| Title | : | 25 Gates of Hell |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 333 |
| Publication | : | First published October 29, 2020 |
Now, dear reader, you seem to have stumbled upon it.
And you have opened it.
You must reap what you have sown.
Come, step into the pages. See firsthand what hell is capable of.
Of course, just know, you won’t last long enough to scream.
25 Gates of Hell Reviews
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25 Gates of Hell is perpetually locked in the darkness. It is a frank and conclusive investigation of how dark humanity can be. 25 stories from 25 writers, each one steeping into the fires of hell unsure of whether they could escape again. As the title suggests, each story is focussed on the opening of hells gates and the implications upon mankind. Each one is gritty, dark as hell and it kept my black heart beating for a little while longer.
25 Gates of Hell reminded me just why I love Horror short stories. They are quick to the point, devastating to the point of despair and they can display all branches of emotion, something that other genres just struggle to display effectively. This anthology was so brutal and bloody that I could almost taste the metal in my mouth, hear the fear from all around me and my breath quicken with the anticipation of what would come next. The urgency was palpable, and every author had adept ways of hooking me from the first sentence. If you expect this to be the kind of book that you can pick up over the course of a few days, forget about it…this beast will consume and be consumed within hours.
A Child’s Game by Brandon Scott was the perfect opening to this fear inducing anthology. This tale is enough to permanently instil the cold dread into every reader but the fact that it was centred around a young child committing such atrocities made a dark shadow cross over my heart. The gore and the imagery was so horrifically sublime that I knew it would become a favourite.
The Ecstasy of Gold by Jill Girardi not only blew my socks off, but it took the skin with it too. How many people do you know that have had an undeniably hard start to life, and how many people would fall into the trap of doing anything for vast amounts of riches. A tale that examines humankinds’ affinity for greed and how that impacts everyone around them. A pickpocket that quite possibly has stolen the motherload and gotten more than he bargained for.
I’ll Come Back to You by Brian Keene was probably my favourite. Short, sharp and a blade that happily cut you from ear to ear. You immediately got a correlation to mental health and the human brains consciousness and how it loves to trick you in all lights. Cleverly written but with enough left hanging for you to sit in questioning silence.
Hook, Line and Sinker by Janine Pipe was just perfection. If anyone were to utter the words that women can’t write extreme gore – Pipe would tear them a new one and display it as art! The narrative was snappy, with enough elements of wit and horror to make it personable. It gave me the chills and flashbacks to old 80’s slasher movie vibes. A serial killer with a hook for a hand – winning!
25 Gates of Hell is an anthology that shows that its bark is just as bad as its bite. Each author knows how to get into the readers head and cranks the fear dial to the maximum. -
Review originally published in SCREAM Magazine, #67 July/August 2021
Hell is unleashed on Earth. The gates have been opened and wickedness prevails. The authors of this anthology have been tasked to write a collective work detailing the horrific events. 25 stories of pure Hell.
An intriguing premise.
But I’ll set some early expectations and let potential readers know the apocalyptic hellscape synopsis is an effective hook, but the stories are more of the standalone variety instead of following the suggested theme; it’s not a mood killer.
My favorite thing about anthologies is that readers can skip around and find the stories that are the most appealing to them without an expectation to read every, single offering. That being said, there are a few you wouldn’t want to miss out on:
A CHILD’S GAME by Brandon Scott is first out of the gate and starts off throwing punches. A story about a child with an affinity for murder. This one does not hold back.
THE ECSTACY OF GOLD by Jill Girardi was an unexpected cautionary tale of the age old adage, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
I’LL COME BACK TO YOU by Brian Keene explores the idea of a vengeful husband traveling through space and time to visit an unfaithful wife. BILLABONG by Catherine McCarthy is a compelling tale full of ghosts, sacred idols, and tribal rituals. I enjoyed the rich world-building.
HOTEL CALIFORNIA is a story based on the lyrics of the iconic Eagles song. A man finds himself the guest of a hotel in which your signature in a book means that you can never check out. HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER is a rip-roaring narrative full of colorful characters with foul mouths. The “Hook Man” is on the loose and local authorities scramble to make sure he’s caught. The pace is fast and tight-I felt myself racing through to see what would happen. Lastly, LUNCHTIME FOR BENNY was a favorite if you enjoy child protagonists and body horror, gross-out stories. Try to read this one without feeling sick. I’ll never eat coleslaw again.
Not every story is going to win over readers but there are enough standouts to make this anthology one for the collection. -
4.0 Stars — Hell hath no fury... like hell!
This wonderful concept, in which the gates of hell are opened by guards whereby a horrendous, magically horrifying journey ensues for the reader.
Not for the faint of heat, these tales of Lucifers kingdom offer a wide array of hellish-fun, but it’s a no horrors-barred approach that won’t be for everyone. What I enjoyed most of all, was that each story felt like it had a grander plan, an arc that was disturbingly awaiting me around the corner of each page, building an eery-infested tension that was so palpable one could smell its prescient gloom.
