I love anthologies that draw from different works over time and the horror genre has a lot of history to pull from. It’s a great overview of the last 150 years and collects traditional
Folk horror together. A lot of these stories or concepts will be familiar to a lot of people and it’s a great starting point for someone wanting to get into horror however it can be a little dry or drawn out sometimes. It’s cool to see where a lot of contemporary folk horror gets its inspiration or how themes have continued to be popular over time. The link print illustrations were amazing, a great addition.

A perfect winter nights read! 5 Star!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Tales Accursed by Richard Wells is a wonderful collection of folk horror. It would be a perfect read for the fall season. The stories are dark and creepy. As a horror fan, it is a great look at classic historic folk tales that have influenced all current tales.
Thanks to NetGalley and Unbound publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Did not receive a copy of this. This did not download.Would still like a copy to review.Been having trouble with things downloading.

I really enjoyed reading most of these horror stories. The stories are older ones. I was familiar with many of the authors but the stories were new to me. The stories are accompanied by wonderful woodcut illustrations. They are spooky and perfect for curling up on a cold dark night. This book will make a wonderful gift. Enjoy

As with all anthologies miles may very. There is over all nothing lower than a 2.75 here, and when it hits it hits!

Tales Accursed is an excellent early Autumn/Halloween read that showcases a real breadth of classic horror storytelling talent.

This is the 2nd collection of folk horror stories edited and illustrated by Richard Wells, following up on 2021’s Damnable Tales. There’s a real variety of authors here from big names in classic supernatural fiction (MR James, Sheridan Le Fanu and Shirley Jackson), but some inclusions that were new to me, such as Elinor Mordaunt and Frederick Cowles. The 16 tales are presented in chronological order which I found a little difficult: invariably the oldest tales were more difficult reading, whereas the more modern stories in the second half of this collection seemed to fly by in comparison. Some of the earlier tales are also a bit same-y too and they can become a bit repetitive so, like any short story anthology, it may be best enjoyed by dipping in and out for a story or two at leisure (as opposed to reading it to a deadline in order to provide an honest review!).

Folk horror is an odd classification too: it’s been described as an accidental genre that’s almost exclusively applied retrospectively and I’m fairly certain none of these authors set out to write folk horror stories. Several of these stories are ones that I wouldn’t personally define as typically this way either: however each piece is wonderfully chilling and unsettling with some element of folklore or English countryside as the setting.

Each story is accompanied by a lino-print illustration by Richard Wells too: I read a digital ARC of this but these illustrations are truly wonderful and I can only imagine how good they’ll look in the physical copy of this book.

NB: Full review link will follow, but the link I've added below promotes the book with a quote from one of the stories.

These stories were dark, gripping, and utterly addictive, they kept you on edge the entire time. The stories are expertly crafted with a great balance of mystery and psychological tension. A must-read for anyone who folk horror!

I adore folk horror and if you love it as much as me, you need to read this collection.

Good folk horror is difficult to master, but once you feel it, you know. Jam packed with all sorts of terrific tales, this one is a must read, maybe alongside a film binge of The Witch, Midsummer and the likes.

Yayyyy amazing folk horror read! Every story was carefully curated with varying ranges of horror, from a slight peek into the unknown, to feeling claustrophobic and being watched like some of the characters in this book. It was such a delight and just in time for the fall, which for me is the perfect time to cuddle up with a good folk horror book.

Thanks Netgalley for the early ARC!

I was incredibly excited to read this collection of folk horror tales, but I feel that was many of the stories are incredibly old, you have to be able to adjust to the style, pacing, and outdated beliefs. At times, it felt like bring back in university, when reading was more of a chore.

Definitely creepy and slow-burn.

The lino art is stellar.

Incredible collection of folk horror stories! Something about the folk horror sub genre just chills me to my core. Surprisingly for me, I enjoyed every story in this anthology!

I love a good spooky/horror story, and cold winter nights are the perfect time for a book like this.

This book showcases sixteen spooky short stories written in the 1800s, 1900s and the last one in the 2000s. Some stories are shorter than others, but each story is a perfect standalone for anyone who loves to read scary stories. They are perfect for reading around a bonfire, or sitting on the couch wrapped up with a cosy blanket.

The book features stories about local folklore, and features tales from well-known authors like William Croft Dickinson and Shirley Jackson. At the start of each chapter is a beautiful illustration.

If you love delving into the spooky and supernatural, I highly recommend this book.

An excellent anthology featuring well known and new to me stories, all at high level.
A good book, perfect for the winter atmosphere
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I absolutely loved this collection of folk horror. It evoked a half forgotten feeling of devouring books of ghost stories and local myths and legends in my school library.

Richard Wells takes the reader on a journey through abandoned country roads, forgotten (or not so forgotten) megaliths, forests, secluded house and ruins of the British Isles (plus one in Brittany.) It's a beautifully curated anthology with a wide range of different protagonists, settings and styles, which nevertheless all share a sense of atmosphere, which felt akin to dry leaves crunching underfoot on a forest path as darkness falls and you realise you're no longer sure of the way home...

This is a must buy to add to my home library. Excellent collection and will be reading further.. thank you to the publisher for a copy.

Many of the tales here can be found in modern retellings through books, movies, and short films. The best part of this book aside from the eerie and haunting tales, is the artwork.

This is a really fun anthology of older horror. It was cool to watch the genre evolve, from the mid-1800s to the 1970s. I will say, though, this anthology is centered almost entirely around England, so do with that information what you will.

I think this is a wonderful collection of classic tales about haunted places. For someone looking for a bunch of eerie quick reads, this book is for them. The artwork and foreword also did well connecting each piece together into this one collection.

Folk horror as well as traditional horror fans are given a hell of a treat with no tricks in this fabulous anthology.