A gripping, scary, and fascinating anthology of short stories. I enjoyed reading this as a way to hear more from authors I already knew and to learn about authors I hadn’t read before. I’ll try not to get nightmares!

I loved this! Anthologies are one of my favorite genres because they so often let the author just go wild. These were all amazing!

While I expected more horror in this collection, I realize the term “dark fiction” is broad. What this collection does best is bring together a fantastic group of indigenous writers to highlight stories and perspectives we don’t often see. I loved every page.

I was given an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT clearly has a gorgeous, appealing cover, and the stories live up to the art in terms of variety and life. I enjoyed seeing how each author approached the horror genre and wove in themes about indigenous culture or their personal lived experience.

If you like short story anthologies, indigenous fiction, horror and realistic stories that make you think, that could definitely happen, add this book to your tbr. It’s also a great choice for Native American heritage month in November.

I’m always excited to read stories from diverse background, specially when I can learn of different cultures and where some stories and superstitions come from.

I’ve enjoyed reading the Indigenous stories in this book, and how the authors used mostly contemporary settings but working in old stories and myths. Full of monsters I’d never heard of.

Some stories have you jumping through emotions, some are more paranormal heavy, and others are creepy in the sense that the events could happen, some stories are even gruesome and unsettling. One element that’s frequently used is centering the colonizer as the source or cause of the evil. For me those are the scariest of all, the ones where the monsters are entirely human. The best scary stories are the ones that have some truth in them.

My favorites were:

🐍 Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
🐍 Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau
🐍 Snakes Are Born In the Dark by D.H. Trujillo
🐍 Before I Go by Norris Black
🐍 Scariest. Story. Ever. Richard Van Camp
🐍 Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust
🐍 Night Moves by Andrea L. Rogers
🐍 The Scientist’s Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger
🐍 Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala

My only complaint was the lack of TWs, maybe mine didn’t have them yet since it was an arc, and I really hope the final version included them because I think there were several stories had me pause and take a break.

I think this anthology has a little bit of everything for everyone. The stories are short enough you can read them a bit at a time, savoring the mystery and spookyness of each one.

This was such a fun collection of short stories ranging from creepy to down-right disgusting!

I started this anthology as an e-book and then decided to finish via audiobook on a roadtrip and it was such a great reading experience. The narrators were all incredible and I loved getting to hear a little bit about each author after their story.

My favorites were: White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse, Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons, Quantum by Nick Medina, Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline, Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo, Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk, Sunday's by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice.

This was an amazing collection of stories. Normally when I read horror books or short stories they're never really that scary to me. But this collection had me actively getting creeped out by certain stories. I loved every minute of reading this and I will be adding it to my own personal collection.

I was very excited to read this one, it is packed with some of my favorite indigenous authors. I didn't really get into it to start, so I am thinking I may have to revisit this one later -- it just wasn't for me for now.

This collection was such a treat. I not only got to read authors I already know and love (an amazing introduction by the author of My Heart is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones, and a fun werewolf story by author of Man Made Monsters, Andrea L. Rodgers) but also got introductions to a huge roster of new-to-me writers that I'm just dying to get to know better.

For folks who want a really meaty dark fiction collection to sink their teeth into, Never Whistle At Night is perfect. There are 26 stories, running the gamut from the extremely dark and extremely real ("Sundays" by David Heska Wanbli Weiden) to the darkly fantastical yet no less real ("Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected" by Carson Faust).

All of the stories were fantastic (see my personal ratings below, under the spoiler tag), but my personal stand out favorites were "Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth" by Conley Lyons, "Heart-Shaped Clock" by Kelli Jo Ford, "Sundays" by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and "Collections" by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala.

