Genre: Horror
Length: 173 Pages
Publisher: Cemetery Gates Media
Release date: October 26, 2018
Synopsis: Through these gates we shall see the souls which misery doomed… A man finds himself camping in the middle of a serial killer’s burying grounds. Two brothers uncover a secret more heinous than they ever imagined when snooping around their neighbor’s house. A graduate student captures an urban legend on his school’s famed ‘Suicide Bridge.’ AT THE CEMETERY GATES: VOLUME 2 is a horror anthology for hellhounds, nostalgic crypt keepers, and creepypasta aficionados.
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review
At the Cemetery Gates Vol 2 is filled with 17 new short stories, some meant to shock, and others meant to give us a good ol’ fashion scare. The first story, With the Lights Out, was a well weaved tale combining two classic horror tropes. One, ‘the scary bedtime story’, the other, ‘the classic escaped and dangerous man’. This was a great start to another solid and fun read from John Brhel. I’ve been a fan of John Brhel and Joe Sullivan for a few years running and their latest effort, for me, was another winner.
Another great tale was The Payphone, which I found fun and satisfying. It was a case of you get what you deserve. I couple of kids think they can pull pranks without repercussions, not so fast my young friends! I also loved the twist in Kara Finds Her Match. She was looking for the perfect date, and I guess she found it. You really have to wonder what is considered perfect… Mixtape: Halloween ‘84 was an excellent story and one of my favorites. I sure as hell didn’t expect the outcome I found, but I should have, knowing how John and Joe weave their tales.
I didn’t dig Spice of Life and Pernicious fictions. The endings left me asking, why? But this is the way collections are, and there are always other stories to look forward to, and I found many I really dug. A Hammock Camping How-To gave me my favorite, oh shit ending, which was very satisfying. I really enjoyed the ghost stories, urban legends, and paranormal elements. Especially the story, The Staircase at Waverley Glen and closely behind, Death in the Family. Both stories were fairly short and sweet, with a well done and creepy ending. A few stories, like Danny’s Rock and Father-to-Be, were the kind of horror that sticks with you, and I was thrilled to find these stories. Overall, I thought the stories very enjoyable and I would recommend At the Cemetery Gates Vol 2.
Link to purchase At The Cemetery Gates: Volume 2
John Brhel, biography
Hi. My name is John Brhel. I write fantastical stories about demons, ghosts, magicians, and regular ol’ Joes. I’m the co-author of two books, Marvelry’s Curiosity Shop and Tales From Valleyview Cemetery, with my good friend Joe Sullivan. With Joe, I am also a co-founder of Cemetery Gates Media, a publisher of rich fantasy and horror stories. I am currently working on new stories with Joe, as well as my own novel.
When I’m not writing fiction, I work full-time as a communications manager at Binghamton University, where I manage social media, publish press releases, write magazine articles, and a whole bunch more. I also use all of these same skills as a freelance copywriter, as which I have experience writing content for everything from consulting firms to tech startups to rock bands and more.
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