Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas
The sequel to ‘The Three Musketeers’ sees the foursome reunite as France is threatened with civil war and Milady’s formidable son shows up for vengeance. Also Anne of Austria has ungraciously forgotten all they have done for her, Cardinal Mazarin has machinations and Cromwell prepares to topple Charles I. This was a rollicking good adventure full of kindly witticisms and four heroes who are incapable of having egoless personalities.
Best Lines:
“It is the noise of the populace, who are rioting.”
“Terrible projects of revenge.”
“D’Artagnan, you are the best of us all.”
“And if he does not act right, I will smash him.”
“Your repentance is too recent for us to have much faith in it.”
“This weakness is repugnant to me.”
“France can never expect peace and happiness until he has left it.”
~
Letters To Lovecraft edited by Jesse Bullington
This anthology is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s essay ‘Supernatural Horror In Literature’.
Past Reno
A man tries to go home. As to the rest of the erstwhile plot, I have no idea what was going on. Meaningless.
Only Unity Saves The Damned
A group of no-hopers try to escape their small town only to discover that such attainment is impossible. Okay.
-
A man watches this children learn to swim. A woman joins him. I have no idea what was going on in this disjointed tale but it was okay.
Allochthon
Inconsistent.
Doc’s Story
I’ve read this tale of werewolves in another anthology. It’s very good.
The Lonely Wood
Crass and trivial.
Help Me
A man fishes and hauls in something full of spitefulness and venom.
Best Line:
“He did not like that it smiled.”
Glimmer In The Darkness
A young Lovecraft meets a bizarre man. Devoid of substance.
The Order of the Haunted Wood
A sinister account of a disinterred connection between a debasing ad and an ancient disturbing fertility cult. Good.
Only The Dead And The Moonstruck
Bad choices, ghastly advances, a preferred narrative and malignant threats. Good.
That Place
By Gemma Files. Estranged siblings find the remnants of an old long forgotten game. Old memories stir and the frisson of recognition leads to an enjoyably disturbing ending. This was excellent and the ending has a depressing inevitability.
Best Lines:
“Never knock first. Wait until THEY do.
Wait again. Until THEY go away.”
“If it’s That Place, they don’t.”
The Horror at Castle of the Cumberland
SJW crap.
Lovecrafting
This has no cohesive strategy.
One Last Meal, Before The End
A tale of the Windigo, excellent.
There Has Been A Fire
An un-poignant tale of something with nefarious ambition.
The Trees
A tale of a sea voyage. No adulation.
Food From The Clouds
In a historically anomalous London, two idiots spurn sense. This was not very likeable.
Best Line:
“Proper fish, not the scary ones like what come out of the Thames.”
The Semi-Finished Basement
A group meet to discuss the changes in the world. Okay.
Best Line:
“It was hard to feel safe in a room with windows these days.”