Review of Symposium of the Reaper

[MsTri]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Symposium of the Reaper" by Andrew Adams.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Dean Koontz is quoted as saying, “Sometimes there is no darker place than our thoughts, the moonless midnight of the mind,” and I can't help but wonder if author Andrew Adams heard or read the quote and took it to heart, as Symposium of the Reaper is full of tales illustrating such.

Starting with "Pavor Nocturnus" and ending with "The Boy Who Feared Everything," this thirteen-story compilation is one journey through a dark mind, and since I'm an avowed night owl, I was more than happy with my stroll through Adams' moonless midnight. The thirteen stories therein are not related, but they do all have a grim current running through them, thereby tying them together theme-wise. While I never found myself truly terrified, I did have many moments on the edge of my seat, half holding my breath. My favorite of the tales is the second story, "Dance Macabre," which finds the narrator hosting a late-night drinking party for some friends but with a morbid slant to it. I have to admit that I finished the story with a few questions, but that just gave me the opportunity to mentally write my own answers. "Holy Matrimony" is another fun tale that put me in the mind of the movies Mr. & Mrs. Smith and The War of the Roses since the featured couple is less than happily married, to say the least. "Cryptic Iniquity," another favorite, follows its protagonist through a creepy and puzzling walk through a parking deck that made me resolve to avoid such structures on pain of death, as it were. On the other hand, I was less than impressed with "Necrotic Frolic," a story starring two embalmers having too much fun with their work.

Even though Symposium of the Reaper's stories vary, their protagonists all have somewhat subversive experiences in common, and I loved the differing ways in which they dealt with them. For instance, the main characters of "Pavor Nocturnus" and "Cryptic Iniquity" were very unhappy with their circumstances and sought to improve their situations, whereas the stars from "Dance Macabre" and "Machiavellian" seemed more pleased with their lots in life. This collection was truly a study of the difference between "glass half empty" and "glass half full"-type people in the midst of adversity.

I'm also pleased to note that this collection seemed to be professionally edited, as I didn't notice any objective grammatical errors. With that being said, I will acknowledge that the author did tend to use commas where I may use semicolons, but it could be a regional thing, so I'm not faulting them for it. To that end, I'm rating this anthology 5 out of 5 stars.

I happily recommend Symposium of the Reaper to readers who enjoy sinister tales and fans of story collections. While there were no sexual situations or extreme graphic violence, there was quite a bit of profanity sprinkled throughout the tales, so bibliophiles concerned with harsh language should take note.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark.

- George Carlin

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Symposium of the Reaper
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[NetMassimo]

Stories that explore psychological horror situations with well-developed protagonists are certainly intriguing to me. Thank you for your great review!

[Joshua Sawders]

Alooma, the Symposium of the Reaper seems to be a captivating read based on this review. With a collection of thirteen dark and suspenseful stories, it keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The anthology explores the darker depths of the human mind and offers a variety of subversive experiences for its protagonists. Additionally, the writing appeared to be professionally edited without any significant grammatical errors. However, it's worth mentioning that the book contains profanity, so people who are sensitive to harsh language should take note. Overall, this review gives a positive impression, making Symposium of the Reaper an enticing choice for fans of sinister tales and story collections. Heartfelt moments, brought tears to my eyes.

[Idris Alooma]

Based on the review, Symposium of the Reaper by Andrew Adams seems like a captivating collection of sinister tales. The reviewer highlights the dark and gripping nature of the stories, mentioning moments of suspense and being on the edge of their seat. They particularly enjoyed "Dance Macabre" and "Cryptic Iniquity" for their eerie and thought-provoking premises. The reviewer also compliments the professional editing of the book and rates it 5 out of 5 stars. If you're a fan of dark fiction and intriguing story collections, Symposium of the Reaper might be a great choice for you. Inspiring message, left me feeling uplifted.

[Louis Donald]

The mix of dark themes and different perspectives on adversity sounds fascinating. I’m especially intrigued by stories like "Dance Macabre" and "Cryptic Iniquity," where the characters have unique responses to their situations. I’ll definitely be picking this one up.