Each story is told with excruciating mischief and torment, that lures the reader through a dark passage-way of delight and whilst there are some that may ultimately fall a little flat, the overall trope of fiery hell is intrinsic in each paragraph.
An enjoyable, dark & downright frightening look into the psyche that is human-fallibility! -
This new collection from Burwick anthologies invites the reader to see what hell is capable of, with 25 stories from 25 writers, each chronicling a story resulting from the gates of hell being opened, and the consequence that has for mankind.
Inside, you will find tales of;
• A Malaysian pickpocket who steals more than he bargained for
• A company who discover how to release the dead for the underworld, and what happens when they begin to lose control of what they have set in motion
• Australian settlers who disturb an ancient spirit, with horrific consequences
• A young boy who is kept behind after school and finds that his school is hiding a terrible secret from its students
• An immersive video game that begins to bleed into real life
• A reporter who gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to follow a real-life killer on the hunt for their next victim
Based on the book’s description, I was expecting more of a theme or some consistency with the stories as a collection. The concept of 25 stories resulting from the gates of hell being opened is an intriguing one and not something that’s really followed through. ‘25 Gates of Hell’ is ultimately just a collection of stories with little to nothing that links them. It’s a shame because that concept was one of the unique selling points for me that separated this from any of the other massive numbers of horror anthologies currently being released by the small press.
The question then becomes, are the stories themselves worth the price of admission. Thankfully, that would be a resounding yes. Of the twenty-five writers involved, I had heard of only one (Brian Keene) prior to reading, so my expectations weren’t high, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the anthology surprisingly consistent. There are a lot of great stories here (‘Billabong’ by Catherine McCarthy, ‘The Ecstasy of Gold’ by Jill Girardi and ‘Lunchtime for Benny’ by Christy Aldridge were my personal highlights) and while a handful of stories are let down by a rushed ending, or a convoluted set-up, I found something to like about every story on offer.
There was also a welcome cross-section of different genres. A lot of stories leaned into sci-fi horror, which is a favourite of mine. There were also romantic or crime dramas with a horror twist, period stories and comedies, as well as the usual straight horror and creature features, some of which delved into extreme or splatterpunk territory. It’s great to read such a diverse collection of different styles and there is almost certainly going to be something that resonates with every type of horror reader in this collection.
While I was disappointed that there wasn’t more to connect these stories, the quality of the stories on offer more than made up for it. It is always exciting to discover a new writer, and 25 Gates of Hell has no shortage of up-and-coming horror authors to watch.
You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at
https://www.myindiemuse.com/category/... -
Great stuff ;)
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This is one of the classiest collections of short stories I have ever read. I will go one further, and say it included the best short story I have read in many a long year. No spoilers, but it was Hotel California...yes, THAT Hotel California for anyone who hasn't now got the Eagles ' ballad going through their heads, you should have. One of the cleverest pieces of short fiction I have read. But, as I say, no spoilers, so you will just have to delve deeply into this awesome collection to find it. Every single story was better than good, every single story was worth reading more than once. From the horrific to the downright strange, the contents of 25 Gates Of Hell will stay with me for a very long time.
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Some really great stories in this anthology. A few failed to capture or keep my attention but for the most part, I loved it. Anxiety, Now Hiring Smiling Faces, 101 Days, The Inhabitant and Hook, Line, and Sinker were probably my favorites! This is a definite must read for horror fans.
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Very Good Book
One of the best collections of stories I have read in some time. Stories were long enough to be really good, but short enough to not take long. -
25 Gates of Hell: A Horror Anthology by John West et. al., is a horror anthology with twenty-five different horror stories that will lead you closer to the fiery depths of torment.
If you like scary stories with distinctive voices and styles, then this is the anthology for you. I was in awe of the different stories and I enjoyed nearly every single one. My favorites were ones with strong female leads and poetic ways of writing. But, again, if you have a different horrific taste, then you’ll find something in this collection that you’ll enjoy.
But before I get into my favorite stories, and why you should also love them, I want to call out the professional writing and editing style of this anthology.
Each story is well-created, well-written, and well-edited. As I mentioned, the voices are unique and brought out through each story. There were two stories in particular that I found striking, and they were placed one after another, which only heightened the differences in writing; I found it really worked for the anthology. The two stories were “The Repossed” by James Dorr and “Billabong” by Catherine McCarthy. As a fellow editor and publisher, I really appreciate how these two stories turned out.
Now, to my favorite stories. I want to call out “Ghost in the Machine” by Rich Restucci, “101 Days” by Marie Lanza, “Hotel California” by Davina Rush, “The Niche Thing” by Alex R. Knight III, and “Mad: A Poem” by R. L. Burwick.
I had a lot of fun with this anthology. There are awesome moments, scenes, and catch phrases. If you’re looking for something scary, I suggest this! -
As these are stories relating to the gates of hell from the imagination of the writers, if you are looking for happy endings, this is not the book for you. That said, I really did love the majority of stories in this collection. They were so very creative, from across the globe, space, ghosts, ungodly terrors, you name it. Some were really memorable and quite frightening, it made me wish they were longer/stand-alone, but now that I am familiarized with the authors, it gives me even more for my TBR. They really were all well written and laid out, the stories flowed from one to another really well.
