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!

This anthology featuring many amazing Indigenous authors is the perfect read to get your heart racing, your blood pumping, and your mind reeling! This anthology has stories that covered a wide range of topics. While some of the stories consist of supernatural monsters and frights, many of the stories implore the reader to dig deeper and reflect more as they cover even more horrific topics such as the horrors and consequences of colonization and racism.
Truly I was impacted by some of these stories just as much as the stories of Indigenous folklore, if not more!

While I enjoyed all of the stories, here are a few of my favorites:
•White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse
•Quantum by Nick Medina
•Snakes Are Born In the Dark by D.H. Trujillo
• Night In The Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris
•Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk
• Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford
• The Prepper by Morgan Talty
•Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala

Put this book on your TBR today!! I also highly recommend the audiobook! The narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the intrigue and fear!

Thank you to Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Never Whistle at Night is a fantastic anthology featuring an array of Indigenous authors in the dark fiction genre. And while these stories were indeed dark in their themes, they also included a few fantasy and paranormal elements.

Each story focused on Indigenous characters or communities and took place in all kinds of locations, from present day Texas suburbs to 1960's Germany. And while I liked some stories more than others, and some I even skipped all together, I recommend reading this book in short bursts over a period of time. That way you as the reader can absorb each story as an individual, rather than a whole all at once.

Some of the standout stories for me include:

Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons
Snakes Are Born by DH Trujillo
Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk
Scariest Story Ever by Richard Van Camp
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Night Moves by Andrea L Rogers
The Scientist's Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice

I encourage everyone who reads this to check the content warnings before hand. This book includes some incredibly heavy and dark themes including but not limited to: colonization, rape of a minor, sexual assault, gore, murder, mutilation, torture, loss of a parent, suicide, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, and more.

The best anthology I have ever read. Usually I don’t enjoy anthologies because I feel like there are only 2 good stories and mostly duds. This somehow had no flops. Every story was good or great! I so enjoyed being introduced to new indigenous authors, and I can’t wait to read more from them in the future!

My faves:
Kushtuka - Mathilda Zeller
White Hills - Rebecca Roanhorse
Quantum - Nick Medina
The Ones Who Killed Us - Brandon Hobson
*Snakes Are Born in the Dark - D. H. Trujillo
*The Prepper - Morgan Talty
*Collections - Amber Blaeser-Wardzala

*-my top 3

This is a perfect spooky season read. I can honestly say I’ve been thinking of these stories long after I finished them. Absolutely haunting.

My favorites are probably “Tick Talk” by Cherie Dimaline, “Hunger”by Phoenix Boudreau, “Capgras” by Tommy Orange, and “The Scientist’s Horror Story” by Darcie Little Badger. But I also enjoyed reading stories from authors I’d never read before, like “Navajos don’t wear elk teeth” by Conley Lyons , or “Collections” by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala. “Collections” gave me all the shivers, definitely felt like it could’ve been written for an A24 film. It stayed with me long after I finished it 🫣

This anthology is perfect for wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket and reading 1 or 2 stories before bed (good luck falling asleep) or for bingeing all at once while you’re on a plane ride, feeling an odd pain in your neck.


Thank you to @netgalley and @vintageanchorbooks for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Indigenous Fiction has rarely received its due, despite no shortage of incredible Indigenous writers. Editors Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr, with “Never Whistle At Night” seek to propel some of those incredible authors into the spotlight with an anthology of horror and dark fiction. All written by Indigenous writers and utilizing diverse and varied Indigenous culture and folklore.

WIth twenty-six stories, one could forgive a less effective story or two in the bunch. But every last story in this anthology is worth the reader’s eyes. All of them are intelligent, well-written, insightful and impactful. With so many differing styles, it is a testament to editorial skill how many the stories fit together.

Rebecca Roanhorse should be no stranger to readers of speculative fiction and her story “White Hills” explores the cost of assimilation in sweet, suburban life. This is the horror of Homeowners Association and expectations and the brutal price it extracts.

“Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” by Conley Jones is an LGBT story of colonization and theft. Told through the eyes of a young Navajo man named Joe who meets a new lover, our narrator soon notices that his paramour is far from a dream. His new lover soon turns abusive with a mounting level of danger that threatens to see Joe’s identity utterly stolen from him.

