Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review!!

3.5 stars! Rounded up

Ooooo I am so happy I went for this. The first few stories I LOVED! Out of all of them I'd have to say is You Oughta Be In Pictures by Anastasia Dziekan! out of 5 stars per story I gave that one a 5 I would read a longer story based on that

And my second was actually the first story Gladys Glows at Night by Hatteras Mange.

All the other stories I really liked but these two really stuck out for me. You have everything thrown in here along with some characters/stories you'll know which did take me by surprise and was really intrigued what was done with them.

My interest in each story shortly after a good few. Around 45%??? Mark i started to not be so deep within the stories anymore as I was at the start but genuinely enjoyed this collection and happy to find new authors!

I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Scissor Sisters is a horror anthology about villainous lesbians. I found it under the horror category on Netgalley, and that's the genre I see it listed as elsewhere.

I love anthologies. Depending on if you're a half full or half empty person, they either provide you with new opportunities to fall in love regularly or they provide you with stories that sometimes might not be to your tastes, or perhaps the good stories end too soon.

To that, I say, "Yes."

Scissor Sisters is full of really good stories, and if you're a fan of the premise, there will be stories that please you. There are also stories, however, that needed work, or that fall apart if you think too hard. And there are stories that really needed to be expanded to work. There was only one story that made me want to gouge my eyes out.

While it's subjective, I'd also label some of the stories as more fantasy than horror. I like fantasy, I just like to choose when I want to read something.

The anthology starts out very strong for me. Gladys Glows at Night, by Hatteras Mange was the nearly perfect entry in. If you've read Radium Girls (non-fiction) and thought that there still needed to be more justice, lots more justice, this is a satisfying story.

You Oughta Be in Pictures, by Anastasia Dziekan was also a strong story to have in the beginning. Gory, and lovely, and deep, and tragic. It left me sad and uncomfortable, and so it should.

Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya, by Avra Margariti was about our inner furies. And it was kinda gross. And touching. Torbalan's Gift, by Grace R. Reynolds was about freedom and anger.

Buckskin for Linen, by Mae Murray was haunting, and while I didn't mean the pun, it's appropriate. It's a tale reminding us of the horrors -- ugh, there I do again -- of residential schools and denying people their families, culture, and heritage. Like the aforementioned Gladys Glows at Night, it's satisfying to read about girls and women meting out justice. And then of course sadness that this justice hasn't been attained in the real world. That the stories are also sapphic makes them all the more powerful.

Some of the stories channel fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, or classic horror like Frankenstein, or just plain classics like Great Expectations, with -- for me -- mixed results.

I want to give a mention to the "odd man out." According to the note at the back, the pub wants to give the reader a little something more -- lagniappe -- at the end of their books, so they added a queer (but not sapphic) story called The Call of the Sea, by Eric Raglin, which was delightful.

There's a list of content warnings in the back of the book, which I appreciate. With so many stories the list of CWs will be extensive. I also found them validating because one story is listed as having pseudo-incest and when I read this story, and that bothered me, I didn't know how I'd deal with it in a review. Was I reading too much into it? Would people TELL me I was reading too much into it? No, it's listed right there.

While I loved the stories I mentioned -- for the most part -- and enjoyed others like Enamored (Shelley Lavigne ) and Oubliette (L.R. Stuart) there were a few stories I felt were misplaced in a horror anthology (subjective, I know.) Or that needed to be novella length, like a story that had an amazing beginning and ending, but there was nothing in the middle, so it all fell flat. And there was one of two that felt more vibes than stories, and as if the author couldn't really say what was going on either. One was just spot on and amazing until an ending that got it's shock value from directly contradicting itself.

I do recommend Scissor Sisters, and I think I found some new authors, which I think anthologies are great at doing, but I really felt those exceptions to the quality.

5/5 Horror that will have you breathing hard from both fear and pleasure.

Anthologies are notoriously hard to review because some stories hit harder than others, but not here. Every single story does something to push, subvert or explore the genre of horror and Sapphic intimacy. What I especially love about the short story format of horror, is the authors quickly and skillfully build a world, create an emotional (and usually explicitly sexual) connection between characters, edging us with fear and then leaving us at the climax with no aftercare.

I love that all of our main characters are women and that every story is utterly unlike the last one. Our women are vengeful spirits, snuff film-makers, cannibals, murderers, evil scientists and monsters; but they're also juxtaposed by being deeply loving (to the point of obsession), incredibly intelligent and fully aware and in control of their actions.

Here are a few of my favourite stories and quotes:

"I only dream in shades of red. It looks like abstract art. Pollocks and Rothkos. Or like red chrysanthemums blooming, spreading their petals wide. I think it's the memory of the contents of the inside of my skull splattering against my eyelids." - You Oughta Be in Pictures by Anastasia Dziekan

"She couldn't decide on the more intriguing fantasy: how the woman would look roasting over a spit of rolling in the sheets in her bed." - Gingerbread Red by Chloe Spencer

"No, based on her cry of pleasure, she quite enjoyed the pierce of [character name]'s fangs in her throat and her climax was untampered by the stead flow of her blood." Oubliette by L.R Stuart

The story that stayed with my long after I finished the book was Buckskin for Linen by Mae Murray, about residential schools and the indigenous children taken from their homes and forced to attend. Mae Murray showcases indigenous revenge, joy and heritage on the backdrop of the horror of the residential school system. I loved it.

