✨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

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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.

Looking for something new to read during this spooky season? Look no further, I just finished reading the perfect book for this time of year, "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology".
Edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. Never Whistle gives us a collection of over 25 short stories that range from haunting tales of things that go bump in the night to some horrors of real life.
I really enjoyed being introduced to some new (to me) writers, and also the short bios that followed each story so I could check out other works from these talented minds, that I hope become household names. Sadly I only knew of two in this collection previously, Tommy Orange and Darcie Little Badger. Pay attention publishers, give us more!
These stories felt fresh to me and kept me turning page after page, and many managed to do this while walking along the edge of legends and folklore and making it new.

Why are more people not talking about this anthology?

Every story hit and hit hard, forever leaving an imprint on me. In the introduction, Stephen Gram Jones said “So, for these next pages, let these writers take you by the hand, lead you into the darkness at the heart of – let me put some quotation marks around it – “America”’. This is exactly what happened, these authors took me to places that gave me chills, took my breath away, sparked my anger, left me weeping, and punched in the gut. To say the least, it was an emotionally taxing read that broached very heavy topics. The writing was so phenomenal and impactful that how I see the world has forever changed.

Like all anthologies there were stories that I enjoyed more than others, so for a full review, check out my GoodReads. The below stories were my favorite, and lead me to seek out other books and/or stories by these authors. Many of these stand-out stories forced me to shelf my book for the night so I could decompress.

𝖲𝗇𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝖠𝗋𝖾 𝖡𝗈𝗋𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄 - 𝖣𝖧 𝖳𝗋𝗎𝗃𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗈, this story took a deliciously unexpected turn for me and I was here for it.

𝖭𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝗁𝗋𝗒𝗌𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌 - 𝖳𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖬𝗈𝗋𝗋𝗂𝗌, eerie and claustrophobic with a tone that blanketed me in sadness.

𝖤𝗎𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺 𝖡𝗋𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋, 𝖱𝖾𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽 - 𝖢𝖺𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝖥𝖺𝗎𝗌𝗍, a beautiful exploration of grief and lore.

C𝖺𝗉𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗌 - 𝖳𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗒 𝖮𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾, a fucking fever dream that left me just as disoriented as narrator.

𝖢𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 - 𝖠𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝖡𝗅𝖺𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋-𝖶𝖺𝗋𝖽𝗓𝖺𝗅𝖺, Jordan Peele and Amber need to get together and make this a movie.

𝖪𝗎𝗌𝗁𝗍𝗎𝗄𝖺 - 𝖬𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝖺 𝖹𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗋, left chills running down my spine, but Kushtuka was not who I feared.

𝖶𝗁𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝖧𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗌 - 𝖱𝖾𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖼𝖺 𝖱𝗈𝖺𝗇𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗌𝖾, I made an audible and angry gasp when Marissa learned the price of having it all.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark fiction, short stories, and reflective literature that explores the paranormal, revenge, complex family dynamics, and monsters both human and otherwise.

This book is full of triggers including but not limited to abuse, neglect, blood and gore, and alcoholism, so consider this your content warning.

This was a fabulous collection of short stories, perfect for October. I got to read work for some new to me authors that I can't wait to read more from, including Mathilda Zeller, Conley Jones, Shane Hawk, and Royce Young Wolf. Plus, stories from authors I really like: Rebecca Roanhorse, Cherie Dimaline, Kellie Jo Ford, Tommy Orange, and Darcie Little Badger.

I've just started this book, but I got an arc from NetGalley and I am so excited to read it.

Edit: I'm finished! This was so good, each story was so interesting and sucked me in immediately. Honestly, some of these stories are going to stick with me for a long time. The tick story in particular (you'll see what I mean when you read it).

Can't wait for this book to be released because I will be needing a physical copy of it. The cover is so beautiful.

I’m still processing the stories in this book, they each have a unique voice with plenty to say and I loved every second of it. Like with all short story collections some were much better than others but there are stories here that will appeal to absolutely everyone..

I particularly loved the writing style and atmosphere in Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice

If you haven’t read indigenous stories, do yourself a favor and pick this up.

Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this fantastic collection.

This collection of stories is INCREDIBLE. It's a perfect blend of creepy and thought provoking. A must read for any horror lover!

Never Whistle at Night is such an excellent anthology. Each author has such a distinct voice and style. There is the perfect balance of classic horror (the monsters that go bump in the night) with the horror indigenous people face of living in a country that is so hostile to them despite it being their ancestral land. This book is really a must read for everyone especially if you enjoy horror/dark fiction.

Multi-author anthology? Check! Gorgeous, colorful, eye-catching cover? Check!

