Okay, so here's the deal. I'm going to start by telling you that Dark Celebrations by Calvin Demmer is excellent, and should be added to your shelf/kindle. I fully anticipate that it will be on my year-end list for collections/anthologies. The problem is I can't exactly tell you why. I can share some of my favorite offerings with you, but telling you the biggest reason I love this book would spoil a reading experience that I'm glad I got to have without knowing it was coming.


Vague, I know, sorry. If you really want to know, I've seen that spoiler in a few other reviews, but I'll say it again, you'll enjoy it much more discovering it on your own.


A collection/anthology gets brownie points from me if it feels, to the reader, like the order of stories was carefully curated. For the most part, Demmer knocks this out of the park, especially toward the end, but I felt like Hungry Ghosts, while a fine story, would have been better somewhere in the middle.


Labor Day Hunt was excellent and could have made for a strong opener. The realization in this story hit me about a split second before it hit the main character, something that usually works better in movies, but is pulled off nicely here.


Three Dead Men is a terrific example of how to write tension. It features a kick-ass female lead and mummies. We could always use more mummies in horror fiction.


Spring Outbreak starts off slow but builds to a versus situation that I'm not sure I've seen before. Some well done popcorn entertainment here.


Prom Screams was an absolute favorite in Dark Celebrations. The character Fay was written in a hilariously nonchalant manner, and makes the events within the story more fun for it.


Unidentified Fatherly Object and Independence Denied are the perfect (I didn't want to use that word, but dammit, Calvin Demmer leaves me no choice) pair to wrap this collection up. We're left with aliens and Lovecraft horror to take us home.


The theme of celebrations/holidays makes for an interesting backdrop to a collection of stories that stand on their own. Even better than that is the variety on display here - werewolves, ghosts, mummies, mermaids, Cthulhu, vampires, aliens, demons, dumb teenage boys, and the list goes on.
Treat yourself to Dark Celebrations.

I was given a e-copy by the author for review consideration.