Winter’s Ghosts by Stephanie Ellis & Alyson Faye (including stories by Charlotte Riddell & Edith Wharton)
Winter’s Ghosts is a gothic horror anthology featuring ghost stories by authors Alyson Faye & Stephanie Ellis. Stories are also included by Charlotte Riddell & Edith Wharton. The collection was released on November 29, 2023 and is listed as a two-hour read. It weighs in at 84 pages.
This haunting collection is comprised of four ghost stories, each poised in the most horrifying of seasons—winter! I read this book when it was -5 degrees outside, which only added to the thrills and chills of the stories. I can also attest to it being a two-hour read. I didn’t calculate the time it took for me to finish, but I read it to completion over coffee one morning.
The first story is “Chilled to the Bone” by Alyson Faye. I was taken in immediately by the beautiful descriptive language. The first paragraph is gorgeous, whisking me right into the scene and time period. This gothic ghost story doesn’t skimp on vernacular language and vocab. Faye’s creation of the setting, Milner Manor, greets readers and is so well-described it felt like I was there in the house watching the scenes unfold. The characters and the plot of the story were enjoyable and equally as exciting, and the tale had as many fun twists and turns as the Manor itself. This is the kind of story that makes you want to sink into a cozy spot, grab a warm blanket, sip a hot drink, and enjoy the devilishly good delights of a well-written ghost story.
The second story is “Dead Man’s Fair” by Stephanie Ellis. This story drops you into a harrowing setting involving a mother and son. Ellis does a fantastic job building fear and concern for Cain, the young man on an agonizing and emotional journey. Ellis throws challenges and danger in his path to heighten the stakes in this story as he and his mother fight to survive another harsh winter. Ellis builds suspense from the first page, ramping it up until the end. The title had me intrigued right away, too. This ghost story will have your heart racing, but it will leave you with a satisfied and warm feeling.
One of the most endearing parts of this book is the inclusion of stories by authors Charlotte Riddell (1832-1906) and Edith Wharton (1862-1937). The description of the book explains why they’re included and the layout of the anthology - Faye and Ellis pair their stories with Riddell’s and Wharton’s to honor the past female writers who paved the way for others, as well as keep their tales from being forgotten.
Ghosts, to make themselves manifest, require two conditions abhorrent to the modern mind: silence and continuity … For where a ghost has once appeared it seems to hanker to appear again; and it obviously prefers the silent hours, when at last the wireless has ceased to jazz.” - Edith Wharton on the subject of ghosts
As a female horror writer, I love this nod to Riddell and Wharton. I found the brief biographies of each at the end of the book to be fascinating and informative. Both authors were talented, determined, and well-regarded in their writing. There’s a great deal of inspiring information to read about both of them. Spoiler Alert - In 1921, Edith Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
Despite “A Strange Christmas Game” by Charlotte Riddell and “The Triumph of Night” by Edith Wharton being written so long ago, they were timeless and enjoyable to read, and both fit seamlessly in the collection. I especially enjoyed the feel and rhythm of the language in Riddell’s piece. It was like going back in time to listen to a gothic ghost story by firelight.
As one might guess with the title, this book was a fantastic read during a cold and harsh winter. Each setting will have you shivering along with the characters. I loved that it was a quick read and am looking forward to more stories from Faye and Ellis in the future.
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Get to know Alyson Faye:
I live in the UK near the Bronte moors where I walk my rescue dog, Roxy. I write dark fiction, and ghost stories. I was obsessed with historic haunted houses growing up and old movies especially film noirs of the 1940's. I blend the two genres in my fiction. I teach creative writing, edit and mentor writers. Away from my writing I swim, craft, sing, eat chocolate and laugh a lot with friends.
***Taken from Alyson Faye’s Amazon Author Page
Get to know Stephanie Ellis:
Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry. Her novels include The Five Turns of the Wheel, Reborn, and The Woodcutter, and the novellas, Bottled and Paused. Her short stories appear in the collections The Reckoning and Devil Kin. She is a Rhysling and Elgin Award nominated poet and has written the collection Foundlings (with Cindy O’Quinn), Lilith Rising (with Shane Douglas Keene) and Metallurgy, as well as appearing in the HWA Poetry Showcase. She can be found supporting indie authors at HorrorTree.com via the weekly Indie Bookshelf Releases. She is an active member of the HWA.
***Taken from Stephanie Ellis’s website