Norris Black weaves a tale of loss and melancholy with “Before I Go.” An impeccably written story of what the dead much achieve before they leave us, Black writes with a soulful sense of emotion about how grief can weigh us down.

One of the scariest in the book is Tiffany Morris’s “Night in the Chrysalis.” Taking place in a dark house with dolls and trauma. Morris delves into the psychology of identity and home, while crafting a compelling and frightening story.

Editor Shane Hawk includes a story called “Behind Colin’s Eyes,” about a father and son upon a hunting trip where things go wrong. An absolutely nightmarish story and one of the best that solidifie Hawk as a true name in horror.

A collection that is utterly worth the time for the reader. A classic that is not to be missed.

5/5

The ways in which the authors came together to produce stories that draw directly from their past, present, colonial history, and cultural worldviews really made these stories great and chilling reads. As always, with every anthology, there are stories that really struck a nerve and linger at the back of the mind and others that were just OK. But all in all, this collection really embodies Indigenous people's culture, ritual, trauma, and beliefs

The ways in which the authors came together to produce stories that draw directly from their past, present, colonial history, and cultural worldviews really made these stories great and chilling reads. As always, with every anthology, there are stories that really struck a nerve and linger at the back of the mind and others that were just OK. But all in all, this collection really embodies Indigenous people's culture, ritual, trauma, and beliefs.

I was drawn to this collection because my cultural background is filled with stories of beings that stalk the night and who are very much attuned to the plane of the living. These stories here represent the ways in which Indigenous world views reflect on their every day and how experiences can shape our perceptions.

I wholly enjoyed the fact that these authors weren't concerned with presenting only 'likable' characters, some of these characters were downright horrible human beings, but that highlighted the complexities with which we are all formed. Selfishness, greed, aspirations, cunning, awareness, and reverence are just some of the characteristics that were depicted through story and persona.

I'd been looking forward to this one ever since I first heard about it. I mean, the cover alone had me sold but I love a good anthology and this one did not disappoint. The stories are a mix of horror and thrillers, including supernatural elements, revenge, gore, and everything in between intertwined with indigenous lore.

This was the perfect book to kick off my fall TBR. It was super easy to pick up and read a story here and there, and ended up being a pretty quick read. Some of these stories are not for the faint of heart, but I can't recommend them enough. While I really enjoyed all of them, the last two continue to live rent free in my head.

If this book wasn't on your radar already, this is your sign to pick it up now.

This is an awesome collection of horror short stories. The authors in this collection are all incredibly skilled, and I was drawn along with each story. Some are more intense than others, and some are more tragic than others. Overall, the stories each had an impact and I'm very glad to have read this book. A huge thank you to the publisher for sending me an eArc in exchange for my thoughts!

I really enjoyed some of the stories, while a few were skipped.

Favourites: Collections, Kushtuka, White Hills, Behind Colin’s Eyes, Snakes Are Born in the Dark.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I’m a big fan of horror short stories and of Native American culture so I really looked forward to this anthology.
This is the quiet horror, the kind that seeps into your blood story by story. The voices are very diverse, from the almost poetic to the very pragmatic. While many of them left an impression, the following three were truly special.

White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse

Marissa is living the dream - perfect house, perfect husband, perfect life, but there is a shadow throughout the story following her. R.R. conjures up so much just by describing the surroundings, a feeling, someone’s appearance. You can feel it, a threat just out of reach and then it reveals itself and everything unravels. Now Marissa has to pay a blood price for her privileged life. I loved this story but it was also brutal to read, like watching a beautiful venomous snake that you know will strike but you don’t know when and where its fangs will sink.


Behind Colin’s Eyes – Shane Hawk

A father and son on a hunting trip. The thing in the forest. A game of who’s hunting who. This story reminded me of The Only Good Indians. Elk hunting, traditions, family, tidbits of Native American lore and history, I loved reading about all of these. And that ending...


