This was a spooky and informative read. I want to expand my knowledge on different cultures and their tales and this does just that.

Never Whistle at Night is a phenomenal collection of short stories by Indigenous people. I thoroughly enjoyed each story (some more than others). While not all of them really scratched the HORROR itch I have, I still enjoyed every story.

Absolutely a collection worth checking out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a collection of indigenous dark fiction and horror by a variety of indigenous authors—some known to me, like Rebecca Roanhorse and Tommy Orange, and others not. Some stories were funny at times, some were definitely scary, and some stories in the collection were hard to read. But I think that a short story collection that speaks to the wide range of indigenous experiences and can explore the darker aspects of their history, tales, and stories is important. My favorite from the collection was definitely Kushtuka, which Kirkus also pointed out as a stand out story.

If you enjoy horror and dark fiction this would be a good option to pick up this spooky season! NWAN releases Sept 19! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House - Vintage for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this anthology. This is the first time I've dipped my toe in a short story anthology and I was engulfed by these stories. I will add a trigger warning that a lot of these stories deal with themes of abuse (child, sexual, emotional, physical, etc.). This abuse is often directly related to the absolute horror of residential schools.

Honestly, this story had me writing down the name of every author so I could follow their careers and read the novels they've written. I loved that these stories ranged from all over the US and Canada. There was so much rich culture and history within these pages, that I already know I'm buying a copy for my husband for Christmas.

If you're a fan of spooky thrillers and stories that make you think, then this is the book for you. An anthology like this reminds me of why I love reading so much. I love a book or a story that makes me uncomfortable and makes me want to learn more. These stories are great gateways into indigenous work and history.

Never Whistle at Night

ARC received from Netgalley and I appreciate the chance to review this wonderful collection! Some descriptions may contain spoilers.
I would highly recommend this book. I thought I would fly through this one, but it took a little bit, but never did the reading feel like a drag. Each story was creative and unique, so really it was resetting for each story, there’s a dark story in here for everyone!


Kushtuka- I love Sedna’s mythology, but it’s really just a back drop for this story of wealthy white men trying to take what they want from the land and the native people. And a creature who will stop that.

White Hill-a woman has to deal with racism after climbing through the social ladder and make a very hard choice. The mother in law is a complete monster.

Navajos don’t wear elk teeth-an LGBTQ story with a douse of the familial past. Joey meets a hot guy for a summer fling, but he has a strange collection of teeth..

Wingless-a boy who tore the wings from flies stands up to his foster parents to save the narrator.

Quantum-a mother neglects one of her children for the other child who has more of the Blood in them, going to great lengths to try and increase that percentage.

Hunger-a wehtigo invades one of the empty men at a party and spots one of the People it wants to feast on, she has other plans.

Tick talk-a man who left his family deals with the loss of both his parents by going hunting, something becomes attached to him.

The ones who killed us-this one was a little hard to read with the formatting, but looking back it did add to the story. The ending was wonderful.

Snakes are born in the dark-a native and his cousin go hiking with her disrespectful boyfriend and meet the consequences of disrespecting ancestors. I love these type of stories.

Before I go-a woman goes to the site of her fiancé’s death and encounters some otherworldly visits, not the least of those being the Night Mother.

Night in the chrysalis-cece inherits her family home, but there seem to be spirits still residing there.

Behind Colin’s eyes- a great father and son hunting story with a touch of “possession” and the familial connections revealed through the story added a nice touch. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time for Tiny!

Heart-shaped clock-brothers connected after a life time being raised by other parents. The subtle jealousies come out and one brother has a bad reaction after a robbery at their mothers store.

Scariest. Story. Ever.-a story teller taking his stories from his people. His uncle starts to tell him the scariest story ever and it takes a heart warming/stopping turn.

Human eaters-a tale told around the fire while a family prepares some steaks and drinks in their familial lore.

The longest street in the world-Louis and Junior deal with a robbery at Louis’s family store. Only Louis isn’t just a person and the poor their finds that out the hard way.

Dead owls-this was pretty creepy and lovely at the same time. The main character’s relationship with his aunt is super sweet, but the “plague of owls” was very creepy!

The prepper-the way that a caring grandfather accepts his grandchild’s love of zombie films and then their idea of the coming apocalypse is sweet. The way the narrator comes to terms with their mental illness from different time periods is interesting too.

Uncle Robert rides the lightning- This is a heart-wrenching history of family that became something more, friends. The riding the lightning and Greg helping those along their path at the end really gets you.

Sundays-a terrible transgression by a priest in an Indian boarding school comes back to haunt and consume Thomas, one of his victims who grew up. The death of Thomas’s wife brings back this old pain and he goes to confront his abuser 50 years later.

Eulogy for a brother, resurrected- The death of a brother and working with her rootworker Aunt, brings about a great act. Showed how an LGBTQ+ person may feel in the small town, and still live authentically.

Night moves-A German wartime werewolf story with a group of American soldiers trying to escape with their lives. I love a good werewolf story.

Capgras-while in Paris, Tom is doing a series of interviews about his new book, but it seems like something was lost/changed in the translation.

The scientists horror story-Anders tells a horror story while at dinner with some of his colleagues, is it true like he claims?

Collections-Megiddo goes to a party held by her professor and discovers her collection of heads, all from students she has helped succeed.

Limbs-Makwa must survive being captured by Carter and deal with Carter’s hate. Makwa is brutally disfigured before being saved.

I saw this on NetGalley and had to request it! I was so excited when I was approved and I wasn’t disappointed. I have never read an anthology before but I loved this! I mean, look at that cover! I definitely judge books by their covers (I’m sorry but I do) and that is what grabbed my attention.

