A review by bozzi1
I will Devour You and Other Promises by Spencer Hamilton

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

Horror fans: Have you read anything by Spencer Hamilton yet?  For those that haven’t, what can I do to change that??

If you don’t know where to start, look no further than his latest collection, I Will Devour You. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and it isn’t just window dressing; inside is a fantastic offering of stories that are perfect for spooky season*!

💀Spoiler Free Review💀

This Goes Out to You - Short and sweet, this one had me feeling creeped out in the beginning, but confused by the end. 3 stars

The Cold, the Grief - This was a favorite when I read earlier versions and it hit me right in the feels again with this reread.  5 stars

The Tweeted Confession of Mariam Thornwood - A new favorite and the most fun I’ve ever had reading about the Antichrist. 5 stars

Momma’s Monster - Powerful. I knew the direction things were going and was still squirming in my seat the whole time.  4.5 stars 

Smile and Say Your Prayers - Give me ALL the Smileyland stories. 4.25 stars 

The Stars, They’re Laughing - A coming of age story with a cosmic horror vibe that nails the feeling of being alone in a crowd. 3.5 stars

You Are Beneath It All - Irreconcilable differences have a whole new meaning in this deliciously claustrophobic tale of divorce gone wrong, or right. 4.5 stars

The Ones Who Watch - This bizarre little story felt like a fever dream; fantastic. 4.25 stars 

Stomp - No sour grapes from this toast-worthy tale. 3.75 stars

Evidence Locker VHS Tape #6 - Teenagers and monsters; always a good mix for a scary story. 4 stars

Out of the Shadows, Into the Sun - Another new favorite; I love when a story goes somewhere I don’t expect. 4.5 stars

The Overnight Forest - I really liked this one when I read it in a previously published anthology, but this reread made an even bigger impact. The writing is graphic, yet beautiful, and it delivers layers upon layers of horror. 5 stars

I Will Devour You - This brief Lovecraftian story was a perfect end for this collection. 3.25 stars 


*all day, every day