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Blackest Spells
Magic to make the sanest man go mad.
Dark wizardry. Witchcraft. Curses. Hexes. Evil Sorcerers. Fantasy has a long history of people wielding the forces of darkness for nefarious ends. Blackest Spells is a collection of eighteen short stories and novelettes detailing stories of shadowy figures wielding unholy power. The sequel to the Blackest Knights anthology contains stories ranging from the machinations of the fae to wishes gone wrong to wicked plots in space.
Contains fiction by: Michael R. Baker, Allan Batchelder, C. H. Baum, Matthew P. Gilbert, S. D. Howarth, Matthew Johnson, Christopher Keene, Paul Lavender, Ulff Lehmann, Frank Martin, Richard Nell, Martin Owton, C. T. Phipps, Michael Pogach, Jesse Teller, Damien Wilder, and David Niall Wilson
Dark wizardry. Witchcraft. Curses. Hexes. Evil Sorcerers. Fantasy has a long history of people wielding the forces of darkness for nefarious ends. Blackest Spells is a collection of eighteen short stories and novelettes detailing stories of shadowy figures wielding unholy power. The sequel to the Blackest Knights anthology contains stories ranging from the machinations of the fae to wishes gone wrong to wicked plots in space.
Contains fiction by: Michael R. Baker, Allan Batchelder, C. H. Baum, Matthew P. Gilbert, S. D. Howarth, Matthew Johnson, Christopher Keene, Paul Lavender, Ulff Lehmann, Frank Martin, Richard Nell, Martin Owton, C. T. Phipps, Michael Pogach, Jesse Teller, Damien Wilder, and David Niall Wilson
- GenresFantasy
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2019
About the author
C.T. Phipps
87 books637 followersC.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.
He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...
Website: https://ctphipps.com/
C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps
He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...
Website: https://ctphipps.com/
C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 15, 2019
BLACKEST SPELLS is the second of my dark fantasy anthologies after BLACKEST KNIGHTS, telling the stories of black magic and evil sorcery that I'm sure my readers will appreciate. Part of what I really enjoyed about being the editor for this book was the exposure of such fantastic and wonderful short stories from my some of my favorite indie authors.
Evil wizards, witches, and curses are mainstays of fantasy. Tapping into the unnatural and surreal world of magic lends itself to tales about how it can warp even the strongest minds. The world of horror and the fantastic meets in these tales and sometimes crosses from one into the other then back again.
"Grimdark" is often used as a pejorative for stories that are trying too hard to be edgy and bleak. For me, it means stories that combine the dark side of human nature with no guarantee of a happy ending. I'm very proud of each story in this work and don't think there's a single bad one. I know because I chose them all.
Evil wizards, witches, and curses are mainstays of fantasy. Tapping into the unnatural and surreal world of magic lends itself to tales about how it can warp even the strongest minds. The world of horror and the fantastic meets in these tales and sometimes crosses from one into the other then back again.
"Grimdark" is often used as a pejorative for stories that are trying too hard to be edgy and bleak. For me, it means stories that combine the dark side of human nature with no guarantee of a happy ending. I'm very proud of each story in this work and don't think there's a single bad one. I know because I chose them all.
January 17, 2020
"It is not just magic used by evil people but evil magic"
Blackest Spells is the book that finally demonstrates that magic can have its own morality scale. Grimdark is so often defined by character virtues and setting where magic is often regarded as merely a tool. Yet, these short tales confront the idea that magic can be used for both good and evil and instead show how magic can dictate its own side. While other stories have their characters choose their magics alignment, this collection follows characters who are manipulated by dark magic.
Immediately from the cover, I recognized a few authors - C.T Phipps, Michael Baker, and Jesse Teller. Unlike other anthologies I have read, prior knowledge about the authors' other works was truly not required. Every story shined as a stand-alone. The Witch Queen by Michael Pogach and Shadow's Promise by Mathew Johnson were within my top three despite being unfamiliar with either author. Cookies for the Gentleman by C.T Phipps is now one of my favorite short stories for horror.
The creative direction that each writer took with their story really makes this anthology special. With stories that range from Grim fairy tales to Sci-Fi, through horror and serial killer mages, there is plenty of diversity to please any fantasy reader. None of the eighteen tales were disappointing as each was well written and clearly selected for its quality. This is a great book to find your next favorite author.
Blackest Spells is the book that finally demonstrates that magic can have its own morality scale. Grimdark is so often defined by character virtues and setting where magic is often regarded as merely a tool. Yet, these short tales confront the idea that magic can be used for both good and evil and instead show how magic can dictate its own side. While other stories have their characters choose their magics alignment, this collection follows characters who are manipulated by dark magic.
Immediately from the cover, I recognized a few authors - C.T Phipps, Michael Baker, and Jesse Teller. Unlike other anthologies I have read, prior knowledge about the authors' other works was truly not required. Every story shined as a stand-alone. The Witch Queen by Michael Pogach and Shadow's Promise by Mathew Johnson were within my top three despite being unfamiliar with either author. Cookies for the Gentleman by C.T Phipps is now one of my favorite short stories for horror.
The creative direction that each writer took with their story really makes this anthology special. With stories that range from Grim fairy tales to Sci-Fi, through horror and serial killer mages, there is plenty of diversity to please any fantasy reader. None of the eighteen tales were disappointing as each was well written and clearly selected for its quality. This is a great book to find your next favorite author.
January 13, 2020
For the longest time, I was a huge fan of a variety of fantasy and sci fi anthologies, such as Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey's Thieve's World and David Drake's The Fleet. I still love those series, but hadn't read an Anthology in years until I read Blackest Knight's, the first anthology edited by C.T. Phipps. I really enjoyed the various stories in that one, and was excited to get a chance to review Blackest Spells.
This is a rarity in my experience, since there are no duds in this collections of stories. I enjoyed every story, which ranged from dark tales of necromancy and witchcraft, to urban fantasy and Twilight Zoneesque creepyness. While all the stories are good, there were some standouts.
CH Baum's story about an ambitious mage apprentice really sets the tone for the collection as the first story. Matthew Gilbert's story about a man hunting a serial killer mage is outstanding, as is the very trippy CT Phipps story about a man trapped in his own worst nightmare by a mysterious gentleman. The rest of the stories stand up well on their own, creating an anthology that literally has something for everyone who enjoys fantasy. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
This is a rarity in my experience, since there are no duds in this collections of stories. I enjoyed every story, which ranged from dark tales of necromancy and witchcraft, to urban fantasy and Twilight Zoneesque creepyness. While all the stories are good, there were some standouts.
CH Baum's story about an ambitious mage apprentice really sets the tone for the collection as the first story. Matthew Gilbert's story about a man hunting a serial killer mage is outstanding, as is the very trippy CT Phipps story about a man trapped in his own worst nightmare by a mysterious gentleman. The rest of the stories stand up well on their own, creating an anthology that literally has something for everyone who enjoys fantasy. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
September 20, 2020
Originally posted on Grimdark Magazine.
The second in a series of anthologies by C.T. Phipps after Blackest Knights, Blackest Spells collects the fantasy works of a range of authors under the theme of dark magic. There were a few names in there I recognised and as somebody who loves short stories, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, except for a few glimmers of sunshine, I didn’t enjoy this one.
The editor has always seen the transformation of magic from a terrifying force linked to the gods into a practical tool for personal use / gain. The theme of this anthology is his way of putting the terror and the unknown back into fantasy. This was an excellent opening to whet the appetite. At this point, I was really excited to get stuck in.
However, there were stories I felt weren’t on theme for the anthology, some that just needed to be sent back to the author (“thank you for your efforts, can you please try again”), and some that were almost there and just needed a bit of the old red pen to get over the line (telling and not showing, abrupt or weird endings, lack of urgency, ridiculously unnecessary female nudity–the usual things). I DNF’d a few where I just could. not. do. it. And as somebody who has read a lot of slush, I feel I have a pretty high tolerance for a story before I DNF.
