Beware What Lurks in the Dark: It’s Dark In Here is a frightening collection of horror poetry and art

 

 

It’s Dark In Here: a collection of horror poetry and art

Amanda Ruzsa

Independently Published, 2025

ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8292292692

Ebook, 89 ppg.

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Horror poetry has a way of staying with you, especially if it has art to go with it. Reading the horror poetry collection It's Dark In Here: a collection of horror poetry and art by Amanda Ruzsa has that kind of impact. These poems are not just poems meant to scare readers, but they also haunt those who dare to read them. They linger as dark moments that are difficult to escape from, attaching themselves to the soul and slowly feasting on the reader's sense of security.  

 

The poem “Trapped” really has a suffocating feel to it. With lines like “The tides are high/Ripples of water swirling/Around me” and “Even as I tread water/Darkness spreads.” It really made me feel isolated and confined.

 

“Bent Neck Lady” was really creepy. Okay, first of all, I have to say that the image of a lady with a bent neck is in itself disturbing. The poem is also creepy: “I feel the sticky breath of rot/Warming my tear-streaked face/If I could move, I still would not/For fear she’d then give chase.” This nightmarish creature “with gnarled claws” haunts a new home and the speaker in this poem is terrified of it. The accompanying artwork of this “bent neck lady” is equally terrifying.

 

“She Played for the Devil” is a very haunting poem. “Her bow dances/on strings that cannot break” seems to imply that this unseen player of a violin that is buried deep within the earth plays nonstop. This is confirmed by the lines “She’s cursed/She’s trapped/And she mustn’t stop playing.” This poor soul is doomed to play for all eternity and should she ever slip or stop, then chaos ensues in the world above her. I loved how this poem was written. It shares what happens if she stops playing the violin, and why she must continue to play no matter what.

 

Some of the poems had surprise endings: “She Eats the Dark” and “Hung” and “Home Invasion.” Other poems really touched on dark moments as well as horrific events. There’s a good mix of monstrous creatures and horror in all of these poems. All of these poems created a haunting and terrifying reading experience.

 

It's Dark In Here is a frightening collection of horror poetry and art. The artwork accompanying the poems is dark and creepy. It’s certainly a must-read for fans of horror poetry, as well as a collector item that contains some stellar art from some of today’s outstanding independent artists.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I downloaded a copy of this ebook as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription. This review is entirely voluntary.

Something Evil Lurks in Texas: The Configuration Discordant is a collection of horror poetry brimming with gods and monsters

 

 

The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters

John Baltisberger

A Things in the Well Publication, 2019

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When it comes to books of horror poetry, readers don’t know what to expect. Would they be exposed to guts and gore? Terrifying monsters? Or dark days of doom? In the horror poetry collection, The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters by John Baltisberger, readers will get all of that, and more. This collection of poems gripped me from the very beginning and it sent chills down my spine as I continued to read.

 

With some of these poems, it helps to remember that this is a collection of horror poetry. Yes, that is what that poem really means. Yes, that narrator of a poem actually IS diabolical and evil. And, yes, that particular poem really is meant to be dark and scary. There is no softening of a message in these poems. There is no light horror and the author leaves no holds barred.

 

Take, for example, the poem “The Family.” You would think it is just a poem introducing the reader to a family, but, no. Something else is going on in this poem. Something nightmarish. And it is only getting to the end of the poem that the reader discovers what it is.

 

The poem “Glass Eyes” has a hidden meaning to it. The reader should think a minute about that title and in which case something would have glass eyes. The lines “Thrown out into the garbage/To the incinerator/But I will always come back” indicate that this is an evil thing that can’t be destroyed. An evil thing that kills.

 

“Household” is another creepy poem. It is obviously describing a rotting building that is falling apart (“olden hallways filled with dust”) but it is home to those who still linger within its rooms and hallways. But beware to anyone who dares to tread within it! For if you fall into the trap, you will not be able to escape so easily. As the lost souls in the poem state: “Greetings! You seem to be stranded/You are welcome in my household.”

 

I really enjoyed reading the poem “Rat King.” There are so many different kinds of poems written about the Rat King, and this is one of the good ones. It is dark and terrifying. It makes the Rat King into a much bigger monster than before. I liked the surprise at the end, as well.

