Disclaimer: Elephant House Press was co-founded by Elizabeth Calder who is a contributor to Glam Adelaide.The Dark Moon Anthology is a compilation of short stories written by a group of writers from the Fleurieu Coast in South Australia. Each story reflects on the ‘dark arts’; characters engaging in dubious, dreadful, or deadly deeds.
This is the first volume of short stories published by the South Coast Writers. While this anthology is a great start for the group, there is room for improvement.
I’m not usually a reader of short stories. I find they often don’t allow a lot of room for adequate explanation of characters and their motives, leaving me frustrated by the lack of information.
All the stories deliver on the purpose of the book. Each story tells the tale of people you’ll probably want to avoid in a dark alley, from truly despicable people to those pushed to perform questionable acts out of self-preservation. There’s even a story or two that highlight the delicate balance of creepy vs romantic.
A majority of the stories had me feeling like I was peering into the window of a stranger’s life. Catching a glimpse of their dirty secret, often not knowing the full reason behind what was happening. Some of the stories could benefit from a little more tuning as I was often left feeling confused by the choice of words or sudden change in direction.
The story I enjoyed most was Second Honeymoon by Kathy Robertson. Her story was witty and well written, with an unexpected ending. I completely understood the protagonist’s motives, which made the conclusion of the story all the more entertaining.
There is a story to suit everyone’s taste, with a range of genres covered. This should be an enjoyable read for lovers of short stories and for those looking for a quick read.
Reviewed by Jessica Incoll
Twitter: @littlejadventur
Rating out of 10: 7
Distributed by: Elephant House Press
Released: October 2018
RRP: $14.99
Disclaimer: Elephant House Press was co-founded by Elizabeth Calder who is a contributor to Glam Adelaide.
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