Women of Horror Anthology, Book 1
Synopsis:
In Under Her Black Wings
– A glamorous actress whose very flesh is reanimated by a beloved Hollywood icon
– A Boy Scout Troupe encounters a frightening mythological creature in an American forest
– A lonely woman finds a home among a group of lost-and-found souls, all cared for by a tentacled sea-creature called Mother
– A Faceless Woman attacks like a virus and takes on the identities of her victims
– A post-apocalyptic battle for survival rages between human and insect
– A Shadow Woman leads the spirits of the murdered to take revenge in the desert
These are just some of the stories nineteen women came up with when tasked with creating their own Women Monsters. Step inside and experience tales of bloodsucking entities in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Cuban river goddesses, an Aztec bruja, werewolves, soul-stealers, obsessive lovers, furious spurned wives, bloody murder in Gothic manors and on Southern plantations… and so much more…
With Foreword by Brandon Scott (Author of Vodou and Sleight, Devil Dog Press)
Edition:
E-book
Disclaimer:
I purchased Under Her Black Wings on my own back when it came out, but in the interest of full disclosure, I was actually offered an e-book copy by the publisher in addition to an e-book copy the follow up book, Graveyard Smash, which I haven’t read yet. I did take them up on the offer for book two, but since I already had Under Her Black Wings sitting on my e-reader, I just read my own copy.
My Thoughts:
As usual with anthologies, I’m going to break this down by story and then bring it all back together at the end.
The Stories:
Foreword by Brandon Scott
This is a fine foreword, but in an anthology that champions women in horror, I really, really wish that it would have been introduced by a woman in horror…
What You Eat by Alys Hobbs
A very spoiled little girl finds herself with a very hungry new governess.
The Aztec by Carmen Baca
An elderly woman descended from Aztecs does a ritual in order to borrow a few more years and to scope out the afterlife, but things go awry.
The Riddled Path by Somer Canon
A scout troop on a day hike runs afoul of a sphinx on a mountain pass. I really liked the writing of this one, but I found myself wondering why there was a sphinx just chilling in the middle of a mountain range.
Desert Kisses by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason, a.k.a the Sisters of Slaughter
A woman on the brink of death hunts down her murderer in order to exact revenge for herself and the other countless women left dead in the desert. I absolutely loved this one!
Somewhere to Belong by Yolanda Sfetsos
A woman who doesn’t feel like she fits in anywhere meets a strange girl on a playground on a rainy day.
Heart for the Heartless by Charlotte Munro
I really, really dug this Frankenstein-esque tale right up until the epilogue, which I really wish hadn’t been there. I felt like it weakened the strength of the story pretty substantially. But if you just skip that part, the story is pretty badass.
The Darkness by Stevie Kopas
This post-apocalyptic tale deals with a plague called The Darkness which causes humans to mutate into grotesque creatures. Lana has to care for her younger sister who is slowly starving to death since food has become exceedingly scarce in the wasteland that was left behind.
Sarah Smiles by Christy Aldridge
There were two stories in this anthology that I really didn’t like. This is one of them. I left the story feeling like Chad’s weird, clingy, obsessive Nice Guy act was almost being excused because of what Sarah does, which just made me feel angry. I hope that I just misunderstood the story completely. If you’ve read it, and got something different, I’d love to discuss it with you. Like, I want to believe that it was payback in a way, but honestly, it didn’t feel that way to me.
Goddess of the Lake by Malena Salazar Maciá
Some poachers looking to take the head of a goddess to sell on the Black Market pick up a traveler and his injured companion.
Abigail’s Army by Sharon Frame Gay
Welp, here’s the second one I didn’t like. 2 spinster Southerners murder Yankee deserters. Like, I think it’s their hobby. I found little to enjoy, but at least I just left this one confused rather than angry.
Road Rage by Sharon Frame Gay
Apparently she got two stories here. I just noticed this as I was typing this up. Thankfully, I liked this one much, much more than the last one. I always enjoy a good Woman in White tale.
Cold Calling by Paula R. C. Readman
A woman with a secret gets invited to a Halloween party by the boss’ daughter – a woman who has no reason to even know who she is.
Upon Acceptance by Copper Rose
A woman looking for friendship accepts a terrible task in order to protect her daughter.
The Faceless Woman by Marie Lanza
An urban legend about a spirit woman(?) who follows her victims and takes what they love most. I actually wish this one was longer. I feel like it really could have benefited from some additional fleshing out.
Kingdom by the Sea by Andrea Dawn
A seaside love story. It’s beautiful and tragic, two things that go together exceedingly well.
Unplugged by Dawn DeBraal
Vivian’s best friend Lauren’s husband dies unexpectedly. The couple had been planning a trip to Rome, which the two women take instead. This one gets points for being something other than what I expected.
Firstborn by Jill Girardi
A father-to-be encounters a Penanggal. Funny, I feel like I’ve encountered a lot of Penanggal stories lately. And I’m totally on board with that. It’s a neat creature.
Sadie by Lydia Prime
Sadie has recurring nightmares about a little girl and her wolf companion. This story transformed into something completely unexpected, and I dug it.
Pontianak by Tina Isaacs
A story about a Malay succubus. I really wanted to like this one, but I had some issues with the narrative voice of the father in particular, and also with the fact that it was mentioned that bad men were using an iron nail in her neck to control her, but nobody ever says why, or how they were controlling her – her actions seemed entirely her own.
Overall Rating:
Although there were two stories that didn’t click with me at all, Under Her Black Wings is overall a pretty solid collection of stories by and about women. Although, as I mentioned above, I think the opportunity to have a quality foreword written by a woman as well was wasted. I am hoping that this will be remedied in Graveyard Smash, which I’m still definitely looking forward to!
Want to buy Under Her Black Wings? You can buy it directly from the Publisher (which is also woman-owned, FYI – because We Love Women! 👍) here.
Under Her Black Wings Women of Horror Anthology #1 Edited by Kandisha Press Kandisha Press ISBN: 979-8621819828 Published: March 5, 2020 Paperback, E-book 272 Pages Publisher's Website
Reblogged this on Lapsed Reality and commented:
Amazing Review of Under Her Black Wings from Angie on her blog, Mediadrome!
I’m so over the moon to see that you enjoyed the anthology!! Thank you for writing such detailed reviews 😊🥰