Last Light by Chris Coppel  is an anthology of horror tales.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis and Opinions:
As always with anthologies, I will read and review each story on an individual basis.

Living Water ... A wealthy, arrogant old man wants to step into the waters of the Shoshone Mesa, in hopes that he will regain his youth.  Interesting premise.  4 stars

Lightning ... A wealthy computer coder who found himself fleeing from a wildfire, discovered he now wants to live quietly.  He has a new house built with protection from all outside elements, controlled by AI.  Strange, but interesting.  4 stars

Last Touch ... A 12 year old boy discovers he has the talent of knowing if someone will die in the next 24 hours, just be shaking their hand.  Wonderful story.  5 stars

Lost Words  ... A man who has repeatedly written books that no one will publish, sells his soul to the devil for one last chance.  This was okay, but too predictable.  3 stars

Labour Shortage ... Between the problems of Brexit, and Covid,  seasonal farm workers are in short supply.  But there seems to be one apple orchard that has been remarkably productive.  Absolutely loved this one!   5 stars

Lethal Assignment ... A teenager playing a video game that has him planning assassinations is in for a rude awakening.  Didn't really like much about this one. Somewhat predictable. 1 star 

Light Dusting ...  An unexpected snow storm in Florida brings an unexpected visitor to a man with a troubled past.  Interesting, and although predictable, still quite good.  4 stars

Long Shadows ... A horror writer is invited to a prestigious gathering at a haunted New Orleans hotel.  He meets his idol, who tells him a strange tale about shadows.  Really good!  4 stars

Lasting Memories ... A man who is down on his luck moves into a small apartment in a run-down apartment, and meets an old woman down the hall.  Great characters and plot.  Loved it.  5 stars

Overall, the stories were quite entertaining, often creepy, and sometimes surprising.  The author writes well, and his characters are intriguing.  I will definitely be reading more by this author.

This was my first experience reading Chris Coppel's work and it did not disappoint! The short story formatting made it a quick and easy read. If I had to pick a favorite of the short stories I liked Lethal Assignment. I want to thank NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We love short stories in this house, so we’re really excited to read this! There were a few in here that we’d love to make into fully fledged books!

<i>Last Light</i> is a great collection of spooky stories and is perfect for anyone who is looking for a chilling and suspenseful read that delves into the paranormal and the unknown.

I found these stories so immersive and I really did not want it to end. My favourite would have to have been Last Touch because it’s been days since I finished this collection and I still haven’t stopped thinking about it.

I think this would be a great book to pick up if you’re wanting to get into the genre because each one is different and it gives you a fantastic variety to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A collection of amazing and unforgettable short stories centering around interesting characters and uncanny tales of their ’Last Light’ in their world, so to say. Each story is unique and richly woven keeping you riveted to the pages. Subtle magic in every word.

Chris Coppel is a rising star in horror and I can’t wait to devour more.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I LOVE short story collections. Whether they are collections written by one author or several, I can devour a short story collection pretty quickly. I had never read anything by Chris Coppel and I'm honestly not sure if I will again.

His ideas are great, I really think he's very creative. His writing style is not for me, although I did enjoy Light Dusting and Lasting Memories.

Thank you to Netgalley, Chris Coppel and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for allowing me to read the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Last Light is a collection of dark, mysterious, and creepy short stories that will hook the reader from the first page.
All 9 stories are standalone which is always nice, This book will give you Twilight Zone vibes. I found them very interesting and would recommend this book for spooky season.


Thank you NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

A truly must-read single author short story collection, LAST LIGHT presents 9 exceptional tales to expand one's imagination and to provoke thought. Poetic justice, instilling compassion, and reaching beyond the ordinary mundane are important themes here. Take one at a time and let it percolate, or read in quick succession: it's practically guaranteed that these stories will rule your thoughts, populate your dreams, and inspire you to ponder "Just what if---?"

Last Light will give you just enough illumination to see into the wonders and horrors that dwell deep within the darkest shadows.

This was a great collection of horror stories. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthrope Milner Publishers for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is available September 26,2023.

This collection of short stories delivered on what was promised. Spooky, atmospheric reads that will tremble your flesh, shake your bones and make you peel beneath the bed before turning off the light and flying into it. I enjoyed them. I had fun being scared by them. I recommend these stories to anyone who like horror.

Some very interesting, haunting stories can be found in this collection. I loved how original and striking they were. Recommended to horror fans.

A number of frightening short stories that showcases the horrors in the small everyday things.
These stories are all different but can still create that feeling of dreed throughout them.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review

3.5 stars! rounded up :)


ooooo I loved the variety of this. Each story was really different, gave a different vibe, some had more dread within them, some had moment that made me chuckle or felt more like a cosy horror feeling. I really enjoyed this and will definitely be looking out for more by Chris Coppel.

