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.

This is a powerful read. A collection of horror shot stories, Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk is fresh, engaging, and something everyone should read. There is so much power in these pages, as the stories address identity in the forms of violence, colonialism, and racism.

The representation in these stories is something worth applauding and sharing with everyone you know. I wasn’t aware of many of the authors and really enjoyed getting to read their work. All of the short stories contain the theme of indigenous folklore, and while short, it held my attention so much that I ended up reading these stories three times!

I was entranced with the history and culture woven in every word, and the cover art is just gorgeous. It’s what originally caught my eye and made me take a second look! I truly hope you give this book a read and hope even more that you purchase a physical copy!!

Never Whistle at Night has my favorite cover of the year!~ Also, the stories inside are exciting and thrilling. I appreciated the range of outright horror but also psychological suspense, and the theme of humans being the scariest creatures of all. Well done.

Over the years I've picked up a few short story anthologies with the best of intentions, but despite my best efforts, they go unfinished and forgotten.
I've been wanting to change this because I LOVE the idea of short story collections. The collaboration between multiple authors, each lending their unique voice and interpretation to the theme of the collection, and providing the opportunity to find new favorites.
Therefore, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Never Whistle at Night from Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. and Penguin Random House. And I can say with all honesty that each story within it kept me hooked.
Not only did this anthology offer a variety of stories centered on supernatural and folk horror, as well as the horrors inherent in our history's greed and violence, it provided a wonderful showcase of the current indigenous voices in the literary field.
After reading some of Stephen Graham Jones work, I really have been wanting to find more indigenous authors to add to my reading list. This book has given me a wonderful jumping off point. I don't think there was a single story in this collection that I disliked and as I've seen others mention, many of the stories were written in a way that begged to be thoughtfully chewed on for a while before moving into the next. Even though I would have happily continued reading longer versions of any of the stories, none of them felt incomplete to me and didn't leave me with that sense that something was lacking.
I think this anthology is definitely worth the ready if you are a fan of subtle horror, or even if you are looking to expand your reading list to include new authors.
Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and the authors for providing me with a copy of this anthology.

This collection was so good! I could not put it down. Thrilling and compelling, it kept me up all night to finish. Highly recommend and I will be looking for all of the authors to put on my bookshelves. Stunning.

- NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a collection of horror stories by Indigenous authors. The stories range from the supernatural to the psychological, and each left me chilled and unsettled.
- While many of these stories feature literal monsters, many are primarily about the horrors of humans and the many lasting nightmares of colonization.
- There are several well-known authors included here - Orange, Dimaline, Rice, Hobson, etc., and many that are new to me, including a few authors whose debuts are forthcoming. This is definitely a collection to check out if you want to see the future of Indigenous literature.

A creepy collection of stories told through a cultural lens I don't see enough (at least not from the folk who need to be telling these stories) that kept me awake. I loved the diversity of the stories, showcasing not only tribal myths and legends, but stories stemming from the trauma of colonization and forced assimilation. None of the authors shied away from the gruesome and visceral details, and many of these stories will stick with me for a long time because of it. I hope this anthology will show the horror community how starved we are for stories that aren't told through the lens of whiteness.

I really enjoyed this! My favorite stories in this are 'Hunger', 'Snakes Are Born In The Dark', 'Dead Owls' and 'The Prepper' but all the stories are very well done. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to the authors, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful collection of the wierd macabre & ancient lore from Indigenous communities.

Definitely a great one for spooky season - Kushtuka definitely kept me awake at night!

A collection I'll definitely come back to over and over

4 Stars
One Liner: A diverse collection

Do you think I could ignore a cover and title like that? Not a chance!
Never Whistle at Night is a collection of twenty-six short stories written by Indigenous authors from the US and Canada. It begins with a foreword setting great expectations about the content but also preparing the readers that the stories don’t have neat endings. This really helped because I’m not a fan of open or vague endings. However, knowing this in advance, I was prepared for it and enjoyed many stories.
Still, it’s hard to categorize this collection. I assumed the stories would deal with paranormal, supernatural, or horror. But around 40% of the stories don’t deal with any paranormal theme. They are dark but deal with human darkness. Some of these make a strong impact, while a few others don’t.
As with every anthology, there are hits and misses. Since I read one or two stories a day (it took me a month to finish), the review ended up detailed (longer than expected). I haven’t edited the individual reviews, as I wrote them soon after reading the story.

Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller – 4 Stars
What happens when a young Native girl is hired to help and serve at a white man’s party in a remote lodge? Thrown in all types of domination the Natives have to deal with. Kushtuka has to take a stand and save her people, right? So what if there’s collateral damage? The story comes in the first-person POV of the young girl. It is fast-paced, crisp, and chilling.
White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse – 3.5 Stars
A half-Native poor girl does what she should to get the riches and lifestyle she always dreamt of. Marriage to a rich guy sorts many things. But a simple mistake threatens to ruin it all. What will she decide? The story comes in Marissa’s third-person POV. It’s compact with flaws and a reflection of inhumanity.
Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons – 3 Stars
What happens when Joey hooks up with Cam despite the red flags because he didn’t want to feel lonely? This is more of a psychopath story with an indigenous character (than a native mystery element) and is in Joey’s first-person POV.
Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon – 3.5 Stars
How much is too much when two native kids get abused by their foster ‘parents’? When ‘magic’ doesn’t help, will they take things into their hands? How will it end? The story comes from the first-person POV of an eight-year-old. It is raw, gritty, dark, and hard-hitting.
Quantum by Nick Medina – 4 Stars
This is like a reverse-case scenario where Native Indian blood is more ‘useful’ than the White man's. But is it really the blood? Blunt, emotionless, and ruthless. The story comes from the third-person POV of Amber.
Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau – 5 Stars
‘It’ is ravenous for ‘food’ which has become scarce after Other People took over People’s land. However, It finds a vessel and zeros on a People girl who isn’t aware of Its existence. Or… This is fantastic. The story starts slowly but picks up momentum in the second half. The ending dips a little but seems intentional. This is what I wanted when I requested the book.
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline – 4 Stars
Bilson, aka Son, would rather not be ‘Son’ but goes by the name anyway. Years pass by doing this, that, and nothing. Does it take a tick bite to redefine his life? Of course, if he can live long enough. The story comes in Son’s third-person POV and reflects his character arc. It’s more of an introspective piece than anything else.
The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson – 5 Stars
Atvdasdiha! Listen to the ghosts tell the story of the fateful night when those who killed them get their due (yet again). The story comes in first-person plural and is written in long-winded sentences (typically in a ghost’s stream-of-consciousness POV). The writing takes time to get used to, but the atmosphere is spot on.
Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo – 4 Stars
Peter agrees to trek in Four Corners with his cousin Maddie and her boyfriend, Adam. However, things go as planned and turn even more bizarre through the night. Can they survive until the next dawn? The story comes from Peter’s third-person POV. It’s more of a horror story with some gore and weird scenes. Well-written.
Before I Go by Norris Black – 3.5 Stars
What does Keira find when she goes to visit the site of her fiancé’s death in the middle of nowhere? Told in the FMC’s third-person POV, the story is short, compact, and has the right amount of ‘horror’. I wish it was a little more atmospheric.
Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris – 3.5 Stars
How does Cece’s first night in the new house go? Will she survive to see daylight the next morning? Who is that strange singing woman? The story comes in Cece’s third-person POV. I like haunted house stories. This one delivers to an extent, though I wish it had more drama.
Behind Colin’s Eyes by Shane Hawk – 4 Stars
A ten-year-old Colin and his dad go hunting. This time, they want to shoot the majestic elk. However, strange events occur, and Colin knows something is very wrong. But what can the poor kid do? The story comes in Colin’s first-person POV and is set in a winter forest. It is descriptive, atmospheric, and creepy (but not too much).
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford – 3.5 Stars
Did he or did he not murder his brother? How much do you trust his version of the story? Written in Joseph’s first-person POV, this is a story of a broken family, a broken child who grew up as a broken man with unhealed issues. The writing has quality and pulls the reader. However, there are no otherworldly elements in this one.
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp – 4.5 Stars
The nameless narrator, Uncle Mike’s Nephew, needs the scariest story to win a storytelling competition. He asks Mike to tell him the scariest story shared by Aunt Irina. However, the narrator may get more than what he wanted. Sometimes, it’s a good thing too! This story has elements of dark though it tackles the subject differently. I love the twist and the message (and how it doesn’t sound preachy).
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf – 4.5 Stars
Narrated by grandma to her two young grandsons (String Bean and No Filter), the story alters between reminisces and present. The Human Eaters symbolize colonizers and boarding schools. The story is atmospheric and contains a recurring message to not forget one’s roots.
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. – 4 Stars
Johnny Junior gets attacked when manning his father’s real estate office. He’s back in action after six weeks and is surprised and exasperated to find Louis bringing a bag of stinky items. The story comes in a relaxed third-person POV. It’s got sharp dark humor with what could possibly be little more than human character. By the way, the opening sentence is 103 words!
Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power – 4.5 Stars
Amy, a preteen, visits her favorite Aunt Phyllis for the holidays. She loves being with her aunt but wonders if the house has ghosts. Of course, the ghosts decide to answer it themselves. The story comes in Amy’s first-person POV. The tone suits the character’s age. The story is rather heart-touching, with bits of dark on the edges.
The Prepper by Morgan Talty – 4 Stars (for the gripping narration)
Narrated in the first-person, this is the story of how a young boy prepares to save himself and his mother from the end of the world (2012) and Nὰka. It’s a story of undiagnosed mental illness and what it can do to a person. The story is set in the past, with the MC recounting it from his present perspective.
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart – 4.5 Stars
Told by a narrator in a sort of dispassionate tone, this is the story about the bonding between Robert and Gregory (uncle and nephew but brothers in friendship). It is real yet unreal, emotions barely there but fully present. There’s something in there, tugging the reader’s heart.
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden – 4 Stars (for the ending)
Narrated by a 50+ Tom (Thomas), we see how his wife’s death triggers his childhood trauma of being abused by Father R when he was being civilized in a church-run school. How Tom comes to terms forms the rest of the story. It’s amazing how one can do anything to heathen and kafirs with little to no consequences. 4 Stars (for the ending)
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust – 3.5 Stars
Callum is shot to death and leaves behind his grieving sister and half-brother. Told in the first-person, we learn about a dysfunctional family, a ‘god-fearing’ small town, and the sister’s desire to revive her dead brother. The beginning feels ordinary but ends on a different level. My only grouse is that the voice sounds like a man (in fact, I thought the narrator was Callum’s brother and not sister until she was addressed as Della).
Night Moves by Andrea L. Rogers – 3.5 Stars
Walt is an Indian boy stationed in Germany in 1968. What happens one night when Walt, Carl (half-German, half-Black), Christ, and JohnBoy miss their last train to the army base and have to walk through the woods? Told in Walt’s third-person POV, the story tries to blend the paranormal with the real. It succeeds to an extent.
Capgras by Tommy Orange – 3 Stars
Tom (Thomas Bline) and his family (wife and son) fly to Paris for his author interviews. Tom’s book has been translated into French, and he is supposed to be excited about it. Told in Tom’s first-person narration, the story blends his past, his drinking problem, and how translations tend to change the core contents by aligning it with the translators’ perspectives.
The Scientist’s Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger – 4 Stars
Three researchers, Bets, Anders, and Harmoni, spend their evenings telling scary campfire stories while attending a conference. Anders starts, and Bets tells the next one. However, ‘scary’ could mean a lot of things, including reality. This has two stories in story format and ends with a (helpless) reminder of how brutal real life can be.
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala – 4.5 Stars
Oh, boy! Megis is exhausted but has to attend the party hosted by Professor Smith to get into her good books for a recommendation letter. However, the decorations in the professor’s house freak her out. The story comes in Megis’ first-person POV. This is a strange tale, dark yet not too dark or gory. Scary but different. It could also be seen as a metaphor for the world’s obsession to play savior and demand undying gratitude.
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice – 4 Stars
Makwa is a guide to a white businessman who wants to destroy the land for business. What happens when Makwa protests? Told in Makwa’s third-person POV, the story has a sense of foreboding throughout. It gets quite graphic at one point, which seems intentional. However, the climax is over too soon to make the impact it should.

