Official Review: Tales from Hallowed Ground by Noel Wing

[Mallory Porshnev]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tales from Hallowed Ground" by Noel Wing.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Tales from Hallowed Ground by Noel Wing is a collection of seven short horror stories. All of these are on the supernatural and psychological suspense side. However, there is a bit of gruesomeness thrown in at times. "The Lighthouse" tells the story of a lobster fisherman who is continually drawn back to a mysterious and somewhat haunted lighthouse. "The Date" demonstrates a cautionary tale of what can happen when you don't lead a kind and humble existence. 

Other stories involve demons, devils, ghosts, and shadows that come to life and swallow up victims. Each tale is unique and complete in itself. All of the stories come to some sort of conclusion, though some leave the reader wondering long after. The cliffhanger-like qualities to the endings of most of the stories could be seen as lazy or simply typical of this genre of stories. 

I enjoyed this book. These were quick, fun, little reads and perfect to read around Halloween as I did. I love horror stories, and I think the short story genre suits these types of tales. The author also clearly has a love and appreciation of horror, and this shows through in the writing. There are accompanying pictures for each story that help to set the tone and to help the reader visualize more clearly what the author had in mind. 

My favorite part of this book was how well it was written. It was clearly professionally edited, and I only noticed a couple of easy-to-miss typographical errors. It is always refreshing to read something that has been written and edited with care. While none of the stories were incredibly original as far as horror stories go, I enjoyed them all just the same. My only complaint is that they were not very scary. I would have enjoyed being frightened a bit more. 

I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. It was well-crafted and contained some interesting stories. It was short and enjoyable to read. I felt it could have been a little scarier, but I suppose that leaves it open for more varied readership ages. I recommend this book to fans of horror and suspenseful short stories. I think it is appropriate for most ages, but maybe very young readers should beware. This is a pleasant little book to curl up with in front of a fire on a cold and windy winter night. Just make sure you lock your door first. 

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Tales from Hallowed Ground
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[Silpi B]

Such an intriguing review! I am recently very much into short stories and this book just seems like the perfect read. Ghost short stories with that special element of mystery is always welcome. I would love to give it a read soon. The winter season definitely demands for such books.

[Luluwa79]

The author did a commendable job of putting seven short stories in a book and it sounds thrilling.
Thanks for the detailed and well-written summary and review.

[NetMassimo]

Some nice horror stories can be fun to read despite the reservations you mentioned. Thank you for your great review!

[Faithy_Goody_Star]

I don't enjoy horror stories at all. I'll pass this.