"Seize The Night" New Tales of Vampiric Terror

                                                    

"They came for us, as they always did, when the sun shone high in the safe daytime sky. They pulled us from our coffins, from our beds, from our corners and alleys and pits, and they hurt us; oh, how they hurt us. Driving stakes through our chests as their legends told them they should, and then cutting off our heads...".
                                     from  "Paper Cuts" by Gary A. Braunbeck


A great vampire anthology. A  collection of short stories written by Charlaine Harris of the show " True Blood" and other great horror authors. The line up includes the works of Christopher Golden, John Ajvide Kindqvist, Scott Smith, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Michael Kortya, Kelley Armstrong, Brian Keene, David Wellington, Seanan McGuire, and Tim Lebbon. These are the kind of stories that take you back to when vampire stories were truly frightening.

While so many of the stories were scary and good. My favorite was probably the first one. It was called " Up in Old Vermont" by Scott Smith. Fitting way to start out this book. It follows Ally as she is trying to decide what to do with her life. She befriends an elderly couple and moves in to care for them. Then things change. Oh how they change. The world changes.

Some of the stories were like old legends or tales of folk lore. Some were a little off the wall. Some were current to the times. The steady theme is old time scary and what vampires originally were described as.

"Paper Cuts" was also an old time tale steeped in history. Annette wanders into a book store and receives paper cuts by an old book that sucks up her blood. The shop keeper tells her a peculiar story of being in the concentration camps and the book being used for evil and sacrifice. Indicating that the Nazi's had long been involved in something paranormal. Annette takes part in helping the shop keeper continue his tradition of the books.

I also really liked "Miss Fondevant" by Charlane Harris. (True Blood author)This story is about a sixth grade teacher in 1970. A little boy dies during class. Susan think that Miss Fondevant killed him as she placed her hands on his head as he was lying on the floor. Together with another child she's determined to find out what it is about this teacher that is scaring her.

Well written by seasoned authors. If you want scary vampires this is your book. A sense of the old days when vampires were creepy rather than glittery. No, that's not a swipe at glittery I liked those books and stories as well. Just a different time for vampires then and now. This is where they came from. There is room for everyone on my book shelf. Perfect time of the year for the scary stories.

                            Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books.

                          Buy "Seize The Night" on Amazon: on sale Oct. 6th. Click here!