This collection of short stories is billed as “Southern Gothic Horror” and I will attest that the description is perfect. They range from strange to bizarre and from freakish to aberrant. I am not a fan of horror, so it is no surprise that some of these were just too far over the top for my tastes, but more than feeling horror, I felt an urge to laugh. They were so improbable, indeed impossible, that they didn’t stir any fear; I would say they were campy.

There were several that were exceptionally well done. Hag Ride, Path of the War Chief, and The Choking Kind were the most appealing to me. The only lesson I would take from the collection is beware of strong women; doesn’t pay to cross them. ( )

My overall thoughts about Spook Lights is that this is an amazing collection of stories! I appreciate the subtle style of gothic horror and that it’s not all about jump scares and intense gore. Instead of things jumping out at you from beyond the pages it’s the suspense that slowly creeps up on you.

I loved how Royce immerses her reader in the deep South, and the sharp attention to detail helps to place you in each of the story’s landscapes. A lot of the stories are blend of fantasy, the supernatural, and the real world giving them so many entertaining elements. Most of the stories also deal with the theme of morals or the seven deadly sins and puts truth to the statement of “be careful what you wish for”.

I found myself enamored by each spooky tale and the sharp twists and turns they made. Especially the endings of tales that had shocking revelations or cliffhangers. Most of the stories read smoothly for me except for Path of the War Chief because I felt like it didn’t belong with the rest of the collection. It’s hard to pick one favorite story out of this collection since they are all good, but I would choose The Choking Kind. ( )