Sci-Fi & Scary

The Kalbrandt Institute Archives, Book 1: Hauntings, is a wonderfully written work by Chris Chesler that hooked me immediately. Eva, the main character, serves as a vehicle for Chesler to tell 5 ghost stories that are all unique and interesting. While I do not think this is an approach that could work again in this series (I’m assuming series as this is “Book 1”), it was very effective as a one time tactic.
I don’t want to give too much a way, so I’ll just say that the first story was unusual in its resolution, the second one was a take on a traditional haunting, the third had me imagining a demonic Mrs. Potts and Chip from Beauty and the Beast and unexpectedly filled me with compassion, the fourth was set in a very familiar setting that basically anyone over the age of 7 will recognize (though it was truthfully my least favorite of the bunch), and the fifth will leave you going “I knew something was off! I KNEW IT!”

These stories are also what I would consider ‘clean’, as there was no mention of sex, drug, or alcohol abuse. There might have been a couple foul words (though none that I can recall off the top of my head) but certainly nothing outrageous or in excess. There were a couple of possibly squicky scenes (if you have a very weak stomach), but nothing that even came possibly close to approaching gory.

Overall, this was a fantastic read that put short stories together in a form that held my interest, and I definitely look forward to reading more from this author. Hopefully that whetted your interest, and I highly recommend getting this book!

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Disclaimer: Received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.