"Kushtuka" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"White Hills" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Wingless" - ⭐⭐⭐
"Quantum" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Hunger" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Tick Talk" - ⭐⭐⭐
"The Ones Who Killed Us" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Snakes Are Born in the Dark" - ⭐⭐⭐
"Before I Go" - ⭐⭐⭐
"Night in the Chrysalis" - ⭐⭐⭐
"Behind Colin's Eyes" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Heart-Shaped Clock" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Scariest. Story. Ever." - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Human Eaters" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Longest Street in the World" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Dead Owls" - ⭐⭐⭐
"The Prepper" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Sundays" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Night Moves" - ⭐⭐⭐
"Capgras" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Scientist's Horror Story" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Collections" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Limbs" - ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to the wonderful people behind Never Whistle at Night for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley!

From the publisher:
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

Never Whistle at Night was published September 19th, 2023 by Vintage.

My Thoughts: This is a perfect read for this time of year and for anytime you want to spook yourself. Even the introduction has it's creepy moments.

Some of the stories are really scary. Others are gross in their horror. The first story in the book is one of my favorites, Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller. I caught myself holding my breath in places in the story. I was worried for the protagonist.

This is an anthology of dark fiction. Some of it is supernatural horror. Some of it is the horror of the things people do to each other. But, all of it is well written.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to fans of dark fiction. It's well worth a read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

Fantastic read for spooky season. Indigenous American writers are a blind spot of mind, so to be able to get an introduction to a bunch of them while reading creepy as hell stories that is a double win in my book. Definitely pick this up if you get the chance - great anthology and great range.

I had slowly worked my way through each of the stories in this anthology and definitely loved!! I recently read Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina and wanted more stories that reflected voices from indigenous peoples. Please make sure you check this one out. I bought a physical copy at my local bookstore!

TW: abuse, neglect, blood and gore, and alcoholism,

Never whistle at night is a great dark short story anthology to read during the autumn and winter months. excellent Indigenous representation throughout the stories and different narratives. Many of the stories are focused on modern people and the horrors of real life.

Never Whistle at Night is a collection of dark short stories from Indigenous authors. I thought this would be a good book to get me in the mood for spooky season!

It definitely did! I really appreciated the author representation from many different locations and cultures. There are a lot of different narrative styles represented. Many stories focused on modern people and the horrors of real life than supernatural, which wasn't the vibe I expected, but still enjoyed them. This is truly a dark fiction anthology and not necessarily supernatural horror, which is more of what I expected just from looking at the cover. You definitely have to be in the mood for a book like this so I recommend being in a place to read about the darker parts of humans in addition to monsters.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you're looking for something spooky to read! 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

CW: Domestic violence, torture, sexual assault/coercion, animal death, blood, injury, general violence,

Attention Dark Fiction fans: if you only read one anthology all year, it should be this one; an amazing collection!!

Never Whistle at Night is exactly what the subtitle says, an Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. From the moment I heard about this release, I was stoked for it. The synopsis sold me. I was also so excited to see the incredible group of authors contributing and that there would be an introduction by one of my all-time faves, Stephen Graham Jones!

I love all things Dark Fiction. It's definitely my comfort zone and I truly enjoy exploring Dark Fiction inspired by cultures other than my own. I just love learning about the different dark lore/stories that various cultures around the world tell, or incorporate into their broader fictional narrative.

I am no writer, so I'm probably failing miserably in explaining what I mean, but hopefully you get the gist of why I was so excited for this particular anthology.

After the introduction from Stephen Graham Jones, the deep storytelling vibes are set and it's time to dive in. I was immediately impressed with the variety and depth of the stories included. I had chills by the time I had finished the first story, always a good sign.

Anthologies and short-story collections are always a little hard to rate highly, as it's very rare to vibe with all the stories included in a 5-star way. You'll always have some you enjoy a lot and maybe a few that aren't to your taste. While I would say that is also true here, overall, for me, this was definitely a 5-star reading experience. Even though not all the stories were tailored to my particular tastes, I could still appreciate just how well they were written, and how each author truly brought their heart and their A-game to this collection.

