Review of Strange Worlds: Surreal Stories and Tainted Tales by Victoria Pearson

Description (From Amazon)

Cover links to amazon

Slip into fifteen dark tales that show the world through a strange new perspective. Take your imagination on a journey that begins before birth and continues long after death, stopping off to marvel, tremble and wonder at the strange worlds in between. Meet zombies, vampires, leprechauns, even a genie, as you have never seen them before. Ponder what the world feels like for a child as yet unborn, spend a sleepless night with a would-be murderer, and see what becomes of the angel who trades places with one of the most vulnerable in our society. Find out what life feels like when you can no longer rely on your senses, when you have no-one left to trust, not even yourself… If you like your short fiction shrouded in darkness and sprinkled with the strange, then this is the collection for you. Leap into the unknown, and see the world through someone else’s mind…

My Review

I reviewed Victoria Pearson's first short story collection, Strange Love - Short Stories and Twisted Tales, over on Goodreads back in February (read that review here) and loved it. So, when I was given the chance to review her second collection I jumped at the chance, and it didn't disappoint.

The title of this collection says it all really, some of these stories are very surreal but they are all thoroughly enjoyable. As with her first collection, no two stories are the same and all of the characters are fully formed and really come to life. This time there are 15 stories to sink your teeth into and not a dud one among them, but if I had to pick favourites they would be Chasing Rainbows, Alienated, The Encounter, Clock Watching and The Mind Pit (recognised a lot of myself in this one!).

If you like your tales with a dark edge, then this collection is for you. I can't wait to see what Victoria brings out next.

I give Strange Worlds 4 out of 5.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating System:

1 star: I will never post a 1 star review because this means it was so bad I couldn't finish it, and I don't won't publicly rate a book I haven't read all the way through.
2 star: I may have liked the story but it was badly written or it may have been a boring story well written. Something about it kept me reading but I didn't enjoy it.
3 star: A good, enjoyable read. If the description appeals to you I'd recommend reading it.
4 star: A really good book that I thoroughly enjoyed and may even read again. I will want to read other books by the same author. Highly recommend.
5 star: Reserved for books that blew me away and whose characters I can't get out of my head. These are books that I will definitely read again, possibly several times. If I read an e-book version I may even have to go buy a hard copy for my shelves. Why are you still here? Go read this book right now.