This book is best read in a house with feet, while skeletons with glowing eyes watch you approach the steps to the front door with your gift, bleeding through the sheet it's wrapped in as it gently moves in your hand.

I received a copy of this Audiobook from NetGallery with the approval by Brigids Gate Press. This is my honest review of "Scissor Sisters" by Rae Knowles, April Yates.

I would like to shout from the roof tops in Brooklyn so everyone can hear how much I loved this collection of short stories. After the first story I was eager to read the next and the next and so forth. I am not part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I am very well versed in dark horror, historical horror, and realistic horror. These stories had it all. It had so many different types of horror and worked off the horror that the LGBTQ+ community knows all too well. The stories and symbolisms, kept me on the edge of my seat. Every aspect of taboo was discussed is various different forms and the result had me walking away haunted by the pain the authors wrote about.
This book is my first 5 star read of 2024 and I don't do that lightly. Though, when you can grip me so tight in a story I miss my subway stop, obviously a high rating is deserved. I feel like I cannot speak more highly about this book of stories. I have told my best friend about it and I want to hand it to every horror fan I know because the horrors in this collection are so tangible it needs to be felt by all.
I am not sure what else to say other then to run to your local bookstore on January 23rd and grab yourself a copy! I know I will!

3.5 rounded up to 4/5 stars.

thanks to netgalley and brigids gate press for the arc.

an anthology about sapphic villains (plus one bonus story about mlm). should be right up my alley, and for the most part, it is. some stories are better than others: “you oughta be in pictures”, “modern art, cursed media”, “conversations with roe”, and “ungrateful dead things” were the standouts for me, but almost every story had something going on for it.

i enjoyed all the different aspects of every woman in this collection. it was told from the pov of villains, victims and everything in between. i love the range of women in these stories. also i’m giving a thumbs up for the inclusion of some of the only smut i’ve been able to read without visibly cringing.

unfortunately, i don’t think i’m meant for short stories, which is no one’s fault but my own. i had a hard time keeping up with some of the stories, due to the lack of world building, so sometimes, i would be left be confused. if anyone wants to pick this up and already enjoys short stories, i think you’ll love this collection a lot!

i recommend reading the list of trigger warnings that are in the back of the book first as well. some pretty dark content lies within and i’m very happy that the editors took the time out to list every trigger warning to look out for.

Dive into the wicked world of "Scissor Sisters," where sapphic villains take the stage in 21 tantalizing tales curated by April Yates and Rae Knowles. This anthology promises stories of horror, lesbians, and erotica – a perfect potion for those who like their stories as twisted as Maleficent's horns. Let's unravel this anthology of villainous delights!

Pros:
🌟 Five stars for a scintillating anthology that's like a wicked cauldron brewing tales of sapphic intrigue. It's practically a villainous tea party!

😈 Love the sapphic, horror, dark, and erotica themes – it's a feast for those with a taste for the macabre. Like a dark chocolate truffle, each story is deliciously sinful.

📚 I love the inclusion of Lagniappe – it's like getting an extra bite of a sinister cupcake in this literary dessert. A delightful bonus to an already bewitching collection.

🔍 Some of my favorite stories in the anthology are: "You Oughta Be in Pictures" by Anastasia Dziekan, "Modern Art Cursed, Mixed Media" by Hailey Piper, "Conversations with Roe" by Alex Luceli Jiménez, and "Ungrateful Dead Things" by Alyssa Lennander. They're the stars of this villainous cabaret.

In conclusion, "Scissor Sisters" is a wickedly enchanting anthology that stitches together the diverse talents of sapphic storytelling. Whether you're into horror, lesbians, or a touch of erotica, this collection has it all – like a potion crafted by a coven of literary sorceresses. A standing ovation for these wordsmiths! 👏📚

Disclaimer: A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for this ARC. All opinions are as uniquely twisted as a Maleficent plot twist. 🖤📖

This was a collection of short stories of sapphic horror. Overall I liked them and definitely enjoyed reading this collection. Of course there were some stories I enjoyed more than others. My favorite thing about the collection was the mix of main characters being villains, victims, and "heroes" (as much as one can be a hero in a horror story). None of them were overly extreme or unnecessarily graphic (in terms of gore. There was lots of sex) . However if you read this collection I do recommend checking out the trigger warnings in the back of the book for each story. These stories were super unique, well written and fun to read! They contain a wide variety of women, settings, and themes. I think there is something for everyone in here, especially if you're tired of the "bury your gays" trope.

Surprisingly strong! I didn’t expect it to be fantastic especially cause I didn’t recognize any of the authors, but quite a few of the stakes were great! Thanks for the arc