Synopsis:
Game of Crones: Tales of Witchcraft and Wickedness
Welcome to a world of cruelty, hexes and treachery, where malicious magic rules and you are but a single necromancer’s spell away from eternal terror.
From malevolent medieval magicians to Wild West witches, this spellbinding volume by a master of the macabre is packed with frightening fables guaranteed to send a supernatural chill down your spine.
Amongst the haunting historical horror stories, you’ll meet:
- A half-crazed girl locked up in a high security mental hospital by those accusing her of causing a devastating earthquake.
- An impoverished French noblewoman who’ll stop at nothing to marry her daughter to a wealthy prince – even if it means dabbling with a dangerous love potion.
- The hated public executioner Pandora whose fabled box has already killed 55 men – without leaving a trace of violence on their bodies.
- Wily witch Merta who uses all her wits and trickery to turn the tables on the corrupt Mayor who wants her burnt alive at the stake.
- A faery mage without conscience or pity with the perfect plan to make Mankind turn on itself – and all it takes is one innocent baby.
- A drought-stricken frontier town that seeks magical help from the local Indian tribe to make it rain, but learns it comes at a terrible cost.
- The doubt-ridden King, plagued by nightmares of his death, who consults an enchantress to learn the most of hidden of secrets: just when the Grim Reaper will claim him.
- A Mid-Western widow who is convinced her homesteading husband is still alive, held hostage by a sorceress.
If you’re thrilled by exciting dark fantasy tales, with cunning twists, edge-of -the seat tension and unexpected shivers, you’ll love Game of Crones. Pick it up today. If you dare…
My Review
Having previously read and enjoyed Jay’s book Crimson siege, I was very much looking forward to what he had in store in this book.
Game of Crones is a series of short stories all written by Jay. I love a good anthology but I have never read one where the stories are all written by the same author.
So what are you in for? Well according to the cover, tales of witchcraft and wickedness. Do you get it? Oh yes! The thing I love about short stories is the intensity of them. The author has to get to the point straight away so they usually pack a punch. The story that kicks it all of is 2-3 minutes long. It really sets the tone for what is coming.
My favorite story of the lot was Changeling. The reason being, it relies on your imagination to work out what the outcome is. I don’t want to go into details and spoil it. Lets just say it sent shivers down my spine.
There is also a very interesting take on the Cinderella tale called Prince Charming and a couple of stories based on Greek mythology. For me none of the stories were out and out scary, more creepy. Which I personally find much worse.
You can tell that all the stories have been written by the same voice, however, I really enjoy Jay’s style of writing so that didn’t bother me in the slightest. He has a great talent for weaving a tale.
This is an ideal book to have in the car or downloaded on your kindle. Great for reading while waiting for the kids or when your needing to kill a few minutes. I shall definitely be investigating more books from Jay and I am hoping that the second Blood Riders is out soon.
Many thanks to Rachel to inviting me onto the tour and to Jay for a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.
Author Bio:
Jay Raven is the author of Gothic chillers and
historical horror reminding readers that the past is a dangerous place to
venture, full of monsters and murderous men. He blames his fascination with
vampires, witches and werewolves on the Hammer Horror films he watched as a
teenager, but living in a creepy old house on the edge of a 500-acre wood may
have something to do with it.
If you would like to be informed of new releases, enjoy free short stories and
access exclusive giveways and competitions, please subscribe to Jay’s monthly
newsletter on his website at www.jayraven.co.uk
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fantasywriterjayraven/
Twitter: @JayRavenAuthor
Website: www.jayraven.com
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