‘Mouse and Katt’ by John Tucker was another story that particularly stood out for me as it created two dysfunctional but ultimately likeable protagonists in the story of an abused runaway hitching a ride with a strange travelling salesman – neither one quite sure who will be victim, who the killer. The next story that I particularly enjoyed was ‘Wand Therapy’ by Fred McGavran which was a terrifying and gory exploration of the deranged world of a Halcion popping retiree and the power he feels resides in a mysterious crystal wand purchased by his wife. That the author can make Dolly a believable character and persuade the reader to suspend disbelief is surely a sign of what an exceptional writer he is. One of the most exceptional things about this story was the character Dolly, who could be viewed simply as a disturbing incarnation of woman as sex-object, but came across as an individual despite her extrordinary disability. His dislocation from real-life and his growing obsession with a lap dancer called Dolly are explored. This is the tale of a man adrift after a divorce. The first story that grabbed me, was ‘Just a Kiss Away’ by Jef with One F.

The written horror is accentuated by the beautifully deranged art work whose tortured figures seem to illustrate the inner worlds of the stories and poems.īecause this collection contains the work of 21 writers and artists it would be impossible for me to do justice to each one of them, so I will select a few of my favourites. Murder, psychosis, child abuse and self-harm all form part of subject matter for these well executed short stories and poems. These works grab you by the throat and take no prisoners – exploring the dark labyrinths of disturbed or damaged minds and tackling some very distressing subjects head on. A boon for horror fans fed up with mopey werewolves and angst ridden teen-vampires that have seemed to dominate the supernatural fiction market for so long. Less Twilight and more Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft. This is a great little collection of thoroughly disturbing tales, poetry and art.

Broken Mirrors Fractured Minds edited by Carmilla Voiez

In this anthology of horror, published by Vamptasy, she brings together 21 talented horror writers, poets and artists from both sides of the Atlantic to create a unique collection of darkly disturbing tales. She is the winner of the Horror Author of the year 2013 for her first novel Starblood. About the AuthorĬarmilla Voiez is an exciting new horror writer whose work often tackles taboo subjects from a distinctly female perspective. Here is my review which was originally posted on on 12 November 2013. Broken Mirrors Fractured Minds, edited by Carmilla Voiez was published in 2013.

Starblood by Carmilla Voiez