the poetry had very few standout pieces, as many were incredibly short and focused on sirens only, which just added to the feeling of repetition. 

I did however like that there are some lesbian/sapphic stories included in this anthology, which was a nice change of pace sometimes, since very many of the stories are focused on luring men to their death or abusive men. 

I still enjoyed this anthology quite a bit and if you enjoy ocean-based horror as well as stories that are gothic/dark/haunting you will definitely find some short stories you can enjoy in here. My personal favorites were Meat Cute by Desirée Niccoli, Best of Both Worlds by Dawn Vogel, Coral, Again by E.M. Linden, The Wall Women by Ann Wuehler, Mother Raised You Well by A.R. Frederiksen, Jellies by Elana Gomel, The Woman Who Drowned in the Detroit River by Kaitlin Tremblay, Driftwood by Kayla Whittle, The Specter of Pearlhall by Cassandra Taylor, The Children of the Sea by Paul M. Feeney and The Pearl Weeper’s Lament by Marianne Halbert. 

I also liked that the anthology included trigger warnings. All in all this was a fun read to me as someone who likes oceanic horror a lot, but unfortunately due to including too many pieces and relatively few standout pieces when measured against the 53 pieces included here, my rating is not as high as I hoped it would be. 

As always, I included some short thoughts + specific trigger warnings for each piece underneath here. Beware, it’s long. 

The End of the World by Sandra Ljubljanović: A poem about a mermaid-apocalypse, I liked it 
 TW: death 

The Song Below by John Higgins: A story about three sailors adrift at sea after their boat was sunken by a whale when one of them hears a lovely voice begging him to feed her. Rather typical mermaid fare, but an interesting start for this collection.
 TW: mentions of cannibalism, death, dehydration, drowning 

Whitebait by Patrick Rutigliano: An interesting poem told from the perspective of a mermaid, very intriguing writing style 

Enraptured by Candace Robinson: A woman caught between the man she loves on land and her fascination with the murdering sirens of the sea. I really liked the messiness of the MC of this story and the fact that she couldn’t help but be drawn towards these grisly murders, it was interesting to read.
 TW: gore, murder, implied off-page suicide 

Song of the Mermaid by Emmanuel Williams: A short poem about a man hearing a siren’s call. It’s… okay. 

*FAV* Meat Cute by Desirée Niccoli: I love the title and I love Lady Leviathan. An environmental horror revenge ensues when Lady Leviathan wakes from her long slumber and decides it is time to defend her ocean. It was lovely. Plus, the romance is sweet. Who doesn’t want an ancient horror to rescue them and then you get to destroy your enemies together?
 TW: animal peril and death, environmental destruction, injury, murder, violence 

What the Water Brings by L. Marie Wood: A short terrifying poem about returning as a monster. Intriguing writing style, but very, very short.
 TW: drowning 

Moon Over El Cerro by Samantha Lokai: A tale about a tragic end to a young love and the haunting that beckons the man when he returns to the beach his teenage girlfriend died on all these years ago. I liked the ending, that was a fun twist!
 TW: drowning 

Mermaid by Christina Hennemann: Another short poem from the perspective of a mermaid. Ok, but nothing particularly interesting. 

Pet by Gully Novaro: A very short story about someone taking a swim with their newly adopted pet. Intriguing ending. 

Five Words Scribbled on a Gift Card by Christine Lucas: This story combines selkie lore with mermaid lore and features a woman’s desperate attempts to please her husband, hoping he will return her pearls to her. With a gift card her husband’s grandmother left her, there might be a way. Satisfying ending.
 TW: domestic abuse, grief, miscarriage 

A Siren’s Shanty by Alice Austin: A fun twist on the wellerman shanty, but told from the perspective of a siren. 

*FAV* Best of Both Worlds by Dawn Vogel: A selkie woman whose husband has used a magic tattoo to hide her key plans her escape. I really liked the focus on friendship in this story.
 TW: kidnapping, sexual assault 

Effigy by Victoria Nations: A woman sculpts a statue of her ex-girlfriend, who recently left her, with seagrass and marsh clay. Intriguing, but very short. 

Tear Me Down by Mark Towse: A man finds himself bewitched by a creepy painting in an art gallery. Haunting and fun and I had a good laugh at the end. 

The Temptress by Kristin Cleaveland: A short poem from the perspective of a siren. 

Brine Mother by Ben Monroe: A fisherman pulls up a strange catch, kills it and finds himself pursued in revenge. Haunting and interesting, I really enjoyed this one!
 TW: gore, murder 

The Sea Hag by Kurt Newton: A poem retelling the story of how the Sea Hag came to haunt her part of the ocean. Interesting and despite its brevity manages to tell a full story. 

*FAV* Coral, Again by E.M. Linden: A husband’s wife returns from her grave, but the longer she stays with him, the more she transforms into something else entirely. Heartbreaking and haunting and very, very beautifully written.
 TW: grief 

Sisterhood Rites by Eva Papasoulioti: A poem about joining sirens in their song. 