This is a book full of Indigenous dark fiction stories. It is perfect for spooky season coming up! 👻 I have heard a lot of Appalachian folklore stories and they are usually spooky and make me run into my house super fast if I’m out after dark. 😅

These stories are definitely creepy and made me a little scared at night. Some of my favorites were Kushtuka, White Hills, Snakes are Born in the Dark, and Heart-Shaped Clock.

From Shane Hawk’s website, “A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?””

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Such a beautiful collection of stories. I can’t wait to reread this during Halloween. Spooky, horrifying, informative. I was captivated!!! A must read during the fall for sure

It is rare to find a short story collection where every single story quickly becomes a favorite. This is one of those anthologies. Each story in the collection brings us incredible characters, blood-curdling scenarios, and heart-pounding adventures. Some of these stories are only three pages long, and yet are able to pack the same punch as the longer ones.

What I enjoy most about this anthology is that each story has a totally different flavor, and yet everything works together so well. The stories flow into each other incredibly well that it never feels jarring to jump from one to the next.

Truly the only negative thing I have to say about this book is that I've finished it! This is absolutely going to be a book I return to again and again and I only wish I could experience reading it for the first time again.

Horror Anthologies when they are done right are my favorite. And this did not disappoint. Creepy, uncomfortable, and some stories I flew through. I loved it. And being approved for this book is so exciting. Excited for when it comes out so I can add it to my collection.

I love the cover! Last year I purchased a couple books with stories from various tribes, but they're more like creation myths or La Llarona. These are original, thought provoking, dark stories. I like the short author bios that explain the author's ancestry, & I thought the story about blood quantum was horrifically great. I can't say that I loved every story but everyone has preferences & I never expect a "perfect" anthology. I think this is better to read periodically alongside a novel or two. Some of them are quite creepy, some are humorous, & some are more a dose of reality

A fantastically written piece of thought provoking, chill sending, legends. It introduces us to so many unknowns and sends us down a path of no return. The subject matter at hand important and perfect for this time of year!

A great anthology of indigenous dark fiction stories. some of these where so interesting and dark others were down right weird
I'm not usually one for a book of short stories. I usually like one or two stories in these types of books. but I really enjoyed most of these stories.
I generally want to check out these writers and see what else they have done. plus the cover of this book is like a piece of art.

I received a copy of this book from Netgally for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is available September 19,2023!

Welcome to an anthology of Indigenous short horror stories that will make you never want to do anything but stay under the covers in your home. Close those curtains tight, DO NOT whistle at night and basically don’t be a moron.

I freaking loved this anthology. The different indigenous cultures and stories were amazing. I knew few but honestly this would be a fun read to diversify your bookshelves. It’s insidiously creepy. I loved it

This was a well put together collection of indigenous dark fiction short stories. I thought this would be a fast read but I think this book is not to be devoured but instead savored, in the dark eerie silence of night.

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed some of these stories. Most of them are generally unsettling, some provoke sadness but the beauty is they all have completely different narratives. These stories were chilling and darkly humorous and it was just all around a solid anthology written by some, unknown to me, indigenous authors and I really appreciated that.

DNF - I might revisit this once it is been published. I really appreciate the idea behind the book but, it just didn't work for me.

I have been searching for a great short stories book and I have finally found one!!! I really enjoyed each of the stories in this book and will be going to buy a physical copy the second it is released. I highly recommend this book and you will not be disappointed. The indigenous horror was super interesting. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this ARC.

*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.

I don't generally read anthologies, short stories aren't really my thing. But the premise of this one was too good to not take a look at. Indigenous authors, writing dark fiction (which I kinda also see some crossover with horror but I don't think all stories in this quite fit that), showing me different perspectives and fears that may be out there that I would have never imagined from my lived experiences. And that's the best part about books, learning about people with different experiences than you.

This collection was carefully curated and I can say that I enjoyed nearly all of them. From the sense of the "other" or "replaced", to those that were supernatural in theme, to those that were the everyday horror and abuse that we inflict on each other without the need of monsters. Some were unexpected, with elements pulled from the people rather than the place being the catalyst of the darkness. Others embraced the dark and used it to help restore order or justice. Or they have recognized the dark in one's own self (Kushtuka). One that really stuck with me was Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth, mainly because of how quickly relationships can turn sour or power dynamics instituted. Before I Go was another, with it's heavy notes around loss. Quantum was just depressing (side note, these stories can contain strong themes like child abuse, neglect, abuse, etc.).

Some were somewhat unresolved, which isn't my favorite but can appreciate others enjoy the chance to leave up to interpretation. But overall, this is a collection that has a lot of powerful themes, one of them being a sense of protecting community. I enjoyed getting to see these different perspectives, mythology, and shared experiences.

Review by M. Reynard 2023

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley - thank you! I really loved this collection of Indigenous horror stories. I enjoyed really getting so many Indigenous perspectives in one place, and seeing the stories take place across the US and Canada. There was a great range, too - some lightly creepy all the way up to really scary. Probably my most favorite story from the collection is the first one, Kushtuka. I also loved White Hills and Snakes Are Born in the Dark. I would recommend this series to anyone, whether they love horror or not, because I believe all Americans should be reading texts written by our Indigenous populations (and by people of color, LBGTQIA+ people, women, etc.). My husband will really like these stories so I am excited to have him read them next!

Never Whistle at Night is a collection of diverse stories from authors that each offer some element of supernatural or horror. The stories are well-written and do a great job of providing varied stories.

The book features a diverse range of voices and perspectives. However, I didn’t have a favorite standout story; “Wingless” and “Tick Talk” are among a few that I liked.

Overall, I really enjoyed Never Whistle at Night. It's a well-written and enjoyable anthology of horror stories that I would recommend to fans of the genre.

This book… everything from the cover to the contents. Absolutely fantastic!!! I cannot stress how much I loved this book. It’s a must read.