Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Like most anthologies, this one had some stories I really liked and some I was less enthusiastic about. "Dieselpunk" is less tied to a time period or aesthetic than steampunk usually is, which made the anthology an interesting mix of settings. I particularly enjoyed "Under Amber Skies", by Maria V. Snyder, and "Hyena Brings Death", by Bernie Mojzes. "Return of the Diesel Kid", by John L. French, had a fun setting that was outside of the WWI-WWII era that many of the stories favored. Overall, I liked this book very much and look forward to reading more by these authors and in the dieselpunk genre in the future.… (more)

A Cast of Crows by Danielle Ackley McPhail is a Poe-inspired collection of short stories. Almost all the stories have the same element: a raven, which is the star of attraction. The stories are creepy, dark, and have a sense of excitement. Only some of the stories I read were incomplete, which crashed some of my hopes. But it is indeed a good start for a reader who has not read Poe's work. It will give them a fair idea of his style of writing. The authors have done a commendable job, as it is not easy to recreate a legend's work. For me, it is a 4-star read and definitely an exciting one.… (more)