Review: Dark Celebrations

Dark Celebrations by Calvin Demmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a love-hate relationship with short stories. I much prefer tomes, but I’m always willing to give short stories a read. Horror short stories in particular. After enjoying Calvin Demmer’s The Sea Was a Fair Master, a collection of flash fiction, I was eager to give more of the author’s work a try.

Dark Celebrations starts with Hungry Ghosts, a creepy little story that takes place during the Hungry Ghost Festival. It has a rather campfire feel to it – a bit of drama between the characters, a spooky atmosphere, and things that suddenly go bump in the night – and makes for a great start to the book. I happily devoured this four-star story.

Labor Day Hunt was another enjoyable quick read, with a different feel to it. Whereas Hungry Ghosts started Dark Celebrations with a creepy little vibe, Labor Day Hunt was more action-filled. Although I enjoyed this one, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed Hungry Ghosts. It was a fun little vampire novel, but it didn’t blow mind my in the way some vampire stories do. A fun three-star rating.

Trick Or Death was another fun read, offering another different kind of tale. I thought I knew where this story was going to go, then we were given something else instead. I was hooked throughout, adored the way things developed, and was left more than satisfied with the way things played out. Another four-star rating.

Thanks Sinning once again offered something different, making it clear each story in this collection is going to grip you in a different way. With Thanks Sinning, the story is one that is filled with questions and doubts, leaving you with ideas as you watch how things develop throughout. Although I enjoyed it, it’s not my favourite in the collection. An enjoyable three-star rating.

Three Dead Men gripped me from the start, pulling me in and ensuring my attention did not slip. Things happened quickly with this one, and I really enjoyed the way things came together. At the same time, I wanted more from the ending. It was a nice ending, but I had hoped things would be a bit more explosive. A fun three-star rating.

Happy Dark Year was a story that took the known and made it into the unknown. I could easily imagine this as part of a much larger story, but I also enjoyed it as a short tale. It sucked me right in, and I happily devoured it. Even when you know where things are starting to head with this one, the grip it has on you does not loosen. Another four-star rating.

Dying Valentine was another story that had me hooked from the start. The start of this one had me expecting one thing, meaning I was pleasantly surprised when I was given another. Everything moves rapidly, ensuring each new detail hits you hard. Another four-star rating.

Spring Outbreak was a story that combined more elements than I expected. I confess, I worked things out – including how it would end – very quickly, but the way things played out kept me hooked throughout. Although not quite a full rating, I was happy to round this one up. A rounded up four-star rating.

She Will Rise was a story that packed plenty into the tale. There were a lot of details with this one, ensuring you were happy to keep turning the pages, leaving you with crossed fingers about how things would play out. Although I enjoyed the way things came together, I had been hoping for a wee bit more. A three-star rating.

Prom Screams was a story that gave me something completely unexpected. I went in with ideas of what this one would give me, and all those ideas were quickly shattered. This was the best kind of surprise, making it one of my favourites in Dark Celebrations. A solid four-star rating.

Unidentified Fatherly Object starts to bring these collections together. We get another tale that is entirely unique, but nods are made to some of the prior stories. It leaves you desperate to see how things will come together in the last story, ensuring you’ll be ready to dive into the final story. A three-star rating.

Independence Denied is the final story in Dark Celebrations and it’s a great end to the collection. It brings things together in a great way, providing something much larger and very dramatic to end the tales. It keeps you hooked, ensuring you’re satisfied with the way things conclude. A four-star rating.

All in all, Dark Celebrations was a great collection of short stories. I enjoyed some more than others, but such is always the case with collections. With each story taking less than fifteen minutes to read, this made for a great reading experience and has assured me I will be back for more Calvin Demmer in the future.

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