
Black Feathers Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology
Reviews

Some stories were 4.5 stars, others 2.5 or 3! Overall, a good read.

Weird in all the best ways! deereadsforfood.wordpress.com

Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales caught my eye on NetGalley because who doesn't think birds are a bit creepy? If you don't, go look at some closeups of birds and let their dinosaur-like tendencies give you nightmares! The collection focuses on the darker side of birds. It is, unfortunately, a bit uneven in terms of quality, but that's a sin that most anthologies commit. There are several standout stories though that are definitely worth picking up the book. The Mathematical Inevitably of Corvids - Seanan McGuire I love McGuire stories, and the fact that she was a contributor lured me into reading this book. This short story about nursery rhymes and mental illness is gripping and terribly sad. Something About Birds - Paul Tremblay Tremblay is another favourite of mine. He does weird and disturbing so well! The highlights of this story are the unnerving visuals of bird masks, and the steady creeping horror that builds into a bizarre, but shiver-worthy conclusion. Great Blue Heron - Joyce Carol Oates This story is about grief and herons and perhaps a bit of magic. But mostly it is about grief that too many people poke at until our poor protagonist explodes. The Murmurations of Vienna Von Drome - Jeffrey Ford This was a great Victorian style mystery-horror story with shades of The Island of Doctor Moreau. I loved the atmosphere and feel of the city. The Secret of Flight - AC Wise A tale that makes great use of shifting timelines to tell the story of a missing woman and a playwright who wonders how it all went wrong... It's melancholy and paced fantastically well. Thank you to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for giving me an ARC of this book for review purposes!