Reviewed by J. Aislynn d Merricksson for Readers' Favorite

The Complete Tor by Anthony Morgan-Clark is a collection of all three Tor novels, plus two short stories. Suicide, homicide, accidental death. The Tor doesn't care the means, so long as the blood toll is paid.

The first book, Whiteshill, begins with James Immola. James leaves a bar one night with a lady named Rebecca. She takes him up to the Tor, where things get a little creepy. That's not the beginning though. It truly begins with an unnamed narrator addressing you, the reader, as if you were in his cottage with him. Later we learn he is Symeon, a chronicler and storyweaver. He tells of James in a brief vignette, then we revisit Symeon in his old-fashioned cottage as he toasts teacakes, after which we get into the bulk of the story. James's tale, brief though it was, took place in the '70s. A new adventure happens during the '80s, where a young boy disappears one summer. After the disappearance, his friends, Martin and Eddie, notice odd things, like lights up on the Tor that can't be explained, the arrival of a strange boy named Rene, and eerie shadow people. A trip to the nearby Dadeni Cottage turns up a single shoe, like the ones their friend wore.

The second Tor book, Rest, is a first person perspective, unlike the other two books in the collection. It starts with snapshots of the narrator growing up, reminiscing over scant memories of a father who disappeared when the narrator was young. Moving forward in time, there's an odd interlude on a beach cove, before we are fully immersed in the present, where we learn our narrator's name is Joe. The woman from the beach is Rebecca. Joe is quite smitten with Rebecca from the first. Their relationship grows, blossoming into love. To Joe, it seems perfection incarnate. Alas, it's not to last. Joe discovers dangerous secrets Rebecca's been keeping. Secrets that can drag them both under.

The final book, Foundations, brings us to present day, with such amenities as cell phones and the like. Andrew DeVere and his wife Georgia move into Dadeni Cottage, the second of the buildings standing tall with the Tor. Perhaps they would have done better to question just why Dadeni Cottage remains available for rent. As many whispered rumours abound regarding this hidden home as they do of the Tor itself. The DeVeres have barely moved in when things go south for them. Way down Antarctic south. This is more a haunting story, or possibly a vivid psychological break from reality due to severe trauma. Andrew seems the type of personality to have this happen to him. Or, the closeness of the Tor could be the cause. All three stories leave it open, at least in my mind, so that the events could be supernatural or psychological with no underlying supernatural events, though in both scenarios the Tor would be the culprit.

Rest contained one of my favourite phrases: 'Her soft, lilting voice poured into my ears and down my spine like honeyed mercury.’ I love stumbling across unique ways of looking at things. Beautiful! This story was also very heavy on time and its passage, and what we make of our lives. In fact, it prompted a philosophical discourse from me. I love stories that can do that. They make you think of the deep questions in life. Its tone is also quite different from Whiteshill. Whiteshill was engaging, urging the reader on, driven by a pervading fear. Foundations was probably my favourite book. Each of the tales within had their own distinct flavour. I really enjoyed all of the stories in this omnibus.