By giving this book only 2 stars I'm not saying it was bad. Almost all of the stories were really interesting and completely different from anything I've read before, with some having me super curious as to what was going to happen. But there were a few that had such abrupt endings that it was more frustrating than not because it left me thinking "that's it??" Then there were some that were still interesting, but also pretty boring (mainly the longer ones). None of them were scary in the sense of horror I was expecting, but a couple of them were at least a little psychological horror I guess you could say. In the end it was a good glimpse into the stories of a life I know nothing about, but not something I'll ever read again. I absolutely love the cover though.

I was captivated (and appropriately horrified) by several of the short stories in this collection. Being fairly unfamiliar with the Arctic, I was quite happy that I got to learn some of the language and cultural experiences of the Inuit people. My favorite stories were “The Haunted Blizzard” and “The Door” because the authors really nailed the horror of the unknown. I also enjoyed “Revenge,” the fourth story in the collection, even though it slightly broke my heart. The only reason I’m giving this 3 stars is that several stories in the collection did not leave a strong impression on me. I did like the addition of the glossary in the back of the book, and though I didn’t love the entire collection, I still think this is worth picking up if you are ready for some sparse Arctic horror!

There is a glossary in the back! That information would have helped me, so I'm giving it to you. The short stories in this book are unusual and varied. All the stories take place in the Arctic and the cold is almost a character in these stories. I loved: "The Haunted Blizzard" and "Utiqtuq". I could not finish "Revenge" which dealt with ruthlessly killing animals "Lounge" was also difficult to read. "Sila" broke my heart- even though the reader never finds out what happens at the end. An interesting book to read about a culture and language I knew very little about.

I was super intrigued by the fact that these stories were set in the Canadian Arctic! It added an extra element of creepiness to each one!

This was horrifying but in the best way possible.

Horror is diverse. Yes, I’m saying this pointedly. Glare to you, Mr. Stephen King.

This book showcases that with stories and authors and lore of the Arctic.
I was terrified, devastated, and haunted by each and every story and none of of them fell flat for me. I had my favorites yes as one often does with an anthology but this was a solid book of short stories that makes you crave more but also has you afraid to turn the page or to even read another word. I greatly enjoyed this read and yes, it’s absolutely perfect for the winter when the chill has set in and you’re not too sure what exacrlt is lurking in the frigid cold.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my Arc. All opinions are my own.

I wish I could rate it 3 1/2. A good collection of northern horror short stories. I appreciated the variety--science fiction and good old fashioned monsters included. I highly recommend to horror fans!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I do.hope this book gets more attention. It's one of the better anthologies I have read in quite some time, with a couple stories truly creeping me out. Such talented writers that I had not ever heard of! I do hope to read more by each one of them. I intend to tell all my friends and horror book groups about this book.

4.5/5

Why has this release not received more press? I was a bit shocked when I stumbled upon this release on Netgalley. The horror community has been working hard to be more inclusive – from Ladies of Horror Month, to showcasing and highlighting works of minorities, PoC and LGBTQ+.
Yet, I’ve not seen this anthology highlighted or discussed, and that saddens me.
“Taaqtumi” is an Inuktitut word that means “in the dark.”
I can’t think of a more accurate description of the stories that appear in here. Made up of authors of Indigenous background, this runs a frosty gamut of terror. Most of the stories connected with me and the only one that didn’t work at all, was still a fun story.
It opens with ‘Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq – The Haunted Blizzard’ by Aviaq Johnston. What a great, creepy story. A cold storm hits the small community, so school gets let out early. As the kids either wait at the high school for their siblings or decide to walk home on their own, one of the students spots something in the blowing snow. Is it an animal? A human? They don’t know, but whatever it is has followed them home. A great opener.
Next up is ‘The Door’ by Ann R. Loverock. How I’d love to see this in novel form. During a hunt, a mysterious door is spotted in the wilderness. It draws the person in, wanting to open it and see what is behind it. Loverock gives us bits and pieces of a background here, but what a story.
‘Revenge’ by Thomas Angunti Johnston is a fun story about a lone man hunting seal. Along the way he unleashes the fantastic creature known as nanurluk, which quickly tracks him back to the village. Gruesome and spectacular. Loved it.
‘Utiqtuq’ by Gayle Kabloona did something that hasn’t happened to me in some time – a zombie type story I enjoyed. Aliisa is a young woman, trying to survive a ravaged world where the dead come back to life. The Canadian Government arrive, telling her a cure has been found and begging her to come with them. Not only did this give me the creeps with the tundra zombie action, but it walked a very thinly veiled line in the historical realm of white government officials insisting young Indigenous come with them for a better life.
The anthology finishes with a high. ‘Strays’ by Repo Kempt tells us the tale of two vets, stuck in a snow storm in an isolated community. While they work on the various animals that come through, more and more of what the one vet is running from back home comes to light. Really enjoyed how this one ended.
Throughout the anthology, each story is separated by stunning pieces of art that really elevated this project.
Like I said before, I’m not sure why this isn’t being championed more – the stories are great, the artwork is outstanding and it really highlights a group of writers who are far too frequently overlooked.
I would have given this a full five stars if it wasn’t for one story that was a big time miss for me, but otherwise, this anthology was outstanding and I hope it becomes a series of releases.
** This review will be featured on Kendall Reviews! **

