My review:
I have read one or two short stories so far, none of which I remember now. But I know for sure I will always remember this book “The Captivating Flames Of Madness” by Jeff Parsons which has become my favorite.
This book consists of a collection of 22 short stories. It has a genre mix of Horror and Science fiction. As a fan of the horror genre, this book is a treat to me. Most of the stories are in the horror genre and I loved them all. That doesn’t mean I don’t like sci-fi stories. It is not the genre I enjoy so I didn’t like it as much as the creepy ones.
The plot of each story was so unique and the twists were all unpredictable. There are many stories that I wished to read as a whole book. Every single title of the story was so apt and it couldn’t be any better. The only downside I felt is that the cover of the book could have been better.
Some of the stories were disturbing. In “Devourers of Eternity”, when the protagonist run away from a gang and ended up in a crypt, cockroaches crawled all over her and attack her, if I was that girl I would be as good as dead. And just when I thought nothing could be more unsettling than that, in “Edge of Darkness”, children ate human flesh to survive the dark times. So every chapter is a surprise, might I add, in a weird way.
Some of the stories I loved the most are:
“The Rain” opens with a crime scene. Among the victim and two detectives, one might be the murderer.
“Bruja” is about a witch house where a witch trapped two souls. A boy unfortunately stepped foot into that house. The question is who is innocent? and who is evil?
“At Any Cost” – An old age woman affected by cancer was given a way to survive. That way was morally unfair. But don’t we try to save our lives no matter what?
“Among Us” is set in the future timeline. There is an uninvited guest in a virtual-reality theme park. It would have ended well if the guest was only there for fun. But he or rather ‘it’ has other plans.
I can’t even explain how perfect the titles are to the plot.
Also saving the best for the last, here comes my favorite story. “1642” is a pirate-search-for-treasure-gone-wrong story. I love pirate and ship-involving stories. But that’s not the only reason I loved this one. There is so much in it in very few pages. The pain of a 7-year-old boy who was being tortured by sailors was described so well. Eventually, he joined the pirates for the treasure hunt, only to find later that the treasure is something evil. A chosen one trope with supernatural substance is all this particular story is. I so badly want this short story to be developed into a book or even a series.
“The Captivating Flames Of Madness” is the best short story book with a variety of unique plots and unforeseen twists with a good writing style. This book is for those who love creepy, crooked, and thrilling stories with unexpected twists.
My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 5
*Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy*
Blurb:
This book’s title comes from the reality that – like a moth to the flame – we’re all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever.
What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?
If you dare, why not find out?
Read for yourself the twenty-two gloriously provocative tales that dwell within this book – but be warned, some of my dear readers have experienced lasting nightmares…
Deepireads 