Collective Darkness: A Horror Anthology is a collection of stories that range from the mildly spooky to the ones that will give you full body chills. These stories are just screaming to be read out loud to your friends or family to share in the creepiness!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the editor in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also purchased a copy.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Collective Darkness: A Horror Anthology Edited by Elizabeth Suggs, Brandon Prows, and Jonathan Reddoch

Okay, first things first… the disclaimer that “Some stories contain descriptive violence” right at the beginning?! Wonderful! I would love to see more people adding notes like this!

Per usual with anthologies, I’ll add my notes about each section and story below.

Foreword, Introduction & Editor’s Summation
I enjoyed that the forward gives a bit of insight into how this anthology came together while the introduction explained more about the group of authors. The Editor’s Summation is an element that I don’t think I have seen before but I liked that the readers are introduced to the tales quickly here.

Feast by Edward Suggs – 3/5
This tale is about a mother daughter duo that are at work, just trying to get by when they have a visitor pay them a visit.

This one started out slow but WOW, it certainly took a bizarre and brutal turn! This story was written by a 17 year old and I would love to see how his writing career progresses. The action scenes were really powerful.

Polter Geist by Jen Ellwyn – 3/5
A quick tale about a boy determined to get into the shop, take and item, and get out. But can he do it without being caught? This one was pretty suspenseful!

Padua’s Eyes by Jonathan Reddoch – 4/5
When a girl witnesses her father and prized pony attacked by a vampire, she is absolutely heartbroken. Soon afterward, her father rises a changed man and the townsfolk take him down. When they see that the pony, Padua isn’t just an albino, it’s also been bitten and has risen again, the girl doesn’t hesitate to free her horse and flee the area. She then sets off on a quest to take down the vampire that killed her father.

I love a good vampire tale! This one was super fun.

Brisket, Please by Becca Rose – 5/5
This tale is about an actress who finishes up a scene and heads to her trailer to prepare for a date. However, when she wakes up, something is very wrong on set…

WOAH! This one was so intense; I absolutely loved this one. It started with a bang that quickly takes a hard turn before things take yet another turn. I loved the two little hints that pop up as the main character wakes up from a nightmare that, once you’ve finished the story, will realize were great foreshadowing! I would love to see this one on Creepshow or something like that series!

Crimson Snow by Austin Slade Perry – 5/5
The story is about four people that head to the summer home of one of the group. As the snow falls, the main character quickly realizes that there was a reason why his family didn’t spend their winters there.

I LOVE stories that focus on tales from books as well as stories about people trapped in a cabin. This story had both and it was wonderfully spooky!

Pond Scum by Alex Child – 4/5
When two boys are out exploring, they come across a strange pond. One boy doesn’t hesitate to get into the water but the other doesn’t like the look of the pond scum. There’s something very odd about this pond…

I love stories like this that start out innocent and then suddenly goes sideways.

The Fallout by Chris Jorgensen – 4/5
In this story, a bar is suddenly in the middle of a raid. Bombs are dropped and the sirens wail. The bar is still standing but there’s an odd fog outside that seems to be calling to them. One man, Oliver, struggles with the situation, thinking that everything seems so familiar…

What an eerie tale! Just the element of a fog that you can’t see through totally weirds me out!

The Last Light by B. Todd Orgill – 3/5
The darkness is creepy enough, but add to it creatures that are made of darkness that can consume humans, and you’ve go this tale! A group of people are traveling in the darkness, struggling to keep lamps lit to keep the darkness at bay. But can they make it to their destination safely?

The Figure in the Mirror by Brandon Prows – 5/5
In this tale, a man goes back to his family home after his grandfather had passed away. Immediately after crossing into town, his scar stars bleeding which he thinks is odd, but soon forgets it while he’s occupied with other things. Then at night when he is resting, he is haunted by terrible nightmares! One nightmare leads him to investigate something in the real world, but what he finds is much more than the terror he found in the nightmare.

This one was SO creepy! I loved every second of this. It was eerie from the start with the missing boy and just got more and more suspenseful as it went on. I would love to check out more work from this author!

The Breathing Wall by Samuel Smith – 3/5
In this story, our main character hears a ruckus and when they go to investigate, they see a man who has been attacked. As them man dies, the main character takes a book from his satchel. After months spent decoding the book, it’s realized that it’s a formula to create a creature…

This one certainly got out of hand quickly! Definitely a tale that can caution readers about their curiosity!

Red Flag by K.R. Patterson – 4/5
Oh my gosh, this one was heartbreaking. This was a tale about a mother and a son, but I’ll leave the rest of this one up to you to discover.

Into the Dark by Elizabeth Suggs – 5/5
In this tale, a man kills his wife in a drunken stupor and then runs. He find a door unlocked and enters. The man inside is willing to hide him from the police if he helps with chores. But there’s a darkness that is also present, and this man is about to learn that he chose the wrong door…

I loved this story! The setup was awesome and I loved that it centered around tea. I also loved the ending and how it lets the reader think about what happens next!

My Final Thoughts
An all around awesome anthology! This is another collection that would be especially great for readers that are just dipping their toes into the genre as this has a nice variety with different levels of intensity, but nothing too dark.

I can’t wait to read more from many of the authors included here!

All We Buried by Elena Taylor is a page-turner of a mystery that is sure to keep you guessing!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review during this book tour via Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours. This did not affect my rating in any way.

Oh my gosh. Sign me up for all of the Sheriff Bet Rivers books! I just love her!

In this novel, Bet has recently moved back to her hometown to help her father. She is planning to only be there temporarily but when he suddenly passes away, she realizes that it may be a while before she can head back to LA.

Saddled with various responsibilities as the interim sheriff, Bet can’t decide if she wants to win an upcoming election to become the official sheriff or not.

When a body is discovered in a lake, Bet dives into the investigation and tries not to worry about anything else. But this isn’t just any investigation, it’s going to also dredge up many things from the past that Bet’s mind has tried to protect her from…

I was hooked right from the start of this one. Like all my favorite mysteries, we open in an everyday life type of scene, but then we’re thrown into the fray as the body was found almost immediately.

Bet was a wonderful main character! She was full of pride for her work and loyalty for her town, but she also found herself at a bit of a crossroads as she wasn’t sure which path she wanted to go down. The supporting characters were also perfectly developed! I found myself equally drawn to them but also suspicious of them.

Throughout the tale, there were scenes that had me so nervous for the characters. Nothing was too violent or anything, but it was certainly action packed! There were also quite a few scenes that had me quite claustrophobic (we’re talking The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling claustrophobic here! Phew!).

I loved how this story unfolded! I had so much fun reading along, trying to guess at who the “bad guy” was, and through all of the twists and turns, it really kept me guessing. When I hit the ending I was very pleasantly surprised by the way things turned out!

One final comment… That cover. How stunning is that?! I love the colors so much. This cover design clearly paid very close attention to the book. I love that the woman clearly has curly hair and that she’s standing near water.

My Favorite Passages
“Hullo!” The stillness of the forest swallowed her voice. Not even moonlight could reach the cabin, backed up against one of the granite peaks and surrounded by stately old-growth Doug firs. A gray layer of lichen covered the trees, and the forest felt hushed in anticipation. The logs of the house were almost black and moss and ferns grew from the cedar-shingles roof, as if the forest claimed the building as its own.

A wooded hillside rose behind town and the cemetery kept watch over the living.

My Final Thoughts
This was such a captivating mystery with wonderful characters. I CANNOT wait to see where this series goes next!

If you’re looking for an action packed mystery with just a sprinkle of romance, then I highly recommend snagging this one.

Little Paranoias by Sonora Taylor is a killer collection of tales! This had such an awesome range; from the stories that will hit you with an emotional punch to the tales that will crawl under your skin.

I absolutely love Sonora Taylor’s writing style! Each tale was so wonderfully organized and paced. There were so many that had a wonderful twist at the very end that I especially loved!

Per usual with short story collections, here are my quick thoughts on each!

Weary Bones – 5/5
Oh my gosh! What an idea! Centered around a serum that people rush to get before the fully understand the results is terrifying. This story broke my heart, but I’m so glad that it centered around an amazingly compassionate main character.

Never Walk Alone – 5/5
Whoa! This one totally got me! While short, it packed a punch! The paranoia that comes with walking somewhere alone is spot on for me, especially at night.

A Part Of You – 5/5
Oh my! Another short one that packs a punch! Go Mom!

Crust – 4/5
Yikes! What a quest for perfection.

The Note On The Door – 4/5
Ah man, the curiosity was so strong here! I love how this one turned out!

Always In My Ear – 5/5
Phew! When true crime obsessions go too far… this one was wicked nerve-wracking.

I loved this passage so much:

“You have to whisper secrets. That way they always stay in your ear, and not in the air or they can fly and spread around.”
Brooke smiled, charmed by the thought of a secret zipping through the wind like a glittery moth, with red eyes and white crystal teeth to match its wings.

As Quick As Poison- 4/5
A wonderful little poem!

Cranberry – 5/5
Shout-out to the author for including the trigger warnings on this one because woof. This one was intense and so sad. It certainly triggered some crap that happened to me in childhood that I will never forget. People really need to stop commenting on other people’s weight!

Drops – 3/5
Ooh! Spooky! This one left me wanting just a smidge more because I wasn’t sure what was going on.

Snowfall – 4/5
Oofh! This poor girl!

Death Is A Hunter – 5/5
What a turn this one took!!

Quadrapocalypse – 5/5
Absolutely terrifying! I can’t decide which situation was the worst!

Hollow – 4/5
Phew! Dolls creep me out so much…

Stick Figure Family – 5/5
I will never look at the stick figure families on the back of cars the same again…

Hearts Are Just “Likes” – 4/5
My goodness! The obsession over social media always makes me so nervous! This one got intense very quickly!

Perfection In Shadow – 4/5
Yessss what a turn!

Salt – 5/5
Whoa! That was crazy!! What a perfectly organized short story!! What devotion between these two!

Seed – 4/5
Gosh the thought of plants and vines reclaiming the earth is so spooky!

He Trapped My Thoughts Inside My Head – 4/5
What a poem!!! And what a way to end this collection!

My Final Thoughts
I had so much fun reading this collection! I’m just kicking myself from taking so long to pick up this authors work. I cannot wait to dive into Seeing Things ASAP.

The Hag Witch of Tripp Creek by Somer Canon is a heartbreaking and totally captivating tale. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t stop reading.

While this story needs a few trigger warnings; child abuse, rape, and domestic violence being the biggest one.

I will say that I thought that each element was handled wonderfully. But please know that if any of these things are triggering to you, you may want to skip this one. The author didn’t shy away from the horror of it all, but she didn’t dive to heavily into the finer details of each event either.

When a couple moves away from the city in order to decrease the amount of stress in their lives, they learn that one of their neighbors is rumored to be a witch.

Refusing to allow rumor and prejudices influence her, Dawna heads right to the witches home to introduce herself. Upon meeting the neighbor, Suzanne, Dawna and Suzanne become fast friends.

Over time, Suzanna tells her haunting story to Dawna…

While this story centered upon the couple and their personal lives and struggles, the heart of the story lay with Suzanne and her past. The message? Even the best of intentions can have disastrous consequences, and those consequences can spill over and infect the lives of others.

My goodness, the characters in this story! I really felt for them. The unfairness of some situations is just too much. Put in the same place that Suzanne found herself in, I can’t say I would have taken a different route.

There is so much more that I would love to say about this one, but I don’t want to give any of the plot away!

On a last note, I will just say… THAT ENDING! God I love endings like this! While on one hand it leave the story open to a follow up if the author wanted to do so, it’s also perfectly satisfying as it lets the reader imagine what could happen next.

My Favorite Passages
This house looked like it had made friends with the wildness that ruled the area and was allowed a space in which to snuggle in, not disturbing anything, but not being overgrown either.

The world is cruel enough without people having to add to it, you know?

The next several hours faded into a haze so thick but the only thing that Dawna could comprehend was the pain spreading through her whole being, like venom traveling through her veins with every twist of her heart.

Gray skies look down on the skeletal fingers of the tall trees, pointed and lonely without the verdant greens of their foliage.

My Final Thoughts
This is one that I highly recommend just diving into! Somer Canon’s writing style will hook you from the start and draw you deeper and deeper into the story as it goes along.

I really enjoyed that this had a peaceful and friendly start, but quickly jumped back into the past and got very dark. I loved that it was organized as a story within a story as it gave the readers more insight into the rumored witch that Dawna had become so close with.

This one is just screaming for an adaptation!

Shadow Vista by Mark Steensland & Charles Colyott is wicked suspenseful slasher that will have you on the edge of your seat!

I couldn’t wait to read this when I heard that it was going to be a Night Worms exclusive. I mean, a tale about a subdivision that has completely halted construction when it runs out of money that a serial killer uses as their own personal burial ground for their victims? Sign me up!

