Five novellas. Five authors. One publisher. I was thrilled when I first heard of ‘I Can Taste the Blood’ from one of John F. D. Taff’s (author/editor) blog newsletters. I’ve been a fan of all five writers involved for a while, as well as publisher Grey Matter Press, so to say this project had me excited would be an understatement. But could it live up to my expectation, or have I hyped it up too much before it even became a thing? The first story is from author Josh Malerman, and it was a perfec...

Actual Rating: 3/5 (EXACT!)Good horror. Read after drinking wine in bed for the full experience.

Review: I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD Anthology (Josh Malerman; J. Daniel Stone ; Joe Schwartz ;Erik T. Johnson; John F. D. Taff; edited Anthony Rivera)I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD Is at once anthology of five discrete novellas penned by five separate and individual authors, and also in a sense a themed collection. In no way a "shared-world" set, instead offered here is a unique collection of creativity. The five authors involved worked from only one shared premise, the title, "I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD." Exactly

I can taste the blood. Such a simple phrase, that is until you actually take a moment to let it sink in. Let it ignite some synapses, follow the thoughts down the rabbit hole and explore what it can actually mean. Suddenly, that simple phrase becomes something quite heavy.I can taste the blood. A collection of five ambiguously titled novellas connected only by a simple, yet complex phrase and the fire that it ignites. This is an enjoyable read, and a perfect time for it, as summer fades into fal...

This collection of five novellas by five horror writers has an interesting genesis, and the collection nearly blew me away. Three of the novellas were truly irresistible mindfucks—brutal, unflinching, and hard to forget. It's these three writers who made me read the book, and none of them disappointed.John F.D. Taff (a.k.a. The King of Pain) serves up a gory masterpiece that reminded me of an old Stephen King short story but with the heat turned up on high. I'm Italian, but I am for the first ti...

Highly enjoyable, especially J. Daniel Stone.

There are 5 separate stories in this book, which means I’m rating each story separately.Story 1, Josh Malerman: 5 🌟 Creepy, thrilling, and suspenseful. I loved it. This story has just been sticking with me in an eerie way. Josh certainly knows how to keep a reader enthralled.Story 2, Daniel Stone: 1.5 ⭐️ I wanted to like this story. However it took me hours and hours to read only 57 pages. I’ve read books with snuff film plot lines before, and while those stories drew me in, this one did not.Sto...

This was another good offering from Grey Matter Press. The idea came from graffiti John FD Taff saw in a restroom, the simple phrase "I can taste the blood." The result is this collection of novellas from five authors, all with the same title, but with very different takes on the phrase.I really enjoyed this. Four of the novellas are outstanding. One I absolutely hated, and that's the only reason I didn't give it five stars. Josh Malerman's offering is like an Arabian Nights folktale with a Tale...

Three of the novellas fall into 5 star territory, one didn't quite provide the horror beats I was hoping for and another was almost unreadable, bogged down in inscrutable surrealism. However, I'm sure there's plenty of weirdos out there that enjoy reading stuff that's crazier than a bag load of Donald Trumps. But overall, 3 amazing stories out of 5 ain't a bad tally. Special mention for J. Daniel Stone and his no fucking holds barred approach. That's somebody I'll be looking to read lots more fr...

5 novellas, 3 flash fiction shorts all with one title snagged from a mens room wall by John F.D. Taff. Doesn't that just make your brain squirm? I bought the book based on the title without looking inside or knowing a thing about it. It's just too cool.It lived up to my expectations. The stories were totally and completely different. While two of them weren't really to my liking, the others were so engrossing that a couple of burnt pieces were of no matter to me. This is a book well worth checki...

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The five stories written on the theme "I Can Taste the Blood" were as varied as individuals can be. Settings ranged from retro-futuristic to drug-hazed relationships to sci-fi. I particularly enjoyed Joe Schwartz's tale of a sad-sack guy just trying to get by and could almost hear Orson Wells reading John Taff's interpretation. I recommend this collection of short stories, all reflecting the author's take on the theme.

Read my full review at This Is Horror: http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-re...Any time you see the name John F. D. Taff coupled with the words “short fiction” you can expect that you’re in for something special, and the same can be said of anything that Grey Matter Press puts their stamp on. So when the two forces join together, it’s probably safe to say that extraordinary things are going to happen, a statement that proves to be true in the new Rivera and Taff edited anthology of short fiction...

2 stars = I don't know if I like this or not...From the reviews I've read, this anthology of gruesome stories is either the best horror ever, or the worst.For me, it's a mixed bag. Josh Malerman's tale of a desert-dwelling family taking in a desperate man was great, keeping me curious until the end.However, I found J. Daniel Stone's tale to be...well, disgusting. When the guys aren't destroying themselves with depression, drugs and ennui, they're being destroyed by a nasty filmmaker who enjoys m...

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this story. I Can Taste The Blood is an interesting anthology of novellas. A lot of anthologies have a theme to connect the stories but this was one of the most unique ones I've come across. All of the stories share the same title. The five novellas in this book are each very different in both style and content, ranging from horror to a stream of conscience type story straight out of a f...

I DNF’d it at 48% finished. I loved Malerman’s story, but the rest wasn’t doing much for me. Maybe I’ll get back into it another time.

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Anthology of bloody horror storiesAn interesting collection of psychological and gruesome tales. The stories are diverse enough to not be monotonous. This book is not for everyone and can be slow going on certain tales. It's not for the faint hearted but horror fans can give it a try handbrake up their own minds.

Interesting mash up of horror, noir and psychedelic stories. Inside this collection we have a gritty New York City story, a small town nightmare, a kidnapping, a man who can't keep away from his mother and a tale in the desert.A standout for me was Vision II by J. Daniel Stone. The story was so sad, and maddening. His writing makes you feel as if you're there! That one I could not put down, as I love movies and Stone's philosophies rang true for me. Such a strong tale for a young author. You can...

I was really looking forward to this when I first heard John F.D. Taff, one of my new favourite writers, was putting it together. I was unfamiliar with a couple of the authors and didn't know what to expect. And even though there were a couple of stories I liked more than the others, they were all very well-written. Overall, I thought it was great and offers readers of 1 or 2 of the authors to broaden their horizon and experience something a little different from the other authors. Recommended!