Pretty unique story telling from indigenous authors. Loved the stories and nuance. Each story brings something new to the table and keeps the reader intrigued and entertained.

I really wanted to like this book cause I love horror stories that take place during the winter or snow. So this was right up my alley in theory. However, the stories presented had promise but ultimately didn't deliver the way I wish it did. The first one ended a bit too abruptly that it was jolting. It's unfortunate as I wish I could've enjoyed this more.

I have a hard time finding horror books that actually scare me. This set of scary stories looked promising so I had to give it a go. I did enjoy a few of the short stories, but to classify them as horror, is not the horror that I tend to read.

Psychological horror, maybe. But certainly not scare you silly, horror. Thus the reason for my low rating.

The first story <b><I>The Haunted Blizzard</I></b> was okay. I like the vibe the author tried to portray, but its sudden ending after only a few pages was jolting and felt too unnatural. If it had been longer, if only slightly, it may have been my favorite.

<b><I>The Door</I></b> was another good one, though a little repetitive. Lots of talk of sinister feelings. I liked the ending though, <I>”God, help us all.”</I>

<b><I>The Wildest Game</I></b> was unique and different. Told from the point of view of the character that inflicts the wrong doings. Cannibalism. Inside his mind was an interesting, gore fest.

Those stories stuck out the most to me. I love the cover and the overall feel of the cold, winter vibes all the stories have amongst them. It’s an okay, quick read if you’re in the mood for a fast paced book to pick through! Just lower your horror expectations.

Some of the short stories featured can be either a hit or miss. Amongst the read, my favorites were the 'Haunted Blizzard' and 'The Door', and everything else pretty much fell under the radar and nothing else stood out. They were uninspired and didn't drawn me in enough to immerse myself in the read. Overall, there's not much to rave about.

This is an outstanding collection of truly horrifying and fascinating tales by indigenous authors. Drawing on Inuit myth, legend, and lore, the authors have created unique stories that offer glimpses of their culture and practices. I am recommending this to all of my friends and to readers who love horror and are interested in diverse takes on the genre.

Now I am not generally the person to read or review horror because I DO NOT LIKE IT. I love watching it until I can’t sleep but reading has its own style of horror that I just cannot do. I am sorry to everyone who writes horror, but I am not your girl. However, my students love it… they crave it, they love it, they will do anything to get their hands-on horror. Especially horror that really creeps them out. So I picked this up from NetGalley in an attempt to win my students hearts. I think this book will certainly do that so I hope to get it for them in the future (especially for next Halloween) as they will be fighting over it from day one.

The book has a fantastic collection of stories that will make you shiver and maybe even not be able to sleep (like me). Some of the stories were atypical horror or suspense stories but some wove some other types of genres into it which was fascinating (fantasy/sci-fi/sci-fantasy) and I never thought it truly possible. What truly made me happy was that each author and writer made sure to write their characters into the story perfectly. Each main character really showed themselves in their respective stories and that is respected as not always can authors fit the characters in such short stories. I appreciate the thought and work that went into this book.

I would definitely love to have more of these in the library.

An enlightening collection of ten tales of horror and speculative fiction by authors of the Arctic, TAAQTUMI provides a fine window into a diversity of legends and mythology from a geographic locale and ethnicity (Inuit) of which most Western readers are unaware. Be assured: Inuit horror and speculative fiction can astonish, enlighten, and terrify every bit as much as can Western literature.