*FAV* The Wall Women by Ann Wuehler: A heartbreaking story about a mother and a daughter, when the sea calls for the mother again. I enjoyed the body horror here a lot as well and the depictions of grief and loss were heartbreaking.
 TW: body horror, gore, grief 

The Price of Freedom by Rachel Dib: A very short story about a daughter, who found her mother’s seal skin.
 TW: domestic abuse (implied), murder 

*FAV* Mother Raised You Well by A.R. Frederiksen: A woman saves a mermaid child from the rocky shore and raises her, but one day her past as a fin-hunter comes to haunt her. I really liked this one, it is heartbreaking, but also beautiful. 

Sunken Treasure by Daniel Pyle: A very short story about a mermaid hunter. It’s okay, but just a few lines long? Meh. 

Into the Water by Megan E. Heart: A bachelorette party on a cruise ship takes a deadly turn when the bride-to-be is caught cheating by the sister of the groom-to-be. Interesting enough and I liked that it was a bit different from the other stories here, more modern.
 TW: cheating, drowning 

From the Bridge by Ef Deal: A man rescues a woman from jumping into the ocean, but she doesn’t take too kindly to it. Very short, but interesting concept.
 TW: murder, suicide 

Into the Nevergo by Katherine Traylor: A woman walks into the ocean to end her life, but finds another life waiting for her instead. But even that second life must end one day. Haunting and interesting.
 TW: drowning, suicide 

Sometimes I Am Jealous of Their Widows by Juleigh Howard-Hobson: A short poem about a mermaid, who collects the treasures that shipwrecks rain down on her.
 TW: drowning 

The Kelpie by Simon Kewin: A very short story about a Kelpie.
 TW: child death, drowning 

*FAV* Jellies by Elana Gomel: A woman with an unknown heritage has become pregnant and can’t fight the feeling that something unnatural is growing inside her. Haunting and messy and scary, I loved this one a lot!
 TW: pregnancy 

Rusalnaia Nedija by Lauren E. Reynolds: A short poem about a Rusalka. Interesting rhyming scheme, I liked this one. 

Ona Dolzhna Yest by Grace R. Reynolds: A poor man refuses his wife’s please to find a better life for her and her unborn son. When she returns for him from the sea, he cannot expect to find any mercy. Haunting and creepy.
 TW: child death, drowning, pregnancy, suicide 

Naiads by Robert René Galván: A short poem about a theater. Okay. 

Tomokazuki by Marshall J. Moore: Set on an island, this story follows a young girl whose mother drowned diving for pearls and food for their small community. Bound by grief a restless spirit begins to haunt their waters.
 TW: death, drowning, grief 

The Siren’s Call by Ngo Binh Anh Khoa: A very short story about a siren. Again, okay, but too short to be anything interesting. 

Moonlight Motu by Roxie Voorhees: Two siblings find themselves stranded on an ocean after a shipwreck where the sister receives nighttime visits. Interesting and haunting, I liked reading this one.
 TW: drowning, murder 

Reflections on a Mermaid by April Yates: A young woman walks to the space her girlfriend drowned herself after her mother kicks her out for being queer.
 TW: drowning, homelessness, homophobia, suicide 

*FAV* The Woman Who Drowned in the Detroit River by Kaitlin Tremblay: A story told about a family and a river haunted by the past and the teenage girl, with whom it all comes to a close when she can’t resist the pull of the water any longer. Heartbreaking, but really well written.
 TW. Drowning, eating disorder 

Senara by T.K. Howell: A very short story about a woman running from an abusive house and encountering an excited mermaid, who wants to show her her world. It doesn’t end well.
 TW: domestic abuse, drowning 

*FAV* Driftwood by Kayla Whittle: A woman finds her sea-side town haunted after a storm. Really well written and incredibly interesting!
 TW: drowning, murder 

They Drowned Me on a Sunday by Emily Y. Teng: A woman is drowned as a witch, but the townfolk made one major mistake. She’s no witch at all. Very short, but interesting concept!
 TW: drowning, murder 

What You Know of Sirens, You Have Heard From Men by Briana Una McGuckin: A Siren, who can return to the water under the full moon if she so chooses too, uses her ability to punish men, who walk free despite their crimes, in a very interesting manner.
 TW: murder 

Qalupalik by Thomas Farr: A very, very short story about a child(stealing? rearing?) creature of the sea. Very atmospheric writing style, but only two paragraphs long and so much too short. 

*FAV* The Specter of Pearlhall by Cassandra Taylor: A gothic tale of a haunted estate by the seaside. Really scary and incredibly atmospheric, I really liked this short story!
 TW: child death, death in childbirth, grief, murder 

Jurate by Steven-Elliot Altman: A short poem about a fisher, whose nets catch a siren.
 TW: drowning 

*FAV* The Children of the Sea by Paul M. Feeney: A haunting story about a fishing crew with a strange bounty and the sea’s revenge. Really atmospheric and well written and also a story that makes great use of the short story format.
 TW: death, drowning 

The Huntress by Lucy Collins: A short poem about a mermaid.
 TW: death, drowning 

*FAV* The Pearl Weeper’s Lament by Marianne Halbert: A really interesting story about a greedy fisherwoman luring a mermaid for the pearls she cries when tortured and the magical properties of her flesh and the curse that is inflicted in revenge. Really brutal and incredibly well written, I liked this one a lot!
 TW: cannibalism, death, torture 

Skin Deep by Rosie Arcane: Another short poem about mermaids. 