In addition, something I thought was quite an oddity in this day and age of anthology creation, was that unless I am mistaken, this is an all-male line up of authors. I know from our own slush pile how hard it is to find the right stories for publications, and I don’t know what trials and tribulations the editor went through, but that stood out to me.
In short, I can’t recommend this anthology as a book as a large portion of the stories sat comfortably in the sub-3 scoring region, but I can recommend you read some of the stories.
Reviews of the stories I liked in Blackest Spells
All harshness aside, there were a few stories I was really in to and are worth you checking out. What is Stolen and What is Lost by Allan Batchelder, City of God by Richard Nell, and The Witch Queen by Michael Pogach were my favourites.
THE WITCH QUEEN BY MICHAEL POGACH
A young princess is born into a kingdom that has long known peace. The Witch Queen arrives and brings war. And then along comes a spider… what a fun story told in a fairy tale voice. Really easy to read, hits the theme right on the nose, a predictable but grim twist at the end. Solid storytelling 4/5.
SHADOW’S PROMISE BY MATTHEW JOHNSON
Twelve members of the Silent Men army of 20,000 are left after the Singers drowned them all. Hyman doesn’t want revenge he just wants to get back to his wife and child. A decent read with plenty of grim and grit that could have used some polishing to sharpen it up. 3/5
CITY OF GOD BY RICHARD NELL
Fulvi, an ex soldier with no past illusions of glory, writes his old captain who has asked him to find his daughter. Written in a daily report Bram Stoker Dracula style, this is an excellent read with an impactful ending. Brilliantly written. 4/5
SOOTHSAYER BY MATTHEW P. GILBERT
Lucian, The Man Who Fights Without a Knife, is hunting a wily old soothsayer who knows everything he’s going to do before he does. Can he stop him before even more bodies pile up from the Soothsayer’s grisly experiments? This is a nice storyline and a fun read. There is a fair bit of telling that if turned to showing would have made this story a much better experience. Again, there’s a naked girl for some bloody reason. Nice twist at the end to wrap it up. 3/5
WHAT IS STOLEN AND WHAT IS LOST BY ALLAN BATCHELDER
Cyrin the Shaper wants to see Mellie safely grown and married. Only, he’s not going to live long enough to do it, unless he can discover the secret to elongate his life.
Well, that did not end up going in the direction I thought it would! A wicked tale of good intentions and questionable decisions gone wrong. Well written; great fun. 4/5
COOKIES FOR THE GENTLEMAN BY CT PHIPPS
the Gentleman has ruined our protagonists life, a tall terror in shadow, a lover of cats, and a horror to behold. Can our protagonist escape?
This to me reads more like horror than something on theme, but perhaps it’s just a really, really dark take on the theme. A victim of horrible magic versus a purveyor of the art. It’s an interesting tale, told in an engaging first person voice, and I kinda liked it. 3.5/5
The second in a series of anthologies by C.T. Phipps after Blackest Knights, Blackest Spells collects the fantasy works of a range of authors under the theme of dark magic. There were a few names in there I recognised and as somebody who loves short stories, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, except for a few glimmers of sunshine, I didn’t enjoy this one.
The editor has always seen the transformation of magic from a terrifying force linked to the gods into a practical tool for personal use / gain. The theme of this anthology is his way of putting the terror and the unknown back into fantasy. This was an excellent opening to whet the appetite. At this point, I was really excited to get stuck in.
However, there were stories I felt weren’t on theme for the anthology, some that just needed to be sent back to the author (“thank you for your efforts, can you please try again”), and some that were almost there and just needed a bit of the old red pen to get over the line (telling and not showing, abrupt or weird endings, lack of urgency, ridiculously unnecessary female nudity–the usual things). I DNF’d a few where I just could. not. do. it. And as somebody who has read a lot of slush, I feel I have a pretty high tolerance for a story before I DNF.
