"Howls From the Dark Ages: An Anthology of Medieval Horror" Book Review

Written by Zach Rosenberg

Published by HOWL Society Press

howls from the dark ages poster large

Edited by P.L. McMillian and Solomon Forse
2022, 354 pages, Fiction
Released on May 12th, 2022

Review:

Medieval horror is an untapped vein. Anyone can read my review of Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires to see my undying love of this flavor of horror and, sadly, there's not a lot of it on the shelves. Giles Kristian's Hellmouth is one of the few other examples I can think of.

Buehlman himself writes the intro to Howls From the Dark Ages: An Anthology of Medieval Horror, which tells us one thing: Strap Yourself In. 18 stories of medieval horror await us, kicking off with Caleb Stephens' "The Crowing," a strong narrative of a condemned woman achieving her revenge and taking back what is hers. The characterization is sublime, the palpable dread, grief, sacrifice and rage flow through the story and give it life until a darkly triumphant and brutal conclusion.

Other highlights include Bridget D. Brave's "Schizarre," a story of monks and unusual mushrooms. And here is where I must compliment the society for its work: This is not a book of shining knights and eurocentrism that so often permeates medievalism. This book gets it done all over the place. Brave's "Schizarre" is a story of queer monks trapped in a dark situation, and is not the only example of representation on the page. I gave a damn about these characters. I could see their struggles with their feelings, and that makes the horror so much more meaningful.

"A Dowry For Your Hand" by Michelle Tang is another example of branching out to showcase a Chinese ghost story of an unfaithful lover receiving his dark comeuppance. The prose is ethereal and dreamy with a familiar setup: A scorned lover's ghost delivers a grim fate to her straying fiance. Never once does Tang make it precisely explicit how the poor woman died, but it becomes obvious something is dreadfully wrong with the sweet garden and the willow tree...culminating in a grim conclusion that is only fitting.

Lindsey Ragsdale's “In Every Drop" likewise breaks the eurocentrism mold and is a stunning addition to the anthology. The Mesoamerican focus is stunningly welcome, breaking away from the typical mold of medieval Europe, which made me want more stories like it. More Jewish medieval horror, or Islamic, Mongol-centered horror stories, more Japanese, Chinese and Korean. But here, Ragsdale calls upon folklore and history to craft a thrilling, terrifying tale with fantastic prose that captivated me the whole way through, with a story that forces us to ask how much love is worth. To the last drop of blood.

Brian Evenson and Hailey Piper both bring excellent, charged tales as well. Piper should need no introduction, and "In Thrall To This Good Earth" is a beautifully dark, twisted, carnal tale. What captivated me throughout this was for most entries, I could genuinely not tell that it was the first published story for the author. So many of the writers stand alongside genre luminaries in creativity and writing ability.

We need more like this. More to draw upon their culture, more creativity in horror, more thinking outside the box. The future is here, in the past.

Grades:

Overall: 5 Star Rating Cover
Buy from Amazon US.
Cover
Buy from Amazon UK.

This page includes affiliate links where Horror DNA may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Zach Rosenberg
Staff Reviewer
Zach Rosenberg is a fantasy and horror writer living in Florida. He appreciates the ocean, wildlife and his love of literature was constantly nurtured growing up where he practically lived in the libraries, reading every horror and fantasy book he could get his hands on. His print debut short story "The Teeth Of the Deeps" is featured in the fifth short story collection from Dead Sea Press.
Other articles by this writer

OBEY - CONSUME

Join Us!

Hit the buttons below to follow us, you won't regret it...