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Tales to chill your bones and warm your hearts. A fantastic and pleasantly diverse collection of stories from some incredible writers. Released on Halloween for only a dollar? Deal of a lifetime!
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25 Gates of Hell: A Horror Anthology is described in terms of gates opening and unleashing Hell on earth, with these writers chronicling the results. This is a fairly specific theme–although there’s obviously flexibility of course–and a good handful of these stories just don’t seem to fit the theme of “Hell on earth” beyond the fact that they’re horror stories. I’m always a bit disappointed when that happens, because I pick up themed anthologies because I’m specifically looking forward to that theme. Anyway…
My favorite stories in here were written by Brian Keene, Flint Maxwell, Matthew Hollis Damon, Janine Pipe, Nicholas Catron, and Gregg Chamberlain. Among these stories you’ll find people chasing down their past through alternate realities, rushed bridge constructions that might be haunted, monsters in closets, something in need of learning one or two tricks from “The Matrix,” a VR simulation gone horribly wrong, a pair of detectives trying to hunt down a vigilante “hook man” serial killer, and an alien crash-landing. Despite how much I loved these, a couple of them don’t seem to meet the theme. But there are some great characters, chilling twists, unusual demons, and nasty pranks.
Other really good stories tell of stolen wallets with strange properties, unusual power sources, strange portals found through traversing drainage pipes, a Bluebeard-like tale (you can see everything coming a mile away, but the execution is very good), mysterious creatures haunting the Bayou, an undertaker who’s been swindled, colonizers reaching Australia, zombie-bear attacks, a man who lost his wife and daughter in a crash and finds himself at a mysterious hotel, a man who wakes up in a coffin, a serial killer who’s looking for something inside bodies, and a food fight in a school cafeteria.
Some of the things I haven’t enjoyed (mostly in my less-favorite stories, but a few of these refer to the ones I actually quite like) include one with a detail that’s necessary for the plot that makes no sense to me at all. As often happens with short horror stories, some of them really left me wanting more. A few felt like they ended just before the climax of the story, or inadequately showed what was going on (I still can’t figure out how one of them ended, and in another I just felt like I missed something essential). Some hint at background that’s frustratingly lacking. One story seems to think that characters shouting is how you show drama. Certainly no deal-breakers, and many of these are problems that show up reasonably often in short horror stories.
Oh the whole, the stories are quite good. If you’re looking to find a few new authors to follow, it’ll be a good resource!
Content note: animal death, gore, mention of sexual violence/rape.
Original review posted on my blog:
http://www.errantdreams.com/2021/01/r... -
A great selection of stories here.
My favourites have to be Hook, Line, and Sinker by Janine Pipe and I’ll Come Back To You by Brian Keene. Excellent stuff.
Go pick this up! -
Good scary little stories
These were some perfectly great stories some were scary and some were alittle tame. But all in all they were right up my alley -
If they hadn't jammed a poem in, near the end, I would've enjoyed the whole book. :)
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This was a good collection of short stories by a bunch of authors I have never heard of. Good selection of horror, some pretty graphic. Most had a surprise ending......... there were only a few that you can guess the ending. One of my favorite types of books to read, because I have so little time TO read! Not sorry I purchased this book for my Kindle! Happy reading!
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It’s okay
There were several stories that were worth the title’s meaning, but I didn’t much care for the others. What really bummed me out was that there was no story which extended the book’s summary about chronicling the evils which escaped hell. I would have really enjoyed reading that story if it was written! -
25 Gates of Hell: A Horror Anthology by John West et. al., is a horror anthology with twenty-five different horror stories that will lead you closer to the fiery depths of torment.
If you like scary stories with distinctive voices and styles, then this is the anthology for you. I was in awe of the different stories and I enjoyed nearly every single one. My favorites were ones with strong female leads and poetic ways of writing. But, again, if you have a different horrific taste, then you’ll find something in this collection that you’ll enjoy.
But before I get into my favorite stories, and why you should also love them, I want to call out the professional writing and editing style of this anthology.
Each story is well-created, well-written, and well-edited. As I mentioned, the voices are unique and brought out through each story. There were two stories in particular that I found striking, and they were placed one after another, which only heightened the differences in writing; I found it really worked for the anthology. The two stories were “The Repossed” by James Dorr and “Billabong” by Catherine McCarthy. As a fellow editor and publisher, I really appreciate how these two stories turned out.
Now, to my favorite stories. I want to call out “Ghost in the Machine” by Rich Restucci, “101 Days” by Marie Lanza, “Hotel California” by Davina Rush, “The Niche Thing” by Alex R. Knight III, and “Mad: A Poem” by R. L. Burwick.
I had a lot of fun with this anthology. There are awesome moments, scenes, and catch phrases. If you’re looking for something scary, I suggest this!
