Don’t Break the Oath: Women of Horror Anthology #4 edited by J Girardi & J Pipe

Kandisha Press 2021

ISBN-13: 979-8750064694

Available: Paperback- Kindle edition

Women are increasingly taking the lead as horror authors and the present anthology is already number four in a successful series penned exclusively by female writers.

Unfortunately, I’ve missed the previous three volumes but I’ll certainly do my best in order to secure a copy of the whole series.

The current volume features twenty-three tales and, as customary with short story anthologies, not all the included material worked for me, although the average quality is certainly more than acceptable. But, as always, some stories really stand out and here they are.

“The Coachman’s Cottage” by Anna Taborska is a conventional, yet powerful, tale about the ghost of a woman walled up alive by her vengeful husband, haunting a man occupying an abandoned cottage.

Sonora Taylor contributes “Capable of Loving”, an insightful, disquieting piece featuring a creepy little girl bound to become a criminal, while Angela Yuriko Smith pens “Perfect Girlfriend”, an offbeat tale with a distinct SF flavor, featuring an inhuman doll endowed with extraordinary abilities.

“The Kinda True Story of Bloody Mary”  by Tracy Cross is an intriguing, very dark horror story about Bloody Mary, unfortunately wrapped up in a slightly boring context.

The vivid “ Fluid” by RA Busby is a piece of body horror addressing the terrible consequences of physical transformation.

While a fifth installment has been already announced, please enjoy what those dark lady writers have produced so far.

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi