Sefira and Other Betrayals

John Langan, usually one of the most interesting of contemporary horror writers, is not at the top of his game in this collection. The stories are all well-written, something you’d expect to find in a Langan collection; the problem is that they just aren’t interesting. Even the best of them (Sefira and At Home in the Devil’s House) don’t have the power or the payoff usually present in Langan’s work.

This is not a terrible collection but really shouldn’t be the first thing by Langan anyone reads.

A new fan of Langdon, for sure! Some of the stories are better than others, the nature of any anthology. But overall I really liked this book and thought about it afterwards. To me, contemplating the story long after you've read it is the mark of any good story.