What do you think?
Rate this book
The Stories They Tell
It’s just a story, a children’s story. Right? A creature that haunts the woods during the Yuletide. Could it possibly be real?
Rune embarks on a rescue mission to find her missing father. Her journey through a wintry forest is fraught with dread and unease. Something seems to watch her from the ice cold shadows. Confused and lost, she happens upon a strange village made up of black, crooked buildings. Even more strange are the villagers themselves; people who sing frightening songs around an evergreen tree about a mysterious creature that haunts the woods.
The all too perfect and happy people of the town raise Rune’s suspicions about her father's whereabouts. In her quest, Rune sets into motion a chilling sequence of events that not only upends her world but connects her to the secrets of the townsfolk.
Misfortune continues to stalk the village, but Rune isn’t about to give up. As she digs deeper and deeper, she discovers a slew of disappearances credited to this “imaginary” creature. If she doesn’t find the true culprit first, she may not only lose her father, but her own life as well.
Rune embarks on a rescue mission to find her missing father. Her journey through a wintry forest is fraught with dread and unease. Something seems to watch her from the ice cold shadows. Confused and lost, she happens upon a strange village made up of black, crooked buildings. Even more strange are the villagers themselves; people who sing frightening songs around an evergreen tree about a mysterious creature that haunts the woods.
The all too perfect and happy people of the town raise Rune’s suspicions about her father's whereabouts. In her quest, Rune sets into motion a chilling sequence of events that not only upends her world but connects her to the secrets of the townsfolk.
Misfortune continues to stalk the village, but Rune isn’t about to give up. As she digs deeper and deeper, she discovers a slew of disappearances credited to this “imaginary” creature. If she doesn’t find the true culprit first, she may not only lose her father, but her own life as well.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2024
4 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 5, 2024
I really liked this book! It was a fast read and had me focused the whole time. I liked the main character and I loved that it was clean. I never realized how many books I have consumed with "more" in it vs not until this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing.
October 28, 2024
A solid indie debut! I loved the cozy yet eerie winter atmosphere to this book. It was an easy read with an interesting mystery that kept me going. It gave me similar vibes to “The Bear and the Nightingale.” Perfect to read during a winter storm! ❄️ 🌲
Content rating: PG-13 for violence
Content rating: PG-13 for violence
January 2, 2025
The plot and premise of this book are undeniably intriguing, with a story that holds the potential to become a compelling thriller. From start to finish, I was drawn in by the cozy yet spooky atmosphere. The author has a knack for crafting a vivid sense of place, which added depth to the overall vibe of the book.
That said, the book could have benefited from the guidance of an experienced editor. While the storyline itself is engaging, issues with grammar, mechanics, and occasional awkward phrasing pulled me out of the narrative at times. I agree with a previous review that touched on how the pacing also felt uneven, moving too quickly between moments, losing the potential for greater depth in the story. The fast pace made if difficult to fully immerse in the characters’ relationships and the rich lore of the story.
I would have loved to delve deeper into the characters’ motivations, relationships, and backstories, especially to better understand the antagonist’s motives. While the reveals were well-built, the lack of context created a distrust for why things went the way they went; this lack wasn’t quite to the point of plot-holes but definitely left questions about why some characters acted the way they did. Similarly, the romantic subplot didn’t quite resonate with me; it felt more like a middle-school crush than a mature connection, built on shared trauma and a lack of experience with the other sex. Still, the protagonist’s growth and her relationship with her father were highlights, adding a heartfelt touch to the story.
Overall, this book is a quick, cozy read that will appeal to younger readers or those looking for an easy, atmospheric escape. Despite its flaws, it has moments of charm and creativity, and I admire the gumption of the protagonist. With some refinement, this story could truly shine. I’d recommend it for those seeking a light, enjoyable read, particularly for younger audiences.
That said, the book could have benefited from the guidance of an experienced editor. While the storyline itself is engaging, issues with grammar, mechanics, and occasional awkward phrasing pulled me out of the narrative at times. I agree with a previous review that touched on how the pacing also felt uneven, moving too quickly between moments, losing the potential for greater depth in the story. The fast pace made if difficult to fully immerse in the characters’ relationships and the rich lore of the story.
I would have loved to delve deeper into the characters’ motivations, relationships, and backstories, especially to better understand the antagonist’s motives. While the reveals were well-built, the lack of context created a distrust for why things went the way they went; this lack wasn’t quite to the point of plot-holes but definitely left questions about why some characters acted the way they did. Similarly, the romantic subplot didn’t quite resonate with me; it felt more like a middle-school crush than a mature connection, built on shared trauma and a lack of experience with the other sex. Still, the protagonist’s growth and her relationship with her father were highlights, adding a heartfelt touch to the story.
Overall, this book is a quick, cozy read that will appeal to younger readers or those looking for an easy, atmospheric escape. Despite its flaws, it has moments of charm and creativity, and I admire the gumption of the protagonist. With some refinement, this story could truly shine. I’d recommend it for those seeking a light, enjoyable read, particularly for younger audiences.
February 6, 2025
This was a great book! Perfect amount of cozy, dark mystery and fantasy all rolled into one. A great winter read!
December 21, 2024
I really loved the atmosphere of the book! It was both cosy but had those fun elements of suspense. It was easy to relate to the main character even when you don't have her particular struggles. Over all, I loved it!
December 20, 2024
I loved the Yuletide aesthetic of this book. The story was cold and dark, yet heartwarming and hopeful. The suspense and mysterious intrigue of the “Fanden” made it a page-turner. The audiobook was a great listen, too!
December 7, 2025
LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED !!! I finished this book in less than 8 hours, I was hooked from chapter one. So many plots, so many twists, so many unexpected surprises, so so so fun and clean and I appreciated having a book that kept my interest and kept the mystery going until the very end. Such a cool and unique and fun and exciting book, would recommend if you love fast pace, thriller, and shocking twists in a book!!! LOVED !!!!!
December 9, 2024
This book is perfect to read around Christmas time! I loved the world and the characters in it. The writing was very immersive and I could easily fall into the imagery and atmosphere. I would recommend this book to those that love eerie and cozy vibes, with a dash of sweet romance. There is a little gore but for me, it is no more than pg-13 level. Very clean, very cozy, and very fun to read!
November 29, 2024
Great fast read. Great story. Will have the rest of my family read it.
November 17, 2024
First things first, I’m not the target audience. I don’t seek out fantasy novels if I can help it, but I do like thrillers & mysteries. