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Exploring dark alleys. Discovering new nightmares. Revisiting the masters.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Slaughter Sisters

Unseen by Rebecca R. Pierce is far better than I ever would have expected...the story's description doesn't do it justice. The wagon train with a family of pioneers is the perfect setting for what is to unfold. Pierce blends folklore and suspense into a brutal and devastating coming of age confrontation for 16 year old Charlotte. While sympathetic to what her sister endured, I'm not entirely convinced of Rachel's role as a victim. Sometimes monsters create new monsters.


The very first fiction books I read on my own were anthologies of folklore and mythology stories. I noticed right away, the pretty creatures were usually the most dangerous. While those stories were, and still are, labeled fantasy, the myths and legends were often filled with horror and tragedy. Moving on to horror from fantasy, with a stopover in science fiction, made sense to me.

As a result, I love authors who find ways to take the old world folklore and mix them with the new world horror. Unseen is a great example of ageless fiction: a story that could easily be told at a campfire in the Old West or at a slumber party in 2018 and equally frighten both audiences.

As always,
AstraDaemon

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