A sizable collection of wonderfully varied tales and articles. I do have a story in here, but genuinely enjoyed reading it as a whole. ( )

Review copy

Midnight Echo 12 marks the rebirth of the Australasian Horror Writers Association's signature magazine. Issue 11 was published more than two years ago.

It's nice to see its return, not just because it's an important venue for Aussie writers, but because it represents speculative fiction at its finest.

I'm going to comment on just a few of the standout stories in this issue. Stories like EFFIGIA MALO by Angela J. Maher.

Lydia made a choking noise as she felt a rope tighten around her neck. 'Paul,' she rasped. 'Get out. Run! It’s the book; it’s evil. The illustration is creating a reality. Go, before it gets you too!'

I was also impressed with a delightful little ghost story called, WAR GHOST, and OLD MAN RED GUM, a tale of an ancient tree and its dark history. But, the best of the bunch comes at the end of the magazine as Matthew R. Davis tells the story of lost love. Really lost, as in never existed. But the lead character remembers his love clearly and he even gets a Christmas gift from her. A mixtape made when they were still dating. The rest of the story is told in a series of flashbacks, one for each song on the tape. Terribly clever and then there's the big reveal at the end. Perfectly told. Go read AN IMPOSSIBLE GIFT.

Midnight Echo 12 is a nice blend of fact and fiction and includes several award-winning shorts in this issue. Welcome back and don't stay away so long this time.

Midnight Echo 12 is published by the Australasian Horror Writers Association and is available in Kindle format. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library. ( )