An award-winning collection of flash and short fiction and prose

All genres

March 2019 *****

Karina Kantas takes her readers on one fabulous ride, entertained by twenty-eight short stories, tales of modern day life, castles and duels, beasts in the forests, and more. It was hard for me to believe all these different little genre gems were written by the same author. What a range! Each tasty morsel is well written with a sufficient hook, likeable relatable characters, and satisfying, sometimes quirky endings. Each of these short stories could easily be full novel. Sample Kantas’ writing In this diverse work. You will not be disappointed – or bored.

April 2017 *****

What a wonderful collection of short and very short stories! If you don’t have time to invest in a full-length novel, this is the collection for you. Each story has its build-up and then POW…the endings…they are something else. They aren’t cliff-hangers because you know, that person got what was coming to them, or the story has ended satisfactorily. A fantastic sample of work that will have you wondering about the author’s novels.

March 2017 ****

Heads & Tales is an entertaining collection of quickly-read stories from across the spectrum of genres. From divine entities to supernatural creatures to relatable, real-world situations, each story gives you just enough to catch your attention before ending, leaving you craving for more, even as you move onto the next entry.

February 2017 *****

This book show how talented Karina Kantas is and the many genres she has mastered. The stories are all excellent.They are a tad short compared to what I like but I did completely enjoy it. They are good stories to read at lunch or on a break. There are many genres to choose from and you may find one you thought you didn’t care for and change your mind. Pick it up and give it a chance. Be surprised!

January 2017 ****

As with all books contains multiple shorts, there were some stories I really enjoyed and others that weren’t in the style I’m normally drawn to. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the variety it offered – some of the shorts would have made good, longer pieces…and I’d have been happy to read them! An enjoyable read.

October 2016 *****

Really enjoyed reading the different stories in this book. There were some I loved, some I didn’t quite get but still enjoyed, and others which were really clever.

I loved Haunted by His Absence about a fear of clowns, it was so clever and most of it was left to the reader’s imagination.

Nobel Heart could so easily have been a novel, and it was a good long read. I loved this one and it remained my favourite until I reached Spooky – and no, it’s not what you think, either. That was definitely my favourite.

Every story had merit and I enjoyed the different length with some of them, the author was exploring and linking ideas.

December 2015 ****

A great collection of well-written, easy to read short stories.
The book contains a mix of genres, and as with most anthologies, some stories appealed to me than others, and some of them left me wanting more!
My favourites were Haunted by his Absence, Nobel Heart, Crossed and Twist of Fate.

November 2015 *****

A fantastic collection of horror and bizarre stories. Each one held its own merit and the variety of genres was excellent. The lengths of the stories were perfect for those moments when you have a few minutes to kill. A fast and easy read, I look forward to reading more from Karina.

April 2015 *****

Another five star but worth it. Beautifully written, my only quibble is so many of the stories would have made great full length books. Even the short ones were very easy to get into and the plots were very clever, one of the best books I have read for a while.

December 2013

Interesting. Some stories better than others. I liked the variety of stories but some were just very strange and very short.

July 2013 *****

This collection of short stories is a joy. This author never fails to please and never fails to surprise. I have thoroughly enjoyed her previous novels and this anthology of short stories only confirms my admiration. Its smart, punchy and above all lots of fun. Its ideal when travelling short journey’s on boring trains, taxis or buses. You can read a story on each trip. It seems that the author gets more prolific as time goes by and to be honest, I’m pleased for that. Great book and worth a read.

February 2013 *****

Absolutely fantastic short stories brilliant writer has a brilliant ability to turn her hand to any type of story and make it good

January 2012

Short story collections seldom come as good or in some cases as short as the ones in this book. Each story takes you fully into another place then leaves you wanting more but in a good way. Would love more of Nobel Heart probably the longest story in the book. A complete mixed bag of genres but all well written and each as good as the next

May 2009 *****

I loved this book! It’s a quick read with so many amazing short stories! Each one could be expanded into it’s own novel! They get you thinking! Some have clever endings, some are emotional, some are classic plotlines-never a dull moment here! You will really enjoy each one

June 2008 *****

Though none of these stories is in a genre I usually gravitate to, each one held me strongly with Karina\s powerful, spare and technicoloured writing. Her take on the theme of vampires had me both gripping the table with my fingertips and simultaneously laughing. The romance between the lost heiress and her noble rescuer was pure Malory. The vision of the terrors of the clown or of the ring which caught unwary souls, all show Karina’s ability to weave dreams and nightmares with a vividness which is like a shock of cold water on a hot morning.

May 2008 *****

If you are after a collection of short stories, that take only a moment to read but keep you thinking for a long while after, then this is the book for you.

One of the things I love about this book, is that each tale is like a sudden blast of energy. Each quick tale is like the best scene out of a film, of the climax to a powerful piece of music. Snappy, and straight to the point.

Whether the tales are about the battle between good and evil, of the end of the earth, there is something in this book for everyone.

May 2008  *****

Heads & Tales is a collection of Karina Kantas’ (In Times of Violence) short stories. She has proven herself as a strong author with good emotion and powerful ideas translated through the written word. This book is worth every penny you will spend on it and I strongly recommend that you also check out her fiction novel In Times of Violence.