If you are curious, some of the stand-outs for me in this collection were: White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse, Quantum by Nick Medina, Snakes are Born in the Dark by D.H. Trujillo, Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp, The Prepper by Morgan Talty, Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala.

My favorite story of the collection was actually written by one of the editors, Shane Hawk. The story is titled Behind Colin's Eyes and follows a boy and his Dad embarking on what should be a regular day of hunting, but ends up being anything but that. This one creeped me the heck out. It gave me chills and the whole thing is seared in my brain now. I won't unsee this. Great work!

Overall, there is so much to love about this collection. There's definitely something for everyone in here. As mentioned before, the stories cover a wide-range of topics and you can tell that these authors took a lot of care with the stories they were sharing.

Never Whistle at Night is a must read for anyone who enjoys Dark Fiction. Available now!!!

This book was very beautifully written and I enjoyed every moment of it. The cover art on this was absolutely stunning as well. We need more indigenous voices and this one delivered.

✨Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk and Theodore Van Alst Jr✨

Genre: Horror/Anthology
Pages: 416

📚 Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

📝This is a collection of dark fiction/horror short stories. There are 26 stories, each with a different writing style and horror style.

I noticed a lot of the stories focused on the theme of spirits/possession, which was terrifying. Other stories incorporated specific animals and commentary on Indian blood/indigenous lineage.

My favorite short stories were:
Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
Quantum by Nick Medina
Snakes are Born in the Dark by D.H. Trujillo
Behind Colin’s Eyes by Shane Hawk
Night Moves by Andrea Rogers
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala

Follow @literaturewithalatte for more book reviews!

I’m pretty picky when it comes to anthologies, I find they tend to be more miss than hit for me, so now I pretty much avoid them.
But when I saw this book, and that Stephen Graham Jones did the introduction, I knew I had to make an exception!

And oh my gracious, I’m so incredibly glad I did!
I’ve been attempting to read more diversely, experiencing stories from different lives and cultures of my own. It seems so obvious, but growing up I assumed that the “American way” of telling a story was how a story was told. It never occurred to me that even the structure of a story can change from culture to culture. But as I’ve been expanding my reading, I’m more and more amazed at how many different ways there are to tell a story.


If you’re interested, the content list is:

Foreword by Stephen Graham Jones

Stories:
Kushtuka- Mathilda Zeller
White Hills- Rebecca Roanhorse
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth- Conley Lyons
Wingless- Marcie R. Rendon
Quantum- Nick Medina
Hunger- Phoenix Boudreau
Tick Talk- Cherie Dimaline
The Ones Who Killed Us- Brandon Hobson
Snakes Are Born in the Dark- D. H. Trujillo
Before I Go- Norris Black
Night in the Chrysalis- Tiffany Morris
Behind Colin's Eyes- Shane Hawk
Heart-Shaped Clock- Kelli Jo Ford
Scariest. Story. Ever.- Richard Van Camp
Human Eaters- Royce K. Young Wolf
The Longest Street in the World- Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Dead Owls- Mona Susan Power
The Prepper- Morgan Talty
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning- Kate Hart
Sundays- David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected- Carson Faust
Night Moves- Andrea L. Rogers
Capgras- Tommy Orange
The Scientist's Horror Story- Darcie Little Badger
Collections- Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
Limbs- Waubgeshig Rice


Make sure you take the time and read the introduction by Stephen Graham Jones! I know my enjoyment of the stories was heightened by his contextualization.
If I was really really pressed to pick a favorite, I would probably go with either Kushtuka or Night Moves. Something about those two stories just really caught me.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars
TW: Literally all of them. I'm not kidding. Seriously every trigger warning I was aware of and some I wasn't.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and all of the authors for this arc.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this anthology though I wish I could have. There weren't any trigger warnings and some of the stories I found very disturbing and upsetting (more than usual horror based on their topics) and I couldn't continue.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. This is an anthology of horror stories from an indigenous American perspective. Some stories were creepy, some scary, all entertaining.