To summarize, Never Whistle at Night has strong indigenous themes and deals with colonization, displacement, supernatural, and human darkness in various forms. It cannot be read at once. Spread it over a few days to let each story register in the mind. Also, quite a lot of triggers in this one, so proceed with caution.
Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Vintage, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #NeverWhistleatNight
***
P.S.: Every story is followed by a short author’s bio. I added a whole bunch of books to my TBR, thanks to this anthology.
*****

“To desire is to mourn…”

—————

This collection is nothing if not eclectic. It mixes real horror based in indigenous folklore with stories about mental illness, impacts of colonization and revenge. These are stories of struggle more than ones of triumph, success and power. I sort of wished for that a bit. Still an entertaining set of stories. M yfavorites were Heart-Shaped Clock, Snakes are Born in the Dark, Human Eaters.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

One of my goals has been to read more indigenous authors, and NEVER WHISTLE AT NIGHT is a perfect way to get a taste of what authors occupy the horror genre! In addition to well-known authors like Stephen Graham-Jones (who writes the forward) and Rebecca Roanhorse (whom I have mostly seen in the SFF space), there are many authors that I know I would like to further explore outside of this anthology.

What I loved most about these stories is how they play with the concept of horror by infusing it with relevant mythologies and histories that indigenous communities navigate every day. Sometimes blatant, sometimes subtle, colonialism is picked apart as it manifests in literal ghosts or in the discovery of a woman's in-laws discovering that she is Native. Throughout all, there is a question of what these characters or monsters are willing to do in order to survive. While I really enjoyed most of the stories, I think my favorite was the very first one - Kushtuka - because of how it flips the script on the Final Girl. It sets the tone for the rest of the stories!

This is a perfect book for horror readers, especially if you're new to the genre and with spooky season right around the corner. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review :)