Bestiary of Blood: Modern Fables & Dark Tales
Jamal Hodge, ed.
Crystal Lake Publishing (October 4, 2024)
Reviewed by Carson Buckingham

I have good news and bad news, so let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

Bestiary of Blood is a confusingly-presented home to exemplary stories by many highly-esteemed authors, creating the unfortunate mental image of aristocracy being entertained in a double-wide.

To start with, it was rather uneven. Almost all the stories were of flash fiction length—that’s how the editor managed to shoehorn 56 stories into 315 pages. But then there were a few much longer stories. Most were fables, but then there were some non-fable dark stories thrown in. Oh, and some were poetry. It seems as if the editor wasn’t really sure about which direction he wanted to take with this book, and so it ended up as a kind of literary patchwork quilt…not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose. The only consistent thing was that all the stories/fables were about animals…hence “Bestiary.”

Usually, editors don’t put one of their own short stories in an anthology they are editing—or if they do, it is only one story. This editor added six pieces of his work to the book and made two of them the first and second stories—spots of honor, usually reserved for outstanding stories by those well-known in the genre.

I also wish Bestiary of Blood had been better organized. The sections/themes were odd. There are seven sections within three themes, but the themes, DAWN, TWILIGHT, and NIGHT don’t seem to have much to do with the sections within those themes. Under DAWN, we have A DEATH FOR LOVE, HUBRIS & HUMILITY, and PROTECTORS & TRUTH SEEKERS. Under TWILIGHT, there are no section headings at all, just a group of seven stories. Under NIGHT, we have SEX & OBSESSION, SOCIAL CONSTRUCT, and AFTER THE END. It might have been better if the themes and sections had been eliminated and the stories presented without them.

I’m mildly puzzled by Crystal Lake. This publisher’s releases are usually pure horror, and the horror they publish is top-notch. I was surprised that they opted to publish a book of fables–something so out of character and low-key from their usual fare. It would be interesting to know how it sells.

 

But, on to the actual stories. There were many outstanding pieces of work in this book. I shall mention my favorites by the themes under which they are found:

DAWN

“Best Mother Ever”—Edward Martin III. Motherhood can be a dangerous game.  Also by Edward Martin III—“The Revelation of Dogs”. Heartbreaking in its truth that many good dogs received their training through human cruelty.

“A Cold Midnight”—Tim Waggoner. It’s fine to reach high but know your limitations.

”Grace”—Alessandro Manzetti. A mourner is corrected about his approach to love.

“Cypress Whispers”—Lee Murray. What happens when gifts have strings attached.

“The Dispute of Crawler & Creeper”—Marge Simon. A poem. The consequences of social division and processed food. Also by Marge Simon—“Ganesha’s Child.” Monstrous humans and the mother/child bond.

“Eye of Mirrors”—Patrick Thompson. The high price of vanity.

“At the Foot of Jones Mountain”—Cindy O’Quinn. About gratitude and destruction.

TWILIGHT

“The Fable of the Cat”—Christina Sng. A clever explanation of cat evolution. Also by Christina Sng, we have a poem entitled, “Whales.” It deals with destructiveness and forgiveness.

NIGHT

“Appetitus Afternu”—Jeffrey Howe. I loved this one. You’ll find a couple of very familiar characters here. Cleverly done.

“Mummy Dearest”—Steven Barnes. We meet a horror show Elvira-type hostess whose fans are…unusual.

“Anthill”—Lisa Morton. The juxtaposition of a content creator/influencer and her followers with an ant queen and an enormous fire anthill. Brilliantly written. This was my favorite story.

“The Tale of the Twin Stars Born of Earth and Sea”—Linda D. Addison. A poem about the Gemini twins. Just lovely. Also, by Linda D. Addison, “The Large Reckoning,” another poem, this one about how loss makes room for the new.

“The Devil’s Blood”—Nzondi.  A witty story of a mosquito who sets out to discover if the Devil exists. I loved the African folklore style.

“The Fable of the Tardigrade”—Colleen Anderson. It’s not so bad to be small and ugly after all.

In conclusion, I encourage you to give Bestiary of Blood a try because it is teeming with excellent stories, and they shine like gold through the muddled presentation.

4.5 out of 5 stars. You’ll enjoy it, I promise you.

About Carson Buckingham

Professionally, Carson Buckingham has made her way in life doing all manner of things, most of which involve arson. She is currently employed as a freelance writer on a work release program. In her spare time, she studies forensics, in hopes of applying her new knowledge to eluding the authorities more effectively the next time. She is originally from Connecticut, but now resides in Kentucky—and Connecticut is glad to be rid of her.

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