Zegaajimo: Indigenous Horror Fiction

by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (Editor), Nathan Adler (editor)

Genres: Horror, Indigenous, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

230 pages, Paperback

Published November 9, 2024

About the author

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (she/her/hers) is a writer, poet, spoken-word performer, librettist, and activist from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, as well as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Indigenous Literatures and Oral Traditions at the University of Toronto. She is the founder and Managing Editor of Kegedonce Press which was established in 1993 to publish the work of Indigenous creators. Kateri has written two books of poetry, was a contributor to the graphic novel anthology This Place: 150 Years Retold, was editor of the award-winning Skins: Contemporary Indigenous Writing, and has also released two poetry and music CDs. Kateri's work has been published internationally, and she has performed and spoken around the world. (Re)Generation: The Poetry of Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, a book of collected poems, edited by Dallas Hunt, will be released this year by Wilfrid Laurier Press.

Reviews

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Rounded down from 4.5)

This tight, eclectic collection was great. The eleven stories have different interpretations of what makes a horror story, or what precisely is horrific, and they come together in a dark, moody collection that is filled with passion and heart. I genuinely enjoyed each of these stories, with the last three being particularly strong but none in the collection being bad, only a couple I would individually rate as 3 stars and the rest all above that.

With a collection that is centered around the identities of the authors, not the style or content or theme of the stories, it is always interesting to see what each pulls forward, how they engage the horrific through the lens of their identity. There is a good diversity, from sci-fi horror to survival horror to cosmic horror to imperialist-folk horror to the quiet horrors just found in the mundane. There are genres absent, like body horror, and some that I would have liked to see more from, like supernatural horror, but with a collection this small that isn’t unexpected, and the collection doesn’t really suffer for it as the selected stories work well together. The explore a wide range of indigenous experience and creativity, and never feel like they need to be simplified for a general audience. None of the stories hit me as really “scary,” but many were definitely dark, a few inspired me to check over my shoulder, and they all gave me something to think on. The penultimate story, especially, is the farthest away from any sort of traditional horror that you might expect—its setup is a very traditional horror but where it goes is someplace different. I was left with chills when I finished it, realizing the actual horror that was being exposed in the story was maybe the most damning and terrifying suggestion in the whole collection.

Any story, or collection, that makes me think, encourages me to expand my understanding of the world, in all its joys and horrors, and entertains me while doing it is a definite recommendation in my book.

I want to thank the editors and authors, the publisher Kegedonce Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Zana]

Pretty excited to dive into another Indigenous horror anthology, especially since this is published by an Indigenous owned and operated indie press, Kegedonce Press. 'Tis the season for horror!

Thank you to Kegedonce Press and NetGalley for this arc.


Nighthawk by Tyler Pennock
/5 stars



Wahkohtowin by Dawn Dumont
/5 stars



A Season for Everything by Francine Cunningham
/5 stars



Mouthless by Richard Van Camp
/5 stars



The River Gives What the River Gives by DA Lockhart
/5 stars



Water Torture by Drew Hayden Taylor
/5 stars



interment by David A. Robertson
/5 stars



Black Silk Suit by Karen McBride
/5 stars



The Keeper of the Bones by Daniel Heath Justice
/5 stars



The Harvest by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler
/5 stars



Offerings by Waubgeshig Rice
/5 stars

[ColleenIsBooked · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I love this cover! The colors and design are so beautiful and I appreciated that the design was incorporated within the text as well. Overall, I found this to be an interesting collection of stories; some I did feel like were creepy or horrific, but others didn't really feel like how I think of horror. I really liked the introduction which gives some insight into the name of the collection. Most of these stories I liked, 1 was very much not for me, and 2 I absolutely loved.