Onedine’s Curse by Antonia Rachel Ward: A poet seeks out a muse living in a forest lake, hoping to find inspiration for his work. When he leaves to publish his poems, he promises to return. Interesting concept and I liked the ending.
 TW: death, disease, drowning (not the usual kind) 

The Siren’s Song by Steven Lord: Another short poem about mermaids. 

The Bittersweet Glimmer by Jessica Peter: An interesting take on the lore of Lorelei, a german mermaid myth, following the life of an old woman in a nursing home dreaming of her youth. Really fun for me, because it is one of the myths I grew up with and I really liked this take on it.
 TW: elder abuse, self-harm 

When the Doves Die by Jennifer Soucy: A short extra piece added to this book, originally published in another anthology functioning as a coda. This is one of the longer pieces included in this anthology, which was interesting and allowed for a lot more world building. This story follows a woman working in a brothel, seeking to free one of her fellow workers, who was kidnapped by the widow of the man, who knocked her up. Interesting and well written.
 TW: csa (one of the sex workers is 15), misogyny, murder, whorephobia 

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

I picked this story up for two reasons: The first line in the summary promising queer disabled joy and the fact that it was tagged as fantasy on netgalley, which is a genre where disabled people often do not really feature. If you want more disabled fantasy like I did, this book absolutely delivers on that wonderfully and I adored it so much for that.
I am incredibly excited to see that Me/Cfs is slowly gaining representation in media and I found the way it was portrayed here great. In general, one of my favorite parts of this book was its nuanced examination of dis_ability, crip4crip solidarity, crip wisdom etc. I also liked the way the disabled society had formed here, found new ways of living together and exist in solidarity and care for each other, while still examining the negative aspects of disabled people being pushed in segregated spaces like these, even if they can be the best place for survival for some. And I also really enjoyed that a few aspects of disability studies were featured in the story (such as disabled time). I also liked the way polyamory was handled and the very low-key trans rep (mentioned in one sentence, but concerning important characters, which I found lovely).
The story itself is a bit of a cozy mystery as we follow Laceco, as he tries to figure out what is causing these manifestations and how to stop them, but also the way he forms connections and finds community with others, as well as unlearn internalized ableism, but also deal with what he termed “the Oro Virus”, a fictional way of dealing with the prejudiced stereotypes and negative ideas we can absorb if we grow up in a prejudiced society. I also really enjoyed getting to follow the other characters as they dealt with their problems, some related to their disabilities, others caused through other issues. It was both interesting and comforting for me to read this and I really found a lot of joy in it.
My only problems with the story were some worldbuilding issues that are rather minor in the big picture, but include some things I would have liked examined a bit more. Why are the terms masc and femme used in this story, while the terms woman and man also exists? What exactly do they refer to here in this fantasy world? What about people who fall outside of that binary? Are they just a replacement for man and woman or are they about gender presentation? Laceco always seems to know whether somebody is a masc or a femme, but how? As you can see, that was something that was bothering me a bit. I also would have liked a definition of the term “Q.A.P.I.T. people”, as that is a term that is unfamiliar even to me, somebody raised on tumblr. And finally, I need to know what the ties stand for. I kept a list for every meaning mentioned and while I have guesses for the purple tie (severe disability?), I have no clue what the yellow, the black and the brown tie stand for. They are mentioned, but we never find out what they signify, and I would have liked to know.
But if my only problems with this story are these minor questions of worldbuilding and what these terms signify, I think you can tell that I otherwise had a really great time with the story. It was refreshing to read a story with that many disabled people, disabled community and kinship and care, disabled joy and disabled love. This is certainly something I need to recommend to some friends of mine.

TW: attempted drugging, ableism, internalized ableism, misogyny, illness, prejudiced (aka racist, sexist, transphobic) society

 Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

A quite interesting chapbook documenting the author's experience surviving cancer and chronic illness. The visual aspects where really interesting and the author used pictures from their hospital stay as well as various collage methods to create visually intruiging poetry. The poetry itself is always rather short and wasn't that interesting to me from a poetic level, but it expressed the feeling of what was going on very well.
My personal favorites where the Found Poetry parts, which is not poetry the author wrote themselves, but things they found and framed in a poetic way, which is always a very interesting way to play with language.
Unfortunately the book was hard to read at times (I had to have two copies open, one on my phone, one on my computer), because the text was either too small (on my phone) or wouldn't display correctly (on my computer). I would either advise you to try and get a paperback version of this once it comes out, or for the author to maybe provide a PDF version alongside the epub? 
All in all I do think this was an interesting and enjoyable read!