 

There are quite a few poems in this book about Texas, and about the sinister forces hidden within it. I am not sure what the meaning is behind this, but it made for interesting reading. I have only visited Texas once, and perhaps there was some kind of monster in the sandstorm me and my family had to drive through when we were there.

 

“We Called Them Kaiju” is another good poem in this book. I like how, among the mix of monsters and mythological creatures in this book, the kaiju are included. These lines from this poem especially stood out:

 

“the cityscape was unimportant

we all ran when they came

their roars echoed discordant

washing us away in flame

our greatest works laid flat

destroyed so easily

destruction reigned in their path

all of us slaughtered equally” (Page 111)

 

Another poem I enjoyed reading is “((Them)).” Like some of the other poems in this book, it changes course from the usual horrific poems about monsters and deities and speaks out against fascism and oppression. These beginning lines of the poem resonated with me:

 

“I am ((Them))

forged in the fires of hateful places

I am ((them))

centuries of stereotypes held in stasis

what do ((I)) know about the way the world works?

what have you put in to learn who ((we)) are?

judging ((us)) with knowing disdainful smirks

your own prejudice elevating ((us)) to the stars.” (Page 116)

 

I also loved the artwork that is in this book. My favorite one was the art following the poem “Toymaker” that is on page 25 (and “Toymaker” on page 24 is quite a creepy poem!).

 

The Configuration Discordant is a haunting collection of poetry of monsters, creatures, and deities both known and unknown. The poems reflect the quest for the survival of humankind in the face of the many battles taking place, as well as poems of power and resistance. There are also horror poems that would terrify readers, as well as poems about the unknown. Altogether, it is a collection of dark poetry sure to be enjoyed by fans of horror poetry.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for research purposes and elected to also write a review of it. This review is entirely voluntary.

When Monsters Roamed the Earth: War of Dictates combines creatures of myth and fantasy in an epic battle for power

 

 

War of Dictates 

John Baltisberger

Ebook, 107 ppg.

ISBN-10: 1734893710

ISBN-13: 978-1734893717

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Many writers enjoy setting historical and modern-day settings as the backdrop for stories of fantasy and myth. John Baltisberger is one of those writers. In the horror fantasy book that is written in a series of poems, War of Dictates by John Baltisberger has creatures and beings from mythology, as well as creatures of fantasy, fighting for dominion over the earth. Both sides use up and destroy humans, often setting them up as pawns in their battles.

 

While this may be a story written as poetry, one must keep in mind that the timeline is not consistent. It starts at the very beginning of mankind, then jumps to the present day, then goes back to Biblical times. Nevertheless, this timeline hop did not cause confusion, and each of these passages was interesting to read, especially with the Nephilim and the Watchers. There is speculation that giants once roamed the earth, and here they are presented as deities. An accurate portrayal, actually.

 

Human women are not treated fairly in these poems. At the beginning, women are seen as sex objects, often raped to death. Then they are seen as reproductive objects, valued only for being able to have babies. Then they are used for trade: 

 

“Human men had learned from the twisted Grigori and traded women;

valued their progeny and title and legacy above human life.

And so, the first Nephilim lords learned

to make peace, offer a woman.

To make war, take a woman.

To reduce men to idiots, show them a woman.

To sap men’s life, unmake a woman.” 

 

Human women may not fare well in the stories, but one of myth has better stature: Lilith. I was surprised to see this mythical being in this book, but with the other creatures and beings of myth and fantasy, it felt right. This is especially true given that some of the stories are set in Biblical times (Noah and the flood, Adam and Eve). 

 

The battle between the gods, the Watchers, and the angels continues in the stories. It was all extremely fascinating to read, even though I know it’s all fictional. But it is written so well. The style of the writing for the poems makes it appear as though it’s from an old book. There is no “thee” or “thou” but the word choice makes it seem as if the stories come from ancient text. 

 

I especially liked the last part of the book, where these beings took on the human forms of certain people in history (as well as in the year 2020) and Lilith returns for one last battle. It was entertaining to read. 

 

War of Dictates is a recommended read for fans of mythology, fantasy, and Biblical studies (and with that last part, one must keep an open mind when reading such content. Remember, it’s just fiction!). It’s a book of epic battles and the quest for power. Brilliantly written and plotted so well, these poems are sure to entertain and fascinate readers. They are tales that linger in the mind long after the very last poem is read.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this ebook for research purposes. This review is entirely voluntary.