Nighthawk by Tyler Pennock- good use of description. I knew where we were going with the story and I just felt like it took a little long to get there 3/5

Wahkohtowin by Dawn Dumont- an interesting story featuring a queer character. It was fine. 3/5

A Season for Everything by Francine Cunningham- I really felt the character's desperation and paranoia. One of my favs 5/5

Mouthless by Richard Van Camp- This one totally lost me. started out okay but the alien stuff is just really not for me. 1/5

The River Gives what the River Gives by D.A. Lockhart- creepy with a good atmosphere, kinda cosmic in a way. 4/5

Water Torture by Drew Hayden Taylor- scary and darkly humorous. 4/5

Interment by David A. Robertson- interesting exploration about life and death, 4/5

Black Silk Suit by Karen McBride- liked the mini history lesson. I would read a whole book about this topic. 4/5

The Keeper of the Bones by Daniel Heath Justice- an absolutely gorgeous and heart wrenching story. I saw that it was in the same world as his series that was already on my TBR! 5/5 the other favorite in this collection

The Harvest by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler- Unsure how I feel about it. I liked the atmosphere, but it was a really vague story that jumped around a bit and I was a little confused about the ending. 3.5/5

Offerings by Waubgeshig Rice- a really good monster story to wrap up the collection. 4/5

My overall rating comes out to 3.68 stars, but a 4 star feels right. I really love Indigenous horror stories.

*Big thank you to Kegedonce Press, Literary Press Group of Canada, and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own :) *

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Editor Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler explains in the introduction that Zegaajimo means ‘to tell a scary story’ in Anishinaabemowin – “horror is traditional.” This collection includes 11 stories; short author bios are provided at the end.

Some of the authors in this collection I’ve read before – if you haven’t read Waubgeshig Rice’s novels, go do so now! – while others were completely new to me. Overall, this is a cohesive collection that has a good range of different themes and moods. I think this might be an approachable collection for readers who don’t tend to go for horror – it is not, overall, especially gory or graphically violent (though there are exceptions to this) but many of the stories are disturbing, thought-provoking, eerie. One story really didn’t work for me at all and inevitably I enjoyed some stories more than others, but overall this is a really solid anthology I’d definitely recommend. My standout stories included “Water Torture” by Drew Hayden Taylor, “Black Silk Suit” by Karen McBride, “The Keeper of the Bones” by Daniel Heath Justice,” and “Offerings” by Waubgeshig Rice.

Thank you to Kegedonce Press, Literary Press Group of Canada, and NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to review.

Content warnings: murder, death, blood, gore, body horror, colonization, forcible confinement, animal cruelty, child abuse (not on-page), terminal illness, classism

[Lio · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and eclectic mix of horror stories. With the only through-line being "Indigenous", the stories have a wide variety in tone, content, and severity. That doesn't mean they lack in depth, however; each entry has its own strengths and weaknesses.

It's a challenge to pick one favourite, but I think "A Season For Everything" by Francine Cunningham has great pacing for the horror you know is coming; successfully managing a slow-burn in a short story takes skill.

I also appreciated the quieter horror of "The Harvest" by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler, compared to some of the stories about explicit monsters as we expect them in horror (though don't get me wrong, I definitely appreciated the number of monsters in this collection!).

The biggest miss for me is "Mouthless" by Richard Van Camp, which surprised me a bit because I've enjoyed other things he's worked on. I think the tone and story are too sporadic to really get the reader invested, even if some of the descriptions were perfectly disgusting. As one of the longer entries in the anthology, it was a struggle to push through to the end.

Also, despite having two editors, I was surprised by a few editing missteps across the anthology. One I noticed a few times was a lack of punctuation when shifting from dialogue to narration. Ultimately this is a minor complaint that didn't detract from my enjoyment, but just something I noticed.

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zegaajimo is Anishinaabemowin for "to tell a scary story." This collection features 11 stories from Indigenous authors that will burrow deep into your mind and challenge your perspective of the horrifying.

Inside, you'll find a mix of horror subgenres, from survival horror to supernatural horror to folk horror to sci-fi horror to realism and more. You'll read about hauntings, spirits, curses, revenge, aliens, mythological beings, and colonialism. While I didn't find myself "scared" during any of these stories, several elicited intense emotional responses that redefined what I find horrific. I felt gut-wrenching dread, full-body anxiety, red-hot anger, and, at one point, unbearable sadness and grief that left me sobbing and forced me to stop reading to recenter myself. Overall, these stories made me FEEL and feel intensely.

