Whenever I read short story collections and I see themes recurring again and again I always wonder whether that is a conscious choice by the author and something used to deliberately tie the collection together, or whether that cropping up in stories is just reflective of the authors' life experiences and who they are as a person. Let me know what you think about that in the comments. There were a couple of things that kept jumping out at me as overarching themes. But as well as this, these stories also make you ask really interesting questions. One of my favourites was called "Hags", about a demon that after hundreds of years of being alive has refined their diet down to one thing. They feed on shame. You have this story telling you about the demon's past, their relationship with their friends, their guilt over lying and presenting themselves as a human to people they've genuinely come to like, and then talks about shame as a negative emotion. If it's removed is that always a good thing? Is it right to decide that it's ok to remove something negative from somebody else's life without consent? Is this a story in part about acting in other peoples' interests as YOU see them, and then making a choice not to do that? These stories I think are really multilayered. I’m a huge fan of the “morally grey character seeks revenge but struggles with growing positive sentiments toward their enemy” trope, and the addition of furious ghosts driving on this mission is just… chef’s kiss! Unfinished and Unformed: 1 star, confused about the queer component of this, also uncomfortable and inelegant

I’m so glad that spooky queer books seem to be more abundant these past few years as I’ve definitely found a new favourite genre. I recommend this to anyone who likes dark and macabre books or to anyone who fancies trying something new since there are so many different tales to sink your teeth into. The stories include a murderous anti-heroine in 10th Century Viking-era Iceland who becomes suspicious of her husband’s relationship with his best friend; an ancient being who feasts on 21st Century Londoners and an Oxford University historian who delights in using occult methods from a medieval tome on her nemesis. Vampires, corpse brides, fairy curses all feature, as does Jewish folklore. In The Bequest, a woman is possessed by a dybbuk when she discovers more about her family history than she anticipated and in Unfinished and Unformed, a golem’s powers exceed the expectations of its creator.

Wikipedia citation

Seeking distance away from her unworthy family after her beloved grandfather dies, Ursula Kelp travels to Buenos Aires to work as the Head Gardener of a remote, dilapidated estate in the Pampas. The fact that the name of the place means “The Tears”, and that previous gardeners have turned down the job because they believe it’s cursed, does not deter her in the slightest. And she arrives eager to prove she can do the job just as well as, if not better than, any man. A far braver person than me, I have to admit. I personally wouldn’t be caught within a mile of any place named “The Tears”. Craig grew up in north London and although she describes her family as not “particularly devout,” being Jewish is something she has always been proud of. Berlin is, she says, a really great place to be queer but she has found living amongst the Stolpersteine, unsettling. “I’m hardly the first Jewish person to say this about them, but I also think there are quite a few other countries who could perhaps do better at remembering these things.” Real rating- 4.5. Probably shouldn’t have been reading this at 1:30am now I don’t wanna sleep hahaha full review to come!

Craig's collection dances with horror - the monster is not always who you expect. A book for anyone who likes to play in the dark -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan (November 2021) A golem discovers its powers far exceed its Creator’s expectations. An ancient creature, who feasts on the shame of modern-day Londoners, struggles to fit in with friends they will long outlive. And an Oxford historian discovers an antique tome that may help her overcome her academic rivals. The short, twisted tales collected in Leon Craig’s Parallel Hells have a laconic elegance that’s both chilling and pleasurable’ Financial TimesHags: 3 stars, I want to know what happened afterward, very uncomfortable with the unnecessary sex scenes but aside from that enjoyable