Scariest. Story. Ever - Richard van Camp

Winning a scary story competition is a serious business. For the main character, it means money, possibly fame. But to get that story he has to convince Uncle Mike to tell it to him. I loved how Mike talked about the story and how he built up the anticipation. There’s also a story within the story, that of the Cat, which was amazing.
In the end the story is just a means to get to something deeper, to turn inward and reflect on family and the past, and getting in touch with one’s roots.
I had high expectations for a story with this title. Scariest. Story. Ever. Did it deliver? Yes, but in a way that was profound and also left me wanting more.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

I have enjoyed reading stories from authors I already love and ones I’m excited to read more from. I remember seeing Shane Hawk's first tweets about this anthology, and it’s been so satisfying to see it come to fruition. I really love how much excitement there is around it, and it really feels like a book for the community. I’ve mentioned it before, but horror is a genre that has historically exploited and misrepresented Native peoples. So to have over 20 Native authors come together to write dark fiction… it can’t be beat. ‘Never Whistle at Night’ joins the growing canon of Indigenous horror literature and makes me even more excited to see where the genre will go.

I also had the honor of narrating the short story by DH Trujillo, and I have been so hyped to get a copy of the audiobook. I really enjoy a multicast audiobook, and can’t wait to hear what each narrator’s voice lends to the stories.

(CW: This is dark fiction, so please proceed with caution when going into these stories. Each one brings their own content that can be hard to read, so take care of yourself.)

These stories were so SO good. Some of them were honestly very chilling and really made me take a break from reading for a day or two.

This was possibly one of my most hyped book releases of 2023. Between the absolutely gorgeous cover and the powerhouse group of authors combining for this project in one of my favorite genres, I had sky high expectations. I’m happy to say that it met them. As with any compilation of stories, some are stronger than others, but as a whole, this was impactful. This made me feel horror, disgust, shock, anger, frustration, relief. It also had a lot of strong themes. Just all in all, probably now one of my favorite short story collections.

Horror books have a special place in my heart. Prior to working at the library, our collection of horror books was slim to none. We had the typical Stephen King/Joe Hill books but not much other selection. Since working here we have buffed up our horror collection to include diversity, different levels of horror, and book length.

Never Whistle at Night will have a special place in our library, I can't wait to see if we are able to order it.

A great collection! I know a few people who I will definitely be recommending this to, and it was perfect for the season! Its one I want on my bookshelf, not just in my kindle.

By its own nature, a short story collection is never going to be easy to review. Some stories are great, some swing wide and miss, some are just meh...

I liked most of the stories in this book. I'm not finished with it yet because I'm not always in the mood for short stories, but the ones I've read so far, I've been impressed by. I'm still getting chills thinking about that pink milkshake and knives.

Stories of particular note:
Hunter
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth
Snakes Are Born in the Dark ** will likely wind up being my favorite in the collection

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of Never Whistle at Night in exchange for an honest review! Though this book has been published already, I started it before that time so I am still leaving my review below.

Never Whistle at Night is delightfully creepy, disturbing, and sad. Each author brings a story with a different perspective on Indigenous lives, and highlighting the horror, suspense, and misery of these stories brought me to my knees with grief, guilt, nostalgia, regret, wholesomeness, pain, depression-- you name it, I felt it. With a mixture of writing styles, perspective, and topic, I was never bored reading this book. This one is great for those literary fiction lovers who need deeper meaning in the books they read. I've been recommending this book left and right for the last week!

Rating: 2.8 leaves out of 5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 2/5
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Mythology
-Horror: 2/5
-Fantasy: 2/5
-Mythology: 3/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Meh

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

I am going to have to stop doing anthologies because I don't think it is right for the stories who did good to have to suffer for the ones who sucked. Sadly, they do. I stopped reading at the 65% mark. I just couldn't do it anymore. Some were giving what it was supposed to and others just wanted to write what they were hurt about the most and it did everything a damn diservice.

I will tell you the stories worth reading this book for (and I am sorry about the other stories I just didn't have the heart to read because I couldn't take any more crap.)

1. Kushtuka
2. Tick Talk
3. Before I Go (this one is my all time FAV)
4. Night in the Chrysalis
5. Behind Colin's Eyes
6. Human Eaters

These 6 are the only reason why I am giving this book a 3.