Publisher's Weekly
Skilled variations on classic themes characterize most of the 16 stories in this psychological horror collection, Chizmar's book debut. Even in the overworked area of child abuse, "The Season of Giving" holds out hope, while "The Silence of Sorrow" is an understated masterpiece about the subject. The title story effectively uses the theme of terminal illness, and "The Sinner King" provides a new take on the Holy Grail. Of the two stories with overtly supernatural elements, "Heroes" features a sympathetic Dracula, and "Only the Strong Survive" showcases two highly unsympathetic werewolves. A few early, minor or short-short pieces don't display Chizmar at his strongest, and both "Grand Finale" and "Devil's Night" rely too much on the genre's conventional acceptance of violence against women to achieve their impact. But Chizmar's prose is economical and he refrains from spattering readers with gratuitous gore. Hopefully, this sterling collection will be available before long in something other than this high-priced deluxe hardcover edition.