Mysticism & Myths Anthology

After a long, long time, I'm finally participating in another blog tour! I poked my head out because the subject matter sounded really interesting! (Also, I was hoping to see if any Asian ghosts made their way in). Since it's a collection of short stories, I thought I'd quickly review each story in the collection.

First up, Bound by Blood by Margo Bond Collins. It actually features a Filipino monster (a aswang), which made me really really happy. It did veer into a direction which I didn't completely expect, but I found it to be an interesting read, and it raised my expectations for the rest of the collection.

Second, Isa: Gift of the Baloma by Perri Forrest. I have to admit, I skipped this story. The first scene was rather explicit, and not something that I'd normally read. If you like steamy stories though, you should like it.

Third, Mico, Anguta's Reign by Dormaine G. I liked this one! It involved were-wolves, and a murder mystery. Personally, I would have loved it to be more in-depth, but that would make it a full-length novel instead. I sorta-but-not-really saw the twist coming (I'm not sure. I felt surprised yet not surprised), so yes, it's a pretty good story.

Fourth, Cursed: A Yorkshire Ghost Story by Karen Perkins. A pretty spooky ghost story for me with a vengeful ghost - if this was a movie, I'd avoid it because I'm a scaredy cat. The ending is pretty open, and like Mico, it has the potential to be a full length novel that made me stay up all night. The only small niggle I have is that for one character, the "thou" and "thees" seem to be rather mixed up with "you" arbitrarily. Either that, or the author was using it in the Shakespearean sense ("thou" being the more intimate form of expression), but it didn't really seem that way either.

Fifth, Carnem Levare by Jaxx Summers. I liked the descriptions of Venice in this city, but the story dragged a little. I think it was two different POVs (this involves another vengeful ghost - this time, that of a jilted lover), because I was pretty comfortable in one, and switching to another was a bit of a shock.

Last, but not least, The Life Keeper by Abby L. Vandiver. This was a really strong story to end the collection with. It looks at life in a small Romanian town, and the legend of the strigoi, a sort of vampire. I must say, the ending totally threw me, I did not expect it. But, the dynamics of an outsider coming into the family was interesting, and I enjoyed the narrative voice.

Overall, most of the stories are pretty solid. I wouldn't say that you can give this to any kid you know who likes mythologies, but if you know an older teen or adult that likes reading about different monsters, but doesn't have time to go through a whole novel, this collection would be a pretty good fit.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as part of Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for a free and honest review.