• Edited by Michael R. Goodwin
• Authors: Jay Alexander, Jacob Ian DeCoursey, Miguel Gonçalves, Michael R. Goodwin, Spencer Hamilton, Kay Hanifen, Marcus Hawke, Ryan Marie Ketterer, Nikki R. Leigh, Jeremy Megargee, Grace R. Reynolds, Jamie Stewart
• Publisher: Dark Pine Publishing
• Publishing year: 2022
• Number of pages: 260
• ISBN: 979-8826291993
• My rating: 3,5/5

Synopsis:

When you’re a writer, rejection is just part of the process This anthology gives a second chance to twelve twisted and unsettling stories that are sure to satisfy any fan of indie horror. Featuring stories by Jeremy Megargee, Jamie Stewart, Grace R. Reynolds, Marcus Hawke, Miguel Gonçalves, Jacob Ian Decoursey, Kay Hanifen, Nikki R. Leigh, Jay Alexander, Ryan Marie Ketterer, Spencer Hamilton, and Michael R. Goodwin.

Review:

A lot of indie horror authors send in stories for either collections or anthologies but I guess more often than not they are sent a refusal letter, which is part of writing of course.

There are also so many writers (and probably wannabes?) so they can’t always expect to be included…

But then Dark Pine Publishing, together with writer Michael R. Goodwin (Smolder, How good it feels to burn, Broken Justice) thought: ‘why not collect those stories that didn’t get a place somewhere else and collect these in an anthology without real theme?’ And thus arrived ‘Devil’s Rejects’!

In principal this is a great idea, to give these writers the opportunity to showcase those stories and not have them collect dust in a shelf somewhere. But I have to admit, even though I enjoyed a lot of these stories in this here collection, I might have enjoyed them more with a sort of binding theme. (A lot of these stories are situated in rural villages so that could have been a great theme)

Notwithstanding this, there are some real good stories in hete. I knew most writers already but a few new ones caught my attention as well… I really loved Michael R. Goodwin’s addition to this collection ‘Kindness’, I was a huge fan of Spencer Hamilton‘s The Cursed and the handheld camera point of view in the story. Marcus Hawke’s redemption story ‘Yours Truly’ was inventive as well. Revenge is always a good base for a story, like in Jamie Stewart’s Mr. Nostalgia becomes Mr. Hollywood. The biggest surprise in here was Ryan Marie Ketterer’s story ‘The Hypnosis Factory’!

So you see, I really enjoyed reading this collection. It started out a little slow but once I got in the flow (the stories are never longer than 20-something pages) it read really quickly. I also love how these writers got a second chance with these stories, but I am sure they would have gotten them out anyway, somehow, somewhere…

I do need to mention something as well… my copy of the book is one that was released at the start of the Summer of ‘22. In the meantime, as you can see below, a new cover design has been developed and will be released later this year and I have to say: I love the new design and the darker cover! I think it was a good decision to change it 👌 (I just learned it will also contain two new stories)

My love for indiehorror is growing with each new book I’m reading and I do hope these writers keep doing what they do best! So please, never stop, never give up!