by Calvin Demmer

Calvin Demmer immediately became one of my favorite writers when I read his debut collection The Sea Was A Fair Master. Many people agree with me when I say it is excellent. Calvin knows how to pack such a punch in what seems as little words as possible. So it may be hard to believe, but I am here to tell you that Mr. Demmer’s follow up collection Dark Celebrations is a force even better than The Sea Was A Fair Master. 

I would honestly love to sit here and type out critiques of my favorite stories for you but to be honest, and this may even sound a bit cliché, I truly loved them all in their own way. Each of the twelve stories you will read have something you can relate to or be horrified of, possibly both. 

I also really enjoyed that each story takes place on some type of holiday, and all focus on a type of horror monster. Whether it’s ghosts, werewolves, vampires, aliens, or the end of the world. There is something here for every horror fan. One thing is for sure, you will not be disappointed. I’ve waited for this follow up collection for as long as I can remember. Calvin did give us some appetizers with stories like ‘Faster’ and ‘The Town That Feared Dusk’ to hold us over. Which were fantastic stories themselves that bridged us to Dark Celebrations and the wait was certainly worth it. 

Each story ramps up on the tension, and you get a feeling that something may not be right in this world. The last two stories do a great job at tying the collection together, which I loved. I encourage you guys to read this collection as soon as you possibly can. Demmer improves upon his previous outings to give us something special. Now the only bad thing is, we have to wait for the next one. 

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