4.0 ⭐
Last Light is a collection of short horror/paranormal stories that play with the mind and cover some very real problems in the world, some of which you may even see skirted around in the media - greedy rich entrepreneurs, AI becoming a threat, Virtual Reality and even Abuse.

Each story had an ending that rounded up the tale, and also kept you wanting more, so much so that as the reader, I could extend the story via imagination to come up with the conclusion of what would have happened next in the world, following the events that had been written.

Without giving too much away about these stories, the ones that left an impression were "Labour Shortage" and "Lasting Memories".

I have to say that "Labour Shortage" dealt with a VERY important message of misogyny & hinted towards r*pe culture, whilst "Lasting Memories" was a very positive ending, although I wouldn't have classed this as horror, it left me with a warm feeling, making it my favourite story in the collection. It really hammered home that people aren't always as they seem on paper or by their history.

There are some themes in this book that could be considered triggering, however the stories add a charm whereby you don't actually get explicitly told what the theme is, you just get a feel of it and you KNOW - maybe the scariest part of all is that we know these themes too well, so well that we see it in the writing without being told to look for it.

Thankyou NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own, I swear by the sacred rock.

#LastLight #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #review #books #reader #ChrisCoppel #cranthorpemillner

I’ve read six books by the author before this one and only one of them was above average. But the thing is, Coppel does average very well. Reliably so. It’s just that he doesn’t seem to want to or cannot go above that.
But presumably it works, he’s with the same publisher, putting out a book a year or so. None of those books are terrible. Now he’s put out a collection of short fiction. Besides, he’s got his own nook of terror, geographically speaking, and it’s Utah of all places. A lot of his novels, and a lot of stories in this collection are set there.
The stories themselves are on the longer side of short and are all of a fairly uniform quality. Very plain stylistically, but interesting enough plot wise. I never remember the individual titles but three stories before the very last one were probably my favorite.
Overall, a quick, perfectly decent read for fans of dark speculative fiction who crave something not especially literary and not overtly visceral or covered in gore and guts. Thanks Netgalley.

THESE STORIES WILL HAUNT MY DREAMS AND I WELCOME IT
I have never read a book of short horror stories before, and boy am I glad I started with Chris Coppel.
The way the author crafted each story to tickle those fear senses in my brain was pure genius.

With spooky season right on our heals, this is the ultimate read. I devoured this book in one day and I regret nothing. I would read these stories over and over again.
My favorite stories were "Living Water" and "Lasting Memories". One left me with hope while the other crushed it, and I loved every minute of it. I could feel myself yelling out loud to these characters as if I was watching a movie unfold before me.

A lot of these stories have concepts that are so enthralling and unique it leaves you begging for more from Chris Coppel. And lucky for us, there is plenty more.
Overall, I would recommend this book to ANY lover of horror books and I promise you wont regret it.

Having never read short stories by Chris Coppel before, his 'Last Light' collection pleasantly surprised me: Coppel has gathered nine really, really well-written tales, with riveting premises and satisfying endings. Every story is a gem, rich in characterization and terrific dialogue, well-researched, and very ambitious! They're long enough to deserve their own separate publication, each one carrying appropriate weight to be appreciated as the work of a master in its own right.

My favorites were: "Living Water," the opening story, about a filthy rich man's apparently impossible desire to be young again - it had me greedily turning each page to see what would happen next; "Lightning Strike," the second story, brilliantly paced, with great visuals as well (about another rich guy, this time trying to control nature with his mind and technology; the ending was a bit too abrupt though); "Lethal Assignment," a story about an online game whose repercussions go far beyond what the virtual eye can see (and what an ending!); and, finally, the last story, "Lasting Memories," with superb dialogue, a quite moving christmas story that went into really unexpected directions (about a former convict finding a place to live, where he meets a mysterious old woman with indecipherable intentions) - I can’t recommend it enough!

Overall, the stories are very different from each other, yet they are all very much entertaining, each one a page-turner, with neither gore nor anything extreme, just good characterisation, clever ideas, original premises, and brilliant writing! Check them out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for the ARC; it was pure joy to read and review this collection!

True horror is not obvious. It is the thing unseen, the thing not thought of. It percolates underneath until it can take hold. It will never let go.

In Last Light, a collection of unforgettable short stories by the talented Chris Coppel, horror is a toaster, a simple handshake, an invitation or a promise of fame. It’s a welcoming glass of the best sherry or the way a shadow crosses sunlight. Don’t read Last Light alone and don’t look behind you. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and Chris Coppel for this ARC.