Right from the start of this one, I was totally captivated and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

When I got to the end of the story, I was pleasantly surprised by how it all wrapped up. I certainly didn’t see it coming in a classic “what now?!” ending that suddenly falls into place perfectly.

Filled with ups and downs and characters with a ton of heart, this was a delightfully suspenseful and creepy read! I loved the two main characters and their angsty friendship turned romance.

The only very slight irk I had with this one was that there were a few formatting errors and continuation mistakes such as one mention about driving around in Sam’s bug, but then in the next chapter 18 it said they got into the truck.

In any case, I highly recommend checking this one out if you’re looking for a fun and quick popcorn horror story to cruise through!

Slaves to Gravity by Wesley Southard and Somer Canon is a fun cosmic horror that will keep throwing you curveballs as the story progresses!

In this book, the main character, Charlie Snyder, wakes up in a hospital bed and to her horror, she learns that she is paralyzed from the waist down. While recovering, she feels broken, frustrated, and a bit useless…

One night, she wakes up from a nightmare to her face hitting the ceiling. At first she thinks it was just a fluke, but she soon realizes that she can actually control this! From there, she tests her limits and learns more and more about herself. But she’s on a tricky path that is full of danger, and not just around the discovery of her new abilities.

My goodness. This was such a fun and bizarre read! I very highly recommend going into this one dark so you can enjoy all of the twists and turns! I will keep my last few notes light to prevent spoilers.

One of my favorite elements of this story were all of the pop culture references! They had me laughing right out loud.

The characters were all wonderful and I loved their dynamic with one another. I would have happily read more about their adventures, but I also liked that this book was short and sweet.

I also really appreciated the scenes that sent chills down the back of my neck. There were so many of those! And that one scene in the park in NYC? I won’t be forgetting that any time soon!

My Favorite Passage
Charlie croaked out a laugh. “This isn’t some Stephen King book, Sean. This is real life.”
“We all float up here,” Doggo giggled.

My Final Thoughts
There was never a second during my time with this book that I had any inkling as to what was going to happen next. I absolutely love that!

If you enjoy cosmic horror that will keep you on your toes and make you shout, “WHAT IS GOING ON?!” then I highly recommend this to you!

If this were ever adapted, I could see it going along with films like Cabin In The Woods or Life After Beth as there were plenty of elements that were scary, but loads of lighter scenes that took you out of the horror for a bit before plunging you right back in.

Bunny by Mona Awad is an unforgettable and bizarre tale that had me clenching my teeth in hatred for each and every one of the characters. But man, what a read!

This novel was organized in three main parts, and each part was more bizarre than the last!

Imagine the film Mean Girls, but rather than occurring in high school, it’s grad school… and rather than competing with one another, they all love each other a bit too intensely. But then add a majorly dark element to the tale… and you have this book!

It took me a bit to get used to the writing style. It’s all very short and it’s got an almost child-like quality to it.

At first I struggled with the immaturity of the characters and their severe lack of understanding and drive, especially considering that they were in grad school. It was clear that most of them had a very sheltered life and grew up not wanting for anything.

But then I made a connection to one of my roommates from college, and once that connection was made, all I could do was imagine her as each of these characters and it all made sense! That poor girl was years older than me, and when we wound up rooming together, she didn’t know how to do laundry or boil water for tea.

So while I couldn’t relate in the slightest, and each of the characters drove me up a wall, it was hilariously frustrating to see this storyline through to the end.

My Favorite Passages
They always came apart from these embraces intact and I’m wounded despite the ill will that poured forth from my staring eyes like so much comic-book-villian venom.

You’ve read books that say things like “time stood still”? I always thought it was bullshit. But it does. It can. It can stand as still as I am standing, here in the kicked-down doorway. It can stand as still as the blood-splattered walls and the broken window.

My Final Thoughts
Phew what a trip! I definitely recommend giving this one a read! Just prepare yourself for something wicked bizarre.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard about Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. With a very popular film adaptation, a section of theme park at Disney, and a slew of awesome bookish and film-related merch, Jurassic Park is an amazing tale of a theme park gone very very wrong.

Crichton is my favorite author so I could just rave about his style for days! If I had to pick a top five favorite elements, I would list; the suspense he creates, the quick moments of terror, the character development, how he handles the science, and just the overall flow and pacing of his stories.

For the science specifically, I love how he keeps it pretty high level so we don’t get too bogged down in the details.

