Bound in Blood, edited by Johnny Mains, A Book Review by Mario Guslandi

A chilling anthology of over 20 stories of cursed and haunted books; featuring malevolent second-hand books, cursed novelizations, unsettling journals and the end of the world.
From award-winning authors including Eric LaRocca, Charlie Higson, Kim Newman and A. G. Slatter. Perfect for fans of When Things Get Dark.
You find it hidden in the dark corner of the bookstore; tucked away in a box in the attic, desperate to be read; lurking on your bookshelf, never seen before. Crack the spine, feel the ancient pages. Read it aloud, if you dare.
This anthology brings together horror’s best and brightest to delve into the pages of cursed books, Eldtritch tomes and haunted bookstores.
Published by Titan Books 2024
Bound in Blood, edited by Johnny Mains, Book Review
The idea behind this anthology is that even books which are not horror books may become instruments of horror in more than one way, as proved by stories of cursed books, of damned libraries and of unearthly authors. Indeed a very nice idea, developed in the present volume by nineteen tales.
As expected with any anthology, not all the included stories are memorable, but the general atmosphere is pleasantly scary and dark enough to deserve reading by any fan of horror fiction.
Some of the tales are worth a special mention, and here they are.
“ Bell,Book and Lamp” by the always dependable Angela Slatter ( or AG Slatter) is indeed an outstanding piece of unsettling fiction. It features a young man who has just inherited from his aunt a secluded castle, which includes a totally unexpected horror.
Amanda deBord contributes “ Next Big Thing”, the merciless portrait of a formerly successful writer now a prisoner of a personal and professional crisis.
In “ The Wretched Tome” Jeremy Dyson effectively revisits the time-honored subject of the cursed book.
Elizabeth Hand provides “ Near Zennor,” a complex novelette in which a widower discovers some unpleasant secrets after finding some old letters written by his wife as a young girl.
Obviously, the above stories are my favorites in Bound in Blood. Others may prefer different titles from the list of included tales. Certainly, the anthology offers enough to satisfy the different tastes of horror lovers.
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