This collection is entertaining, horrifying, hopeful, and ultimately cathartic. It will leave you with the haunting reminder that all actions have consequences and that humans are some of the most terrifying monsters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Literary Press Group of Canada | Kegedonce Press for the opportunity to read this eArc/DRC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

[Luke Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a solid collection of horror fiction written by Indigenous authors, often featuring distinct cultural motifs and ideas from the authors' respective traditions. Most of the stories were good, if not better, although there were a few weaker ones in my opinion.

Some stand-out stories.

"A Season for Everything" - An visceral meditation on the proper way to interact with nature and the environment, and the consequences for ignoring that.

"internment" - An interesting spin on the "buried alive" trope with a creative ending.

"Black Silk Suit" - Potentially the strongest story in the collection, a haunting folktale-esque story with an interesting monster.

"The Keeper of the Bones" - An excellent historo-fantasy short story set within the world of one of the author's novels. Without having read the novel, the story is entirely cogent and self-contained, and makes me want to try reading the
associated novel.

Some weaker stories

"Mouthless" - This wasn't a bad story, but the tone of an irreverent alien invasion love letter to pop culture tonally feels quite different than the other stories.

"The Harvest" - I felt this story was rather oblique and its ending unclear. If not for the introduction, I don't think I would have understand the final paragraph at all.

"Offerings" - Interesting conceptually, but I didn't think the author did anything particularly interesting with it.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by Literary Press Group of Canada | Kegedonce Press and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Zegaajimo is a collection of eleven indigenous horror short stories. While there were stories that truly terrified me with their unsettling descriptions, about half of them seemed to the mark for a horror collection. I wonder if I may have overlooked elements of cultural significance that would have made some of these stories make more sense, or if there was an implied terror I just didn't understand. Standouts from this collection are: Wahkohtowin, A Season for Everything, Mouthless, Interment, and The Harvest.

I am happy giving this four out of five stars because I really enjoyed the specific stories mentioned. They were all unlike anything I've read before, so that was a real treat!

[Rhoddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some duds, and a few stories are fine to decent, but there are some standouts ranging from thought provoking to just outright camp. Good scary stuff.

[Mariano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fun enough, and I enjoyed being able to see takes on various horrifying situations from an Indigenous perspective, but some of these stories either had strange stylistic choices or felt like they were more of an excerpt from a longer story. Overall, it was a middle of the road type read, ranging from meh to great.

Most of the stories in this book feel like they were written by newer more inexperienced authors. Like I mentioned, there were some stylistic choices that had me raising an eyebrow. Namely, Wahkohtowin and Mouthless were two where I feel like humor was injected into the story where it didn't need to be, and while it did give the characters more of a sense of personality, it just kinda gave the stories a tonal shift that felt really off and dampened the effect of what they were trying to go for. And back to my point about some feeling like they're an excerpt from a longer story, again, Wahkohtowin feels like it falls into this category. There's just so many POV shifts and an element that was added in within the last two or so pages that just made me feel like the story was supposed to go on for longer but needed to be condensed down. It felt like it ended so abruptly, especially after adding in elements and vaguely describing them and then it's just... over. Another story that I feel similarly about is The River Gives What the River Gives; there are just so many characters that are introduced within the few pages that we actually get to read about them that I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on, and it fell flat for me because it felt like it was all build-up no payoff, and really felt like there was more to the story than what we were actually giving.

Gripes aside, my favourite stories from this, in order of enjoyment, are:
The Keeper of the Bones
Black Silk Suit
interment
Water Torture
A Season for Everything

I know this is very nearly half of the stories but yeah, these are the ones that were the best of the bunch. Top three are like personal faves and the last two on my list are more like that it was very interesting.

While reading The Keeper of the Bones in particular, I felt on the verge of crying the whole time. The author really has a knack for conveying that sense of dread and despair at feeling powerless but still trying to do anything and everything you can to make a difference...
With Black Silk Suit, the author has a very strong grasp on dialogue and how to make engaging conversations. Even though not a lot actually happens, it still can hold your attention because the style makes it very easy to visualize everything that's going on.
interment and Water Torture both stand out to me personally because they both have a theme of "person gets buried alive" but are almost polar opposites tonally.
A Season for Everything I felt was a very strong story and does a good job at getting into the mindset of the character and the desperation of their circumstances.

There's three other stories from the book that I haven't talked about at all, but I've decided not to, because, well, I just don't have much to say about them.
It's a bit of a mixed bag, but worth a read if you're ever in the mood for something to munch on, I'd say.

[Lilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third Indigenous horror anthology I’ve read this year, and I continue to be drawn to them for their variety of authors and storytelling styles. If you’ve enjoyed Never Whistle at Night or Taaqtumi, this collection will be right up your alley. The stories are thoughtfully curated and showcase a range of perspectives and techniques that make for a compelling and chilling read.

My favorite stories were “The Keeper of the Bones”, “A Season for Everything”, and “Mouthless”—each stood out for their unique take on horror and their emotional depth.

Overall, I highly recommend this anthology as a showcase of Canadian Indigenous writers and their exceptional talent in weaving unsettling tales. It’s perfect for a spooky night in. Below are my ratings and brief thoughts on the individual stories. (Overall average: 4)

1. “Night Hawk” by Tyler Pennock – 3/5
While not particularly scary, this story sets the tone for the collection effectively. It uses the format of recounting a spooky experience, a method that aligns well with the oral tradition and history of Indigenous storytelling.

2. “Wahkohtowin” by Dawn Dumont – 2.5/5
The concept was intriguing, but I struggled with the plot and found the writing style hard to follow. With some refinement, it could be much stronger.

3. “A Season for Everything” by Francine Cunningham – 5/5
This story was thrilling, with excellent suspense and terror. The protagonist’s choice to ignore her grandfather’s warnings created a perfect tension, making me want to shout at the character to listen. A standout piece in the anthology.

4. “Mouthless” by Richard Van Camp – 4/5
The graphic and unsettling details of disease were chilling, while the aliens added an almost comical twist. Their use of pop culture references lent a unique and unexpected humor to the story.

5. “The River Gives What the River Gives” by D.A. Lockhart – 4/5
This story excelled in creating an eerie atmosphere. The discovery of a 200-year-old object unleashing horrors was tense and immersive. I could almost feel the chill of the fog seeping into the story.

6. “Water Torture” by Drew Hayden Taylor – 4/5
This was an incredibly well-written depiction of impending doom. The claustrophobic feeling in the protagonist’s final moments was palpable and haunting.

7. “Interment” by David A. Robertson – 3/5
The premise of being buried alive is inherently terrifying, but the story felt too brief to build full immersion or suspense. It had potential but lacked depth.

8. “Black Silk Suit” by Karen McBride – 3.5/5
I loved the writing style and the cozy depiction of bingo nights with friends and family, though the horror element—centering on the tall suited man—felt like an afterthought. Still, a beautifully written piece.

9. “The Keeper of the Bones” by Daniel Heath Justice – 5/5
This was a deeply moving and chilling story. The sorrow of losing one’s community, family, and people weighed heavily, and the protagonist’s care for their loved ones into the spirit world was beautifully crafted.

10. “The Harvest” by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler – 3.5/5
The writing style was engaging, but the plot became a bit muddled. I appreciated the subtle nods to lingering spirits and the unforgotten past, which added an unsettling undertone.

11. “Offerings” by Waubgeshig Rice – 4/5
Waubgeshig Rice never disappoints. This story was captivating, with a mix of humor and futility as David’s final bargaining with the Lord’s Prayer emphasized the inevitability of his fate. A strong and memorable entry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Literary Press Group of Canada, and Kegedonce Press for the ARC.

[Reggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most short story collections, Zegaajimo was a mixed experience for me. However, the high points were worth the cost of admission for me, and I will be glad to own them, so I rated higher than my average score.

Certain stories were exceptional, my favorite being A Season For Everything by Francine Cunningham. "When you kill, remember to give thanks, sing your death song. This animal has sacrificed its life for you. Honour it." No spoilers, but this is a favorite Native parable of mine. Bias aside, this has a slow build-up with fantastic characterization and building anxiety for the reader. The descriptive language throughout is beautiful. I genuinely found this to be creepy, even scary at times. I thought it was a fantastic story, and will be looking for more from Cunningham.