From the characters that we focus on in this novel, I love that each character all have such different types of expertise that they bring to the table! This sets up a wonderful dynamic for the group already, but then add in personality traits and we’re really off and running!

The horror is MUCH stronger in the book when comparing it to the movie, and of course, I’m a big fan of that! The overall darkness and terror in every stressful scene is written so wonderfully. One of my favorite scenes is when they realize the fences are no longer electrified.

From cover to cover, this is just an amazing read!

My Favorite Passages
The infant lay in a wicker bassinet, swaddled in a light blanket, only it’s face exposed. Around the rim of the bassinet, three dark-green lizards crouched like gargoyles.

Isla Nublar, Hammond explained, was not a true island. Rather, it was a seamount, A volcanic upthrusting of rock from the ocean floor. “It’s volcanic origins can be seen all over the island,“ Hammond said. “There are steam vents in many places, and the ground is often hot underfoot. Because of this, and also because of prevailing currents, Isla Nublar lies in a foggy area. As we get there you will see- ah, there we are.” The helicopter rushed forward, low to the water. Ahead Grant saw an island, rugged and craggy, rising sharply from the ocean.
“Christ, it looks like Alcatraz,” Malcolm said.

Her first thought was that the dinosaur was extraordinarily beautiful. Books portrayed them as oversize, dumpy creatures, but this long-necked animal had a gracefulness, almost a dignity, about its movements. And it was quick – there is nothing lumbering or dull in it’s behavior.

Grant stood on the path on the side of the hill, with the mist on his face, staring at the gray necks craning above the palms. He felt dizzy, as if the ground or sloping away too steeply. He had trouble getting his breath. Because he was looking at something he had never expected to see in his life. Yet he was seeing it.

“Story of our species,” Malcolm said, laughing. “Everybody knows it’s coming, but not so soon.”

The attack came suddenly, from the left and right. Charging raptors covered the ten yards to the fence with shocking speed. Grant had a blurred impression of powerful, six-foot-tall bodies, stiff balancing tails, limbs with curving claws, open jaws with rows of jagged teeth.
The animals snarled as they came forward, and then leapt bodily into the air, raising their hind legs with their big dagger-claws. Then they struck the fence in front of them, throwing off twin bursts of hot sparks.

“Because the history of evolution is that life escapes all barriers. Life breaks free. Life expands to new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way.“

And then Tim realized: the tyrannosaur was holding the fence! The fence wasn’t electrified any more!

Lex shouted, “Timmy!” and he saw the door give way beneath her, and she fell out of the car into the mud, but Tim couldn’t answer, because in the next instant everything swung crazily- he saw the trunks of the palm trees sliding downward past him- moving sideways through the air- he glimpsed the ground very far below- the hot roar of the tyrannosaur- the blazing eye- the tops of the palm trees- And then, with a metallic scraping shriek, the car fell from the tyrannosaur’s jaws, a sickening fall, and Tim’s stomach heaved in the moment before the world became totally black, and silent.

In a final gesture of frustration, the big hind leg lifted up and kicked the Land Cruiser over, and Grant felt searing pain and the surprising sensation of his own body flying through the air. It seemed to be happening very slowly, and he had plenty of time to feel the world to turn colder, and watch the ground rush up to strike him in the face.

Scientists are actually preoccupied with accomplishment. So they are focused on whether they can do something. They never stop to ask if they should do something. They conveniently define such considerations as pointless.”

“We’ve had four hundred years of modern science, and we ought to know by now what it’s good for, and what it’s not good for. It’s time for a change.”

My Final Thoughts
This will forever be one of all time favorites! I will definitely be rereading this time and time again. It’s just so perfect!

One For The Road by Wesley Southard is a fast-paced tale of bizarre horror that is equal parts terrifying and fascinating.

Pick this one up on a day that you can cruise through from cover to cover! You won’t want to put it down!

Also, congrats again to Wesley for winning the 2020 Splatterpunk award for this novella!!

Set up as a memoir, this tale follows the events that occurred when a band was just wrapping up a very long tour.

Our main character, Spencer, is looking forward to getting back home and finally quitting the band to work on other projects. Of course, he hasn’t told the intense ringleader/lead singer, Steve, just yet.

