Everything about this edgy collection builds eager anticipation for what else the authors have in store.
Black Magick: 13 Tales of Darkness, Horror & the Occult showcases a range of macabre tales penned by seasoned masters of the genre and rising stars in the world of nightmarish fiction. From inevitable deadly ends to the mystery of uncovering exactly what lingers in shadowy corners, fear is omnipresent and takes many shapes. Occultism, including various uncanny beliefs that are generally disregarded by the public, is one of the only commonalities in every story, although suspenseful, twisty, and unpredictable endings are frequent visitors. Sharp humor is apparent in many scenes, leaving readers with the disorienting sensation of an imperiled boat rocking fiercely between pre-dawn light and inky midnight blackness. In one tale, witches in a sacred circle are armed with respectable motives and a stick of sage, but this relatively benign scene is infiltrated by a slick-talking selkie whose intentions are anything but. The result for readers is suspense and terror that comes on slowly and hits hard. From diverse settings that allow audiences to ruminate on the pervasive unsettling nature to high-impact finales that leave you wanting more, everything about this edgy collection builds eager anticipation for what else the authors have in store.
Horror fiction has evolved over the decades and this collection teeters between classic tales of terror to more recent tenebrous themes. Spanish Jones opens with a timeless scene of an illegitimate businessman brokering a deal with a unique merchant captain. Readers aren’t privy to the captain’s true nature at first, though plenty of implication is built into a single conversation. Confirming details of their arrangement, Captain Jones makes the ominous comment, “I always take payment one way or another.” 3:33 is more contemporary with the story of a woman trying to escape divorce and writer’s block in a small town with a hidden obsession. Perhaps the most modern, most diabolical plot emerges from The Night Everything Changed, a whirlwind romance shared through an intimate journal entry. This flaming-hot fever dream surges with erotic scenes, drug use, gaslighting, binding spells, and raw fear. Across the anthology, scary elements weigh in on the scale everywhere from concerned house ghosts to bondage and possession, offering a unique thrill for every level of chill-seeker. From unsettlingly glib characters to sexual assault made even more sinister, Black Magick delivers 13 ways to be shaken to the core.
