Anthology: Death Flex, Shadow of the Executioner

An enthralling panoply of talent that will both horrify and satisfy!

The folks over at Pilum Press contacted me, asking if I would review their new horror anthology, Death Flex. After seeing several familiar writers I’ve already reviewed, such as Alexander Palacio (The Turquoise Serpent) and JB Jackson (Shagduk) so I enthusiastically accepted.

Death Flex is an interesting experiment in writing. A group of writers all read the diary of Franz Schmidt, the Chief Executioner of Nuremberg, Germany. Franz was active in the second half of the 1500’s and kept an immaculate diary of his work. The writers of Death Flex read the diary and wrote short stories inspired by how it made them feel. The settings and plots vary wildly, and Death Flex really keeps you guessing. Each story is very unique, and all of them are phenomenal.

The first story in the book is Thirty-One Blows, by Brian Renninger. It was easily my favorite. The prose is fantastic, and weaves an incredibly accurate description of the wintertime in the Black Forest of Germany, where I have actually visited. There is a deep and dignified sense of foreboding throughout, and without spoiling it, the vibe is very reminiscent of The Witcher. It keeps to Franz Schmidt as the protagonist with esoteric and otherworldly vibes, and the monkeys paw, boy does it curl…

Once within the willows Schmidt found himself in a place of shifting shadows and ice crystals striking rainbows from the rising sun. He thought of the story of Noah, and how the rainbow had brought hope. Perhaps this willow path led to hope as well? In the distance the church bells began to toll. Soon, through the leafless branches, he saw his destination. The hut built on a cart stood on a sandbar surrounded by reeds. One wheel of the cart leaned broken against a stump; the axle leveled by wooden blocks. The chimney puffed a thin white plume. Schmidt went up, knocked, and waited for an answer.

The Kobolds Stare, by Jeffro Johnson, is more of an important history lesson than a story. Johnson opens with a description of the thrill of a tabletop game of the original Dungeons & Dragons in the 1980’s, before frankly discussing the decline of the culture surrounding the game and how it fell so far.

Palacio’s Ingenue is the shortest story of the lot, but a finely written constant action sequence and fine example of “That escalated quickly” at a party that is not what it seems to be for the unfortunate guests.

These are just a few of the many stories contained in Death Flex. I sincerely enjoyed this quick read, and much like Spire, I came away feeling the sense of rejuvenation that quality short stories make me feel in an era where time is always in short supply. It will also always have a place in my heart as my first ever cover credit! It’s a great feeling to have my name on the back of a book of this quality, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it as well.

Buy Death Flex on Amazon by clicking here