** I received an ARC for an honest review **
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Description
SHAKESPEARE IN BLOOD!
From the blood of Macbeth and the ghosts of Hamlet, to the dark fantasy of The Tempest and the twisted love of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Unleashed reimagines the Bard’s greatest works as short horror stories…as well as horror sonnets.
Summary
I recently had the great pleasure to read Shakespeare Unleashed edited by US author James Aquilone.
Review
Shakespeare Unleashed is a high quality horror anthology that has been nominated for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards and the Shirley Jackson Awards. An intriguing premise that resulted in a unique anthology of stories, scripts and poems all inspired by William Shakespeare’s works.
These are dark tales but expertly told. Among the varied works were some truly excellent and innovate interpretations of specific plays and sonnets by William Shakespeare ranging from contemporary dark fiction, dystopian futures, mythical and dark fantasy, body horror, weird horror, urban supernatural to historical gothic fiction.
A few of my favourite stories and poems really stood out to me. In no particular order, the following stories and poems I found notable works:
- “Ides” by Gwendolyn Kiste
- “Showtime” by Lee Murray
- “The Votress’s Daughter” by Seanan McGuire
- “Fortune” by Philip Fracassi
- “To Keep a Corner in the Thing I Love” by Geneve Flynn
- “The Body, The Blood, The Woods, The Stage” by Lisa Morton
- “The Montague Look” by Epiphany Ferrell
- “All Hallowed Tides Break Upon These Shores” by Marisca Pichette
- “Scourge of Rome” by Amanda Dier
- “The Hungry Wives of Windsor” by Zachary Rosenberg
- “Something Is Rotten” by Jo Kaplan
- “The Case of the Bitter Witch” by Joe R. Lansdale & Kasey Lansdale
- “The Third Murderer” by Jessica McHugh (poem)
- “Not From My Heart Do I Your Judgement Pluck” by Linda D. Addison (poem)
- “The Witch Stained Red” by Stephanie M. Wytovich (poem)
This is a truly unique anthology of dark fiction, dark fantasy and horror which commands such a variation of tales and sub-genres that complement the original Shakespearean work but also reimagine and reinterpret in new ways.
Conclusion
A fantastic anthology for fans of dark fiction, dark fantasy and horror. This is an beautifully written and edited anthology offering fresh, new twists and takes on Shakespeare. A highly recommended read!
** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **
Leanbh Pearson 