The first entry in the collection, Nighthawk by Tyler Pennock, was a lovely tale as well. I didn't find it as perfect as A Season For Everything, but it's a great story. I admit I'm biased; I love gothic horror. But this story made me feel a creeping dread and a lingering unease. "Something about this was different. Off. My eyes knew it: all colour left the forest, and the trees seemed far away, brittle. My mind knew it: burning, asking me to--to go. Now. And my chest knew it: it grew a heaviness. Every time I breathed, it felt like carrying seawater." What Frances experienced was genuinely terrifying. I had become wrapped up in Pennock's descriptions by the time the horror showed itself, and it gave me goose bumps.

The third short story I wanted to call attention to is Black Silk Suit by Karen McBride. It was just as solid as Nighthawk, and had an absolutely gorgeous introduction. "Since time immemorial, It had been there. At first light, It sat in shadow. When the stars first blinked down on the back of the Turtle, It had settled deep in the mud of the riverbed." The author's writing is beautiful, with so much warmth, heart, and reality to it. This is so complete, and almost cozy; I call this type of story a comfortable horror. The suspense was also fantastic. It LASTED and had me on edge. The comparison I had while reading was The September House, which is not at all the same story, but resonated the same way. Both star an older woman narrating a slow, comfy horror, infusing the narrative with her experience and heart, all leading to the penultimate scary event. The narrator ambles through the story, but what she discusses builds her character and makes you like and invest in her. I do feel that the writing could use a little improvement, and I didn't love the ending paragraph. But overall, this was a great story.

I won't dwell too much on the stories I hated, as short stories are especially subjective, and I don't like to tear authors down. I did personally REALLY dislike Wahkohtowin by Dawn Dumont, and Mouthless by Richard van Camp. Neither of those stories worked for me at all, which brought my overall rating down. However, I do very much think this collection is worth picking up. Multiple entries were wonderfully executed, and many creeped me out. Most of the stories are solid reads, and if you enjoy indigenous horror, you will very likely want this on your shelf to support and revisit your favorite tales.

This digital review copy, or eARC, was provided by Literary Press Group of Canada | Kegedonce Press and Netgalley. I have provided an honest and unbiased review to the best of my ability.

[Mike Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I have this fairly highly rated, but each story is its own lifeforce. The nice thing about a short story collection is that when you don’t like a story, it ends, and you start fresh with a new one.

Nighthawk
A bit of a slow start, but not bad. This beginning story is all about the scary part of the unknown.
7/10

Wahkotowin
I didn’t love this one. Just didn’t go anywhere, and when it ended I was left scratching my head.
5/10

A Season For Everything
Really enjoyable, left me wondering what was coming next….a hallmark of good horror.
9/10

Mouthless
I was enjoying this one quite a lot. It was clear in its direction, I was waiting for something big to happen. Then it ended with a fizzle.
7/10

The River Gives What The River Gives
Really enjoyable
Holding my breath throughout…..another hallmark of good horror.
The characters had differing views of how to deal with the unknown, including the greedy guy that didn’t care about the danger, just saw dollar signs.
9/10

Water Torture
Awesome
So well set up
Another horror hallmark is the reader saying “what are you doing, don’t go down there.”
Well, the character goes down there and the rest is history.
10/10

Interment
I won’t give it away, but, every horror series must have one with this plot.
I used to have nightmares about thud happening to Mr.
so scary.
9/20

Black Silk Suit
This one highlights the concerns with short stories. Do you develop characters or develop plot.
This one developed characters so well that the plot was lost.
So much time spent at the Bingo hall and then just one paragraph where the really scary stuff happens.
6/10

The Keeper of Bones
Longer story
Able to develop much more.
Real life connections to the relationship between Indigenous People and Colonizers.
9/10

The Harvest
Another good one
Some twists and turns.
The hidden scary is always a good story.
9/10

Offering
A solid water monster story to finish.
8/10

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Kegedonce Press for the ARC.

What a great collection of indigenous authors, each sharing an example of short story horror fiction. Every story in this collection is very different in style as well as the type of horror the author is trying to elicit. While I did not feel abject terror with most of these stories, all had a twist that required some thinking or processing afterwards.

Some were very dark, and showed the worst of humanity while at the same time providing hope for the future or acceptance of the present. All stories were very human. A few were very straightforward and the eeriness was found in the horror of what could be a mistake or an accident. Others were very supernatural or otherworldly, and forced me to attempt to understand what I had just read. The authors left me feeling that many lessons were meant to be taken from them and not only what is presented on the surface.

