Fascination

Fascination: where the cozy meets the creepy.

In the magical new anthology Fascination, Parrish curates an enthralling collection of short stories and poetry steeped in eerie enchantment, drawing readers into landscapes of shadowed forests, strange creatures, and unsettling domestic spaces where comfort and menace exist side by side. The result is an anthology of poems and stories that feel thoughtfully constructed, with each contribution engaging with the book’s fascination for the uncanny.

Some stories comfort, others haunt. Fascination is the domain where a distinct element of creep lingers behind the typical folklore and cottagecore. There’s something more sinister to the moss-covered paths that lead to questionable bargains. Throughout it all, Parrish skilfully balances each author’s unique voice while admirably maintaining consistency in thematic exploration. The recurring motifs create a sense of cohesion that rewards readers who enjoy atmospheric fiction rich with mood and texture.

The anthology’s strongest entries are fascinatingly immersive, and they linger long after the last word. Particular standouts include “Behind the Mirror Lives Another” by Krishnan, whose lyrical lines of poetry bewitch you into not wanting to fully look at yourself in the mirror, and “Hex Offender” by Ginther, who cleverly uses witchcraft and moths to haunt readers as the characters reimagine witchcraft as breaking generational curses leading to self-understanding. The collection is at its best when the supernatural becomes a lens for something deeply human. Even as stories end and authors change, an eerie fascination remains.

While the numerous authorial voices provide refreshing tones, there are moments when Parrish’s precise cohesion is disrupted. A handful of stories and poems feel slightly at odds with the anthology’s prevailing tone, either in style or execution, and can momentarily pull readers out of the carefully cultivated atmosphere. These pieces are not necessarily weaker on their own merits, but they interrupt the immersive ambiance that the anthology works so hard to establish elsewhere. As a result, Fascination occasionally feels less unified than its strongest moments suggest it could have been.

Still, at its core, Fascination is a captivating collection of eerie delights that embraces the strange, the magical, and the unsettling with confidence. Fans of Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg, will find much fantastical pleasure here. Parrish successfully brings together a diverse range of voices under a shared vision, making this an easy recommendation for readers who also enjoy folkloric horror, dark fantasy, and enchanting stories that linger in the space between wonder and dread. With stories that are memorable, haunting, and deeply evocative, Fascination is where mysterious adventures thrive.

—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW

Published by Tyche Books

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www.rhondaparrish.com