Reading Room: Tales from the Canyons of the Damned: No. 26 – published by Daniel Arthur Smith

Book Title: Tales from the Canyons of the Damned: No. 26

Authors: Hunter C. Eden, Philip Harris, Jeff Bowles, Ernie Howard & Daniel Arthur Smith

Editor: Jessica West

Publication Date: August 28, 2018

Available on: Amazon as an eBook and a paperback

Indie Athenaeum Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

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Canyons of the Damned tells five paranormal-themed tales that will make your hair stand on end while sending an electrifying chill down your spine. This issue features stories about demons, spirits, fortune, glory, revenge, and deception. Check out how these concepts are turned into storytelling gold, starting with:

Hunter C. Eden’s “Catch and Release” – A demon from hell possesses a thirty-something mother’s body and starts wrecking her life and embracing hedonism. The husband is distressed – what is he going to do to save his wife?

The unbridled chaos this demon causes as it tells its story from its point of view is hysterical. But it’s the conversation between the demon and the exorcist that’s chasing it that’s the true highlight of this is an unconventional, delightful and unique tale with an ending that really surprised me.

Philip Harris’ “15 Things You Need to Know About Visiting the Spirit Realm” – The new iPhone XX has technology embedded in it that allows someone to interact with the spirit realm. Of course, you must get an iSpirit subscription to do that. As told by a famed blogger, we learn about all about how it works as well as its perils and pitfalls.

The author has really thought of everything when telling this story, from being able to talk to deceased family members and even dead celebrities (!) It’s an uproarious and imaginative look at what could happen as well as the massive profits that could be generated from such an invention.

Jeff Bowles’ “A Peaceful Life I’ve Never Known” – Ronnie is pursuing fame and fortune and is studying under the famous and eccentric rock star Douglass. But how did Douglass get that way and what is the true price he paid to get there?

It’s a suspenseful and strange tale about being haunted by bad decisions, their impact on the present day and how it takes a toll on your soul.

Ernie Howard’s “Bus Stop” – Winter is a teenager looking for revenge after his girlfriend got sexually assaulted by the school bully. Thinking only about his rage, he comes up with a plan to acquire a gun! Will he follow through and succeed?

This story delves into the teenage mind and how it thinks, demonstrating a depth of humanity and the darkness that lurks underneath it. The true horror of the story is what happens next and how it’s ingeniously resolved with an unexpected twist.

Daniel Arthur Smith’s “Moroccan Fringe” – Jess is a blogger and photographer looking for adventure, hanging out with friends in the city of Tangier. Hiring someone to show her the unusual and offbeat, she finds what she’s looking for, photographing and taping everything she sees. But when something goes awry, will we find out what really happened?

Filled with such strong detail of life in Morocco and evocative with such detailed flavor that immerses you in the story, it also had a jaw-dropping and horrifying ending that just blew me away.

The paranormal is superbly showcased here in novel and compelling ways, with each story roping me into its world and keeping my eyes glued to the pages to see what would happen next. These are distinctive tales told in a style that you cannot find anywhere else. That is the hallmark of this wonderful series and the themed editions, like this one, bring a singular focus to its genre and are always something to look forward to. Twenty-six editions in and the stories continue to be bold and strong. Keep them coming, please!

If you found this review to be helpful to you, please click here to go to the review on Amazon. Then navigate to the bottom of this review and click on the “helpful” button.

Previous Indie Athenaeum book reviews about stories published by Daniel Arthur Smith include “Attack of the Kung Fu Mummies“, “Gazer: A Spectral Worlds Story“, “Tales from the Canyons of the Damned: No. 35, No. 34, No. 33, No. 32, No. 31, No. 30, No. 29, No. 28, No. 27, Omnibus 9 & Omnibus 10.”