I LOVED this book mainly for the ambiguous endings that made me stop and sit and go "Huh." I know that won't be for everyone, but I am OBSESSED with books that MAKE ME SIT AND THINK! ALL of these stories are good but I do have favorites.

The cover, which I already mentioned being gorgeous. is a bit "misleading" that like Sayaka Murata's "Earthlings." The cover screams FUN, but some of these stories are VERY VERY VERY VERY DARK and really "GO THERE" so just a heads up!

I have zero complaints about this at all and would love another installment. I had heard of some of the authors previously and was introduced to new ones as well. Am buying this in hard copy for my own personal home library and will absolutely be recommending this to all of my horror-loving friends and family!

4.75/5 stars!

Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse Canada for a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't recommend this anthology enough if you are looking for a collection of horrifying tales this spooky season. It features 26 short stories by prominent indigenous authors that are all different but equally chilling.

I loved the variety in this anthology. Some of the stories are suspenseful, some psychological, while others feature monsters or body horrors that made me very squeamish (in a good way).

My favourite stories in this anthology include Kushtuka, Tick Talk, Snakes are Born in the Dark, Heart-shaped Clock, Sundays, Dead Owls, Collections, and Limbs.

One thing I love about anthologies is finding new authors to read! I have read novels by a handful of authors in this collection, but I wrote down so many to check out, and I'm very excited about that.

I read this book every evening, just reading one story a night before bed. It's a fairly long read, but reading it this way made it read quickly, maybe even too quickly. I'm sad it's over!

It's an excellent collection with a fantastic cover. It's worth a spot on your shelves!

Horror short stories can be a hit or miss for me, but this one was a much better collection of short stories compared to others I have read. I really enjoyed the unsettling and supernatural vibes from different stories.

Some stories were less enjoyable than others, but overall a great collection!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Like almost all anthologies, this was a mixed bag. I LOVED certain stories (Quantum & Heart-Shaped Clock were especially great, IMO), but others (such as Tick Talk - I usually like Cherie Dimaline, but this was too much even for me) fell short of what I wanted. This is definitely a dark anthology, tackling both real-life and supernatural horrors. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Judge this book by its cover!
I had high hopes for this one. The gorgeous cover art hooked me immediately, and I couldn't wait to dive in. It was everything I had wished!
I read this over a period of about a month, and I am glad I did because it really allowed each story to settle in my mind. Some still linger weeks later. I particularly loved White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse and The Prepper by Morgan Talty, though I am likely biased as I went into the book as a big fan of both writers.
I loved how there was such a wide range of dark themes explored throughout the stories, not just paranormal horror but human evil and its real life horrors/atrocities. Though if you're a classic horror fan there is still plenty for you here—elements like body horror, bizarre and supernatural themes, hauntings, curses, monsters, etc.
All in all, loved it. I would be stoked to read a follow up to this series! Perhaps works on a different theme.

This book is a wild ride that will scare the wits out of you! Broken in many short stories, each focuses on its own brand of horror and covers so many subjects including monsters, supernatural beings, human monsters, human nature, cultural monsters, and colonialization. Truly, a fascinating and needed collection or strange and horrific tales.

Interesting, creepy tales with a native perspective. As with all collections, some stories are better than others. Some go in very unexpected directions. Overall, it's a worthwhile read.

NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is another horror/dark fiction anthology you’re going to want to get your hands on ASAP. It features stories by some of the biggest names in Indigenous speculative and horror writing, and if you read it at night, you might consider leaving a light or two on while you do so!

I firmly believe that Indigenous and Black folks are some of the best at writing horror because so much of our historical and daily experiences are or echo the horrific. And plenty of legends and stories from these communities are chilling in ways I’ve never experienced from other tales. This anthology is no exception—the stories in here explore Indigeneity in the context of white settler colonialism, legends come to life, the power of storytelling (and who gets to tell those stories), and much more.

Although I loved all of these stories, I want to flag in particular those by bookstagram’s own @dh.trujillo, Amber Blaeser-Wardzala, Mathilda Zeller, Richard Van Camp, Shane Hawk, Brandon Hobson, Waubgeshig Rice, and Tiffany Morris!

If you’re hoping to read some scary stories this needs to be on your list. Plus BIG shout-out to @erins_library who narrates one of the stories on audiobook!! Please please pick this one up, you won’t regret it. And thank you @vintageanchorbooks @netgalley for the e-ARC!

After seeing this electrifying cover, I couldn’t resist requesting it. Not only is this perfect for spooky season, but this is a lovely gift to keep in mind for your horror obsessed friends. This anthology is rich with diversity & kept me on me toes. Quantum is my favorite. The anthology is well balanced between paranormal & human evil.

Bought myself a copy the day it came out. The cover is even more brilliant in person. Couldn’t resist!