Hotter Blood by Jeff Gelb (Various Authors)

Series: Hot Blood
Author: Jeff Gelb and Various Authors
Page Count: 352
Published: September 1st, 2004
Publisher: Pinnacle
  4 Stars ★★★★

So I can't say too much about the individual stories and plots featured in this anthology, as this would result in a review made of spoilers. So, I am just giving my general thoughts!


This erotic horror anthology features a range of short stories from contemporary horror to supernatural terrors. All stories have some erotic component to them, but don't worry, this doesn't undermine the scare or creep factor! In most cases, it actually makes the story more creepy.


This was a great anthology that introduced me to so many new authors. I loved the mix of erotic and horror themes, as I'm interested in genre-bending stories and all the strange and bizarre places our imaginations can go. I really enjoy both erotica and horror on their own, and while I was a bit skeptical about if they would mix well, this anthology showed me that these two genres/themes mix incredibly well under the right circumstances.


The stories ranged from very scary and shocking to not scary at all. I found a few of the stories were good overall, but I don't think they were suited for a horror anthology. On the other hand, some stories introduced me to concepts and ideas I'd never ever thought of! Many of the authors were very creative and original, and this resulted in me adding even more books to my to-read list.


I definitely want to read the other erotic horror collections in this anthology series. I recommend this to fans of erotica and horror fiction who want to see an interesting blend of the two. If you want to discover new authors in these genres, this would be a great pick for you.



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Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

Series: Point Horror Unleashed
Author: Celia Rees
Page Count: 224
Published: September 20th, 2002
Publisher: Scholastic Point
  3.5 Stars ★★★

Ellen is a teenage girl with a mysterious illness. A strange disease or ailment of the blood plagues her, and has her returning to hospitals time and time again. She fears that she may not have much time left.

She moves in with her grandmother, and comes across a series of diaries written by one of her ancestors, a female doctor also named Ellen. As she reads entry after entry, it becomes obvious that the older Ellen had come across a real-life vampire.

With the reappearance of a childhood friend, and the creepy sight of an old cemetery across the road from her grandmother's house, Ellen wishes that she could unravel the mysteries that plague both herself and her ancestor. But will she survive to uncover the truth?

This was a fairly quick read. I read it in one night, I found myself unable to put it down. However, this wasn't because the book was amazing.

It was definitely enjoyable, no mistake there. But there was something missing.

First off, the things I liked. I liked the way that vampires were creepy and not sexy. I love myself some sexy vampires, but a good old-fashioned monster is definitely also appreciated. I liked the way that the author told two stories at once, the story of the past and present Ellens. The diary entries were thorough and painted a clear picture of the past, while the modern Ellen's experiences were also well described and explained.

The mystery of Ellen's illness kept me reading. I really wanted to know what was wrong with her, and if she would survive. There was definitely some empathy from me concerning this situation, and Andy cared for Ellen in a way that made him immediately likeable.

There really should have been more in this book, though. More scenes, more action. A long book, with more character development and emphasis on creepy happenings would have bumped this book up to a four, maybe even a five star read. The base story was there, and certainly enjoyable, but with a little more time, this book could have been fantastic.



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