After their last show, they grab a beers for the road and head out. But the next thing they know, they have all woken up on a road that isn’t familiar and all of their gear is missing… but what happens next is much worse than being robbed or stranded…

I had SO much fun reading this tale! Each new twist and turn that occurred was so bizarre and totally caught me off guard. I was so spooked by the overall environment that they found themselves in and I was terrified to see what was going to happen next.

Each of the main characters in the band and all of the side characters that we were quickly able to see were all very intriguing! I think the trees may have been my favorites!

Per usual with Wesley’s wiring, I LOVED all of the pop culture references!

I also really enjoyed the little breaks that were taken where the character writing the memoir paused to make sure we were still following him, or noted when he got distracted from writing it all down. I love when characters break the fourth wall like this!

But other than those few notes, I have to recommend that you just dive into this one to experience it yourself!

My Favorite Passages
Everything has its own smell. So does failure.

Much like the excess poison dripping from the wounds, his pale skin had darkened to a deep shade of purple, as did his eyes and hair. To be frank, he looked like the wrong shade of Hulk.

My nerves pulsed to a beat of a son I swore I knew, but I could not find the lyrics. I fought to find anything that made me happy: a heavy guitar riff, the face of an ex-girlfriend, my mom and dad. But I struggled to imagine anything that didn’t have teeth ready to bite.

My Final Thoughts
My goodness I loved this story so much! I really enjoyed the suspense of never knowing what was going to happen next, the wicked interesting setting, and just how fast-paced this was!

I highly recommend checking this one out!

While Jurassic Park sends readers along on a test run of theme park that goes very very wrong, The Lost World gives us a glimpse at the abandoned Site B, where the corporation began their tests for the park.

When beginning this read, I enjoyed that we took a bit of time to get into the guts of the story. The ramp up was a bit slower than it was in Jurassic Park, but it was well worth the wait because once the action hits, it doesn’t let up!

The dinosaurs that were included in this one were mostly terrifying! I think there were only a couple that were included in a scene that didn’t bring in an element of terror. A specific pair of dinosaurs toward the end were especially spooky!

From the character standpoint, I loved that Crichton chose to bring Malcolm back. Per usual, he just steals the scenes that’s he’s in with his sarcasm and one liners. But man, there was also a couple of scenes that really showed his vulnerability that just broke my heart.

Sarah Harding was my favorite new character that was introduced. I absolutely adored her no-nonsense attitude and strength! I also really enjoyed how she could let Malcolm have it when he was being ridiculous.

My Favorite Passages
“But absence of proof is not proof of absence.”

He felt a heavy weight suddenly tear at his backpack, forcing him to his knees in the mud, and he realized in that moment that despite all his planning, despite all his clever deductions, things had gone terribly wrong, and he was about to die.

He had a sense of desolation, of entrapment. “Why would anyone ever come here?” he said.
Malcolm, leaning into his cane, smiled. “To get away from it all, Eddie. Don’t you ever want to get away from it all?”
“Not if I can help it,” Eddie said. “Me, I always like a Pizza Hut nearby, you know what I mean?”

“So, Kelly, even at your young age, there’s something you might as well learn now,” Sarah said. “All your life people will tell you things. And most of the time, probably ninety-five of the time, what they’ll tell you will be wrong.”

“Human beings are just stuffed full of misinformation. So it’s hard to know who to believe.“

“But in general, parents don’t like it when their babies are taken away. And that baby has some very big parents.”

Levine focused his binoculars on the kill. There were now five raptors snarling around the man’s body, tearing viciously at the carcass. As he watched, one of the raptors jerked its head up, tearing away a piece of blood-soaked shirt, the ragged edge of the collar. Another was shaking the man’s severed head in its jaws, before finally dropping it on the ground. Thunder rumbled, and lightening flashed in the distant sky.

The radio crackled. And then they heard a noise that at first sounded like static. It was a moment before they realized it was a high-pitched human scream.

In the passenger seat, Levine stared. The raptor was fully inside the Jeep, it’s head low, arms up, jaws wide, in an unmistakable attack posture. The raptor hissed at him.

“All your life, other people will try to take your accomplishments away from you. Don’t you take it away from yourself.”

“You smell the salt in the air? You feel the sunlight on your skin? That’s all real. You see all of us together? That’s real. Life is wonderful. It’s a gift to be alive, to see the sun and breathe the air. And there really isn’t anything else…”

My Final Thoughts
The Lost World is an all around great read! I loved that the terror really sinks its claws into the reader and drags them through to the very end.

I highly recommend reading this for yourself if you haven’t yet.