Old Scratch: Demon Tales and Devil Hells, edited by R. J. Roles and Jason Myers. Crimson Pinnacle Press

 

Old Scratch: Demon Tales and Devil Hells, edited by R. J. Roles and Jason Myers. Crimson Pinnacle Press

Jason Myers introduces us to Old Scratch, a.k.a The Devil. I didn’t know the Devil had another nickname, Old Scratch. So I got a lesson on the Devil himself thanks to Jason!

What follows is a review of 15 short stories about the old codger, the Devil himself. 

Dracula’s Devil by Chris McAuley. Here is a story about Dracula’s birth. A dark and lonely feeling in this story. An absolutely great first story, I like the writing style of McAuley. You gotta look at his photo in the back of the book!!

Don’t Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan. A very good story about devil possession, so unique and I really enjoyed the twists in this. Definitely a five star story!

Doomsday by P. J. Blakey-Novis. A fabulous story of Hell rising from the earth and trying to overtake the world. I’m definitely looking for some more Blakey-Novis stories. I’m hoping his others are just as bleak as this one.

Of Donuts and Demons by Pamela Morris. This starts out silly and ends up brutal! A cop eats a donut and gets all trigger happy and goes all postal! A great time in this story!

Let Me Clip My Dirty Wings by Jason R. Frei. It’s kind of a love story, of sorts. Satan’s consort wants more than he’s giving her, and there is a price to pay, always. I liked this one, it was lots of “do this for me or else.”

Eternal Harvest by Steve Stred. This is a wicked story, absolutely imaginative and so good. It’s about the Devil harvesting souls.I don’t think I’ve read any Stred stories before, but I know he’s quite popular. I can see why when I read this one. 

The Black Rock Chapel Horror by Thomas Stewart. A priest learned the truth about forgiveness and repenting. This one was a little hard to enjoy. The writing is great, but the story was a bit bland. I would give Thomas Stewart another try, though.

A Good Man by Mark Towse. A man is doing the Devil’s work and doesn’t know he is working with the Devil. Awesome premise and written perfectly. Just the right amount of angst and fear.

Deep and Dark by HP Newquist. Another author I have heard a lot about and need to check out some more stories. This is a story about a vigneron, who comes across a new type of grape in his vineyard. There is a story behind this rare grape he finds. Absolutely fantastic writing! I loved this one.

A Devil’s Hell by Stephanie Scissom. Awww, a sad love story about Lucifer. A perfect accompaniment to this collection. Another author to look into to find more stories. Elegant writing and a lot of heart in this story.

Devil’s Edibles by Justin M. Woodward. Edibles that cause devil-like hallucinations.Very entertaining and engaging. I loved the writing and the story.

Jackson’s Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty. An entertaining story about a demon trying desperately to get Jackson’s soul. Funny, witty, evil, and awesome, all that in one little story.

Devil On My Shoulders by RJ Roles. A freaking hilarious story of Lucifer and his cat, Mr. Fluffybutt going to Ohio. This is one of my favorites in this collection. Lots of laughs!

Shallow Be Thy Name M. Ennenbach. Ennenbach is just one of those authors that likes to suck you in the story and trail you along a dark and deep story that ends with a gut punch. No shortage in this one. Lucifer is having a temper tantrum and his brother, Michael, is trying to calm him down. It doesn’t end well for anyone.

That’s What They All Say by Bradley H. Sinor. An investigation agent is tasked with finding Lucifer, who has been kidnapped. Silly story, not really my type of story I enjoy. But it was entertaining and kept my attention. 

As you can see, there are a variety of humorous and dark stories in this set. It is just as entertaining as all the other anthologies by Jason Myers and RJ Roles that I have read. I am just getting started on these anthologies. I have planned to read them all this year!