The new short story collection These Dreaming Spires is an absolute delight for fans of Dark Academia stories. From haunted abandoned chapels to chess players with a twist, this collection features 12 different stories involving the spooky and dark realm of academic pursuits. The collection features stories from: Olivie Blake, Genevieve Cogman, Ariel Djanikian, Elspeth Wilson, MK Lobb, Jamison Shea, Kate Alice Marshall, Erica Waters, De Elizabeth, Taylor Grothe, Kit Mayquist, and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
Most short story collections can suffer from a mismatch of stories in tone and excitement, but I can delightedly advise that These Dreaming Spires does not suffer from that problem. If anything, the stories are so good it can be difficult to put the book down. Editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane should be commended for their choices, because at least three times reading this collection I set the book down on my lap and went “holy smokes that was good.” There are several stories that will be haunting me for a while, including one that involves live dissections and another where mental patients are used to access darker realms.
If you opt for the hardcover, the cover is decorated with shimmering gold. It looks great on my bookshelf. These Dreaming Spires is a perfect way to start your Spooky Season off right.
These Dreaming Spires is now available from Titan Books.