In addition, something I thought was quite an oddity in this day and age of anthology creation, was that unless I am mistaken, this is an all-male line up of authors. I know from our own slush pile how hard it is to find the right stories for publications, and I don’t know what trials and tribulations the editor went through, but that stood out to me.
In short, I can’t recommend this anthology as a book as a large portion of the stories sat comfortably in the sub-3 scoring region, but I can recommend you read some of the stories.
Reviews of the stories I liked in Blackest Spells
All harshness aside, there were a few stories I was really in to and are worth you checking out. What is Stolen and What is Lost by Allan Batchelder, City of God by Richard Nell, and The Witch Queen by Michael Pogach were my favourites.
THE WITCH QUEEN BY MICHAEL POGACH
A young princess is born into a kingdom that has long known peace. The Witch Queen arrives and brings war. And then along comes a spider… what a fun story told in a fairy tale voice. Really easy to read, hits the theme right on the nose, a predictable but grim twist at the end. Solid storytelling 4/5.
SHADOW’S PROMISE BY MATTHEW JOHNSON
Twelve members of the Silent Men army of 20,000 are left after the Singers drowned them all. Hyman doesn’t want revenge he just wants to get back to his wife and child. A decent read with plenty of grim and grit that could have used some polishing to sharpen it up. 3/5
CITY OF GOD BY RICHARD NELL
Fulvi, an ex soldier with no past illusions of glory, writes his old captain who has asked him to find his daughter. Written in a daily report Bram Stoker Dracula style, this is an excellent read with an impactful ending. Brilliantly written. 4/5
SOOTHSAYER BY MATTHEW P. GILBERT
Lucian, The Man Who Fights Without a Knife, is hunting a wily old soothsayer who knows everything he’s going to do before he does. Can he stop him before even more bodies pile up from the Soothsayer’s grisly experiments? This is a nice storyline and a fun read. There is a fair bit of telling that if turned to showing would have made this story a much better experience. Again, there’s a naked girl for some bloody reason. Nice twist at the end to wrap it up. 3/5
WHAT IS STOLEN AND WHAT IS LOST BY ALLAN BATCHELDER
Cyrin the Shaper wants to see Mellie safely grown and married. Only, he’s not going to live long enough to do it, unless he can discover the secret to elongate his life.
Well, that did not end up going in the direction I thought it would! A wicked tale of good intentions and questionable decisions gone wrong. Well written; great fun. 4/5
COOKIES FOR THE GENTLEMAN BY CT PHIPPS
the Gentleman has ruined our protagonists life, a tall terror in shadow, a lover of cats, and a horror to behold. Can our protagonist escape?
This to me reads more like horror than something on theme, but perhaps it’s just a really, really dark take on the theme. A victim of horrible magic versus a purveyor of the art. It’s an interesting tale, told in an engaging first person voice, and I kinda liked it. 3.5/5
May 2, 2020
Dark, dark, dark stories
If you enjoy a dark tale, dire consequences to ones actions, cruel treatment of foes and victims, harsh penalties for using magic to gain the upper hand then these stories are for you.
If you enjoy a dark tale, dire consequences to ones actions, cruel treatment of foes and victims, harsh penalties for using magic to gain the upper hand then these stories are for you.
January 2, 2024
(2.5 Stars)
I did not read Blackest Knights, because this book did not say it was a follow-up. But some of these stories felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story, missing some vital information. Not all of them where like this, but some of them I just felt lost in, like I was missing context, or like I should have known the backstory of these characters. I did not see that any of these stories were parts of larger works, so I am judging each as a stand-alone story.
With that being said, some of these stories were very good, so I rounded up my 2.5 stars to a 3. I may pick up Blackest Knights.
I did not read Blackest Knights, because this book did not say it was a follow-up. But some of these stories felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story, missing some vital information. Not all of them where like this, but some of them I just felt lost in, like I was missing context, or like I should have known the backstory of these characters. I did not see that any of these stories were parts of larger works, so I am judging each as a stand-alone story.
With that being said, some of these stories were very good, so I rounded up my 2.5 stars to a 3. I may pick up Blackest Knights.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews