Disclaimer: I received e-book version of from Sliced Up Press in exchange for honest . All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When one thinks of cake, they may think of sweetness and fluffiness, of happy life events being celebrated. This is not the case when it comes to the stories in Slashertorte.

The entries in this anthology range from the grief of losing loved ones, gaining popularity at the expense of another, fear of growing old, cannibalism, and cosmic horror, all using sweet confections as the central theme.

While every story was entertaining, the standout stories in this collection for me were: Tres Leches by V. Castro, Glut by E. Seneca, The Perfect Bite by Tiffany Michelle Brown, and One Year Anniversary by Red Lagoe.

Every morsel in this collection is deliciously prepared and served, and you won't be able to resist a single bite.anthology body-horror dark-fiction ...more5 s J.A. SullivanAuthor 9 books43

Food in horror stories generally makes me think of poisonings, cannibalism, and tales of a more absurd nature, but Slashertorte: An Anthology of Cake Horror opened my eyes to the overflowing buffet of ideas that food can represent. The sixteen brilliant stories in this collection explore greed, family rituals, love, grief, and envy in mind blowing ways, and are sure to keep you feasting through the book until youÂ’ve devoured every single word.

From the very first story, “Tres Leches” by V. Castro, where the reader gains secret information on the specialty bakery called Dark Delights, I knew this anthology was something special. Not only is Castro’s story inventive and creepy, but the writing style was captivating.

Overall, stylistic choices are a huge part of why this collection works so well. All the stories have interesting plots, but the way in which they are told are simply sumptuous. Each writer delivers a unique dark voice adding different tones and textures throughout the book. And, a master pâtissier, editor Ben Walker exquisitely layered these tales to build upon each other. What follows are just a few of the stories I enjoyed so much I read them several times.

To me, the most heart-wrenching stories was “Tiers” by Belinda Ferguson. Blending magic spells, buttercream salted with tears, and a shotgun wedding, this story enters the thoughts of a disturbed baker motivated by her own tragic past. The author brilliantly captures how villains are seen as heroes in their own minds. (Please note, this story does deal with pregnancy and miscarriage, and may be triggering for some readers. A full list of content warnings is included at the end of the book.)

On the lighter side, “Mrs Betty Briggs and the Angel Food Cake from Hell” by Kelly Robinson was a terrific piece of cosmic horror. Set in the late 1950s, the women of Franklinville are turning green with envy as Mrs. Betty Briggs wins the blue ribbon at the annual fair year after year with her simple angel food cake. Determined to break Betty’s streak, the women begin spying on their rival, hoping to discover her secret ingredient. But no one is prepared for what they witness, and Franklinville will never be the same.

Sinking into the darkest depths of grief was “Black Teeth” by Sam Richard. At the funeral reception of his late wife, the main character grapples with his loss and feels unanchored from reality. This is only made worse when he sees a strange woman eating cake, her smile filled with black teeth. What follows is a night terror for the character and feels sleep paralysis to the reader. With its raw emotions and terrifying visions, this was my absolute favourite of the anthology.

Slashertorte: An Anthology of Cake Horror is a solid collection of unusual horrors, and although some stories impacted me more than others, I truly enjoyed every twisted tale. Even more impressive is this is the debut release by Sliced Up Press, which has me highly anticipating their upcoming menopause themed anthology Bodies Full of Burning.

*Review first appeared on Kendall Reviews*2020-reads2 s Angie292 16

You can read my full review at: https://strangersights.com/slashertor...

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.

Not a bad rating – especially for an anthology. There were a few misses for me here, but there were definitely more hits. What can I say besides, ‘I love cake.’1 Maisy Kane178 9

Some stories were better than others, and some really worked for me while others didn't, but that's how these little collections usually are. Overall, a very fun spread of cake-themed stories. This will definitely be a re-read for me.cooking-and-food horror novella ...more William Wheeler86

A delicious read! Unique, intriguing, outside of the box kind of book. Love it! Ben22

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