I typically find short story collections to be overall disappointing with only 1 or 2 great stories. This collection surprised me, none of the stories were bad and more than half were excellent. I have read some of these authors full length works and their short stories did not disappoint. I also found some new authors to begin to explore. Having multiple indigenous stories in one volume showcased worldviews from multiple people groups and time periods. As with most indigenous fiction that I have read, this book made me want to learn more about many of the peoples, myths and histories of those presented in the stories.

[Oatmeal.annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Indigenous horror, and Zeggajimo did not disappoint. Some stories were so good that I wanted a full book (especially the Keeper of the Bones, but also Black Silk Suit, the River Gives What the River Gives, and Wahkohtowin). Other stories did a great job with that tense creepy atmosphere (A Season for Everything, internment, Water Torture, Offerings). I even appreciated the introduction for contextualizing the markedly different themes and motifs present in Indigineous horror.

Like all collections though, there were some weaker stories or at least stories that did not work for me. The Harvest felt unfinished and Mouthless felt like it tried to do way too much in a few pages. The book could have also used another round of editing (some typos, some inconsistencies, some issues with the ePub formatting too).

Overall, I recommend it to horror readers, particularly those who like eco-horror and unique storytelling.

After looking at the authors' biographies, I've added Wrist by Nathan Niigan Noodin Adler to my TBR because wdym a horror told from the POV of a windigo?! Amazing.

Thanks to the authors and publisher for an advanced reader copy. Unfortunately, I was unable to read it at the time because of formatting issues (it kept crashing my device). I had to wait for my library copy to become available.

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Kegedonce Press, and the authors of this anthology for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title!

"Zegaajimo" (Anishinaabemowin [Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi], "to tell a scary story") is a First Nations horror anthology in the spirit of "Never Whistle at Night", collecting 11 stories from indigenous authors that encompass everything from alien invasions, to late-night river trawling, to justice against billionaires. I appreciate that each story featured a different First Nations culture and I am definitely inspired to read more about tribes/groups I was not familiar with to learn more about specific nuance in culture I may be missing that would change the tone of the story (through overall I was spooked by all 11 tales and felt like there was enough context in each to understand the gist of what made the story scary).

I really liked the cover art for this book, which was what initially drew me to pick it up, and also liked that the art was repeated throughout chapter headers and the pages of the book, sneaking and snaking spookily through each tale. Generally, I also like breaking up novel-reading with an anthology now and then, and this definitely scratched an itch and would have been a great October read that I may revisit next spooky season!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Kegedonce Press via NetGalley

I first heard about Zegaajimo thanks to Waubgeshig Rice. I'd read Snow of the Crusted Moon and several books by Native American writers. Diving into Zegaajimo was a great way to get acquainted with a broader group of First Nations authors.

The stories range from mildly scary and disturbing to terrifyingly real to almost comedic sci-fi crossover. Two stories in particular stand out for me: Francine Cunningham's A Season for Everything and Dawn Dumont's Wahkohtowin. In fact, A Season for Everything might be my favorite in the anthology. The main character is up against it spiritually and psychologically, and you don't know how much starvation is coloring her experience. It's palpable. and plays in your head like a movie.

Dawn Dumont's Wahkotowin makes you fill in the blanks at the end. And even though I know what happened, I was still saying, "What, no? That can't be the end! I want more!" But maybe that's because I enjoy stories where people get what's coming to them.

If you enjoyed Never Whistle at Night, definitely check out Zegaajimo. It's definitely got less of a commercial feel, but I can see them both used in lit classes.

[Cris Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology. Some stories felt somehow familiar, most were beautifully eerie, and a few were a little off-the-wall, in a way that seemed perfectly suitable to a horror fiction anthology. There were too many good stories for me to be willing to write a review for each, and a few I didn't resonate with as much but could still appreciate the intent of. Daniel Heath Justice's story "The Keeper of Bones" was the most anticipated for me, and I loved it enough to immediately check out a second anthology including a short story of his: Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time.

It did take me a long time to read this, partially because each story left me sitting and "digesting" their contents, letting their grip on me settle, and giving the authors' words space to fully bloom. I would also recommend reading this in fall or winter as it didn't really have a "summertime" vibe. I felt weird sitting in the sun with my shades and lemonade reading horror short stories, lol - but I also haven't read much horror, so perhaps a more voracious consumer of the genre would disagree.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winning collection… chock full of some great “monster” stories by a select handful of pretty heavy hitters in the circles that are Indigenous/Canadian lit. There was only one story that didn’t really thrill me… which is a pretty solid ratio.

Mind, this is one of those cases where having the actual physical artefact that is the book is important.

The cover is fabulous… and the title text and the graphic on the front are raised and embossed, making for a great feel.

However, I don’t like the way that the book is constructed. The pages don’t want to open fully… and to force it to open to read it more easily will definitely break the spine and have the pages falling out in short order.

Neither do I like the font - it’s way too small for my eyes, even with my glasses on. I’d say it’s maybe 9 or 10 point at best… and it definitely needed to be larger for sure.

Notwithstanding these (minor) complaints - a highly recommended read.

4.5 rounded up to 5

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the Never Whistle at Night anthology, I was excited to check this one out — and y'know, not that it's a contest or anything but I actually ended up enjoying this one more! While I definitely had some stand-out favorites ('Wahkohtowin', 'A Season for Everything', 'Mouthless', 'Black Silk Suit', and 'Offerings'), there wasn't a single story in this collection that I didn't enjoy. In their unique ways, they were all riveting and atmospheric, effectively creepy, and at times even laugh out loud funny.

If you want some heebie jeebies courtesy of some awesome Indigenous writers, pick this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author(s) for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kegedonce Press and NetGalley for graciously providing me with an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This anthology was a wonderful blend of approaches to the indigenous horror theme. Each author brought their own culture and experience to create unique stories. Some of my favorites were:

A Season for Everything is a haunting survival story following a capable, strong woman.
Mouthless is just WILD. I mean, it made me laugh!
Keeper of the Bones is an intense historical fiction that is so well-written to make you empathize with the main character. 
Offerings is well-written. I loved it!  I needed this story to be expanded to a longer version. 

[Sam Healey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all it was really good, some stories though I just had to skip past. David A Robertson was one of them. Loved his book the Barren ground but everything else of his I’ve read including this one seems to not have the same kind of depth. And I only made it like 4 pages into the last one by Waubgeshig Rice before I had to stop, I understand why he did what he did in the story but the almost disrespect for indigenous culture and the way it was almost saying that Christianity was better than indigenous culture bugged me so bad I had to put it down.

[Taylor Nadon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
Overall I found this anthology to be a really cohesive collection that very much plays into the horrors of living on this earth with some speculative fiction and indigenous folklore mixed in. I really appreciated that each story seemed to get across the point they were aiming for in such a short amount of time. This anthology has opened me up to some new authors that I would really like to read from in the future that I don’t think I would have found on my own. My favourite story in this collection was Water Torture and it is the one that has stuck with me the most since finishing this anthology.

Thanks to Kegedonce Press and NetGalley for the early copy!

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC!

This was a refreshingly eclectic mix of genres and styles, from deep-sea cosmic horror to a doomed bingo night. I rarely enjoy every single story in an anthology but that was the case for this one! Plus, I discovered some new queer horror authors to follow, which is always a plus.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a unique collection because these horror short stories are from an indigenous perspective. There was a wide variety, with some being more dark than others. Some of them stuck with me for a long time because I really felt as though I was there. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good selection of stories, not exactly what I consider "horror", more like weird fiction overall. These are not traditional Indigenous stories (as I assumed they were going to be), but modern takes with Indigenous flavour.
Jegedonce has done an amazing job on packaging. the cover is embossed and the pages are quality paper stock. Feels good in your hands.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Netgalley pre-release! Like most short story collections, the stories vary wildly. There's some great concepts here - I was particularly intrigued by the weaponizing of rare Covid against human-eating space aliens. Something for everyone here!

[James Braun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any anthology, some of these contributions sat with me longer than others. I was impressed with the number of high-profile authors in this collection, though. Francine Cunningham's and DA Lockheart's stories stood out for me, but your mileage may vary.

[JXR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these delicious short horror stories with some gleefully dark stories and awesome vibes that i loved. tysm for the arc

[G.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine stories from some of Canada's best Indigenous writers.