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Nikky Lee

Book Review: Clocks, Locks, Corpses! And Other Epic Horror Poems

Title: Clocks Locks Corpses! And Other Epic Horror Poems

Author: S. Jayne Bradley

Publisher: Rookery Publishing

Genre: Horror, Poetry

Page Count: 139

Series Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Blurb

Beside the fire we warm our hands

We tell our tales of distant lands

The midnight hour is surely here

It’s time to fill our hearts with fear!


Clocks Locks Corpses! is an anthology of stories that plunges you into a world teeming with

vampires, werewolves, cyborgs, and hordes of the undead. You'll encounter bootlegging

centaurs and the power of unionizing workers, all wrapped up in one conveniently sized

book.


But there's a twist—these epic-length tales are told entirely in rhyme!


Imagine sitting around a camp fire or at a Halloween party where you and your friends take

turns reading these rhyming stories aloud. The cadence of the verses send shivers down

your spine. Each poem captivates and enthrals, making it perfect for storytelling sessions

that last well into the night! Share the thrills and let the haunting verses create frightful

gatherings you’ll always remember.


Gather together by the fireplace or under a flashlight's beam and dive into the eerie and

enchanting, poetic, slightly spooky and offbeat world of Clocks Locks Corpses!


Review of Clocks Locks Corpses! And Other Epic Horror Poems

Imagine Stephen King meets The Illiad and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. What you get Clocks Locks Corpses! And Other Epic Horror Poems. You read that right. These are horror stories told entirely in rhyme!


For transparency's sake, I know this author. We are part of the same local writers' group. I've also had the privilege of seeing some of these poems come together and have thoroughly enjoyed their sharing at our meetings.


Because this is a collection, readers get to enjoy a variety of horror stories inside. We've got a steampunk zombie outbreak in Victorian 1832 and sewer-surfing vampire slayers right through to werewolf romance and contemporary workplace abuse.


While managing to tell these tales in rhyming verse is impressive in itself, for me it's the frequently quirky and unexpected combination of ideas that really makes this collection stand out. Did I ever expect I'd read a rhyming poem about a surfer turned vampire slayer in a city sewer? No. Am I glad I did? Hell, yes. It's also worth mentioning that quirky is not the only defining factor of these stories, several are poignant and explore issues such as the exploitation of workers, abuse of power, and domestic violence.


In all, Clocks Locks Corpses! is a highly entertaining collection that you can come back and revisit more than once. I can easily see this being the book I reach for again and again to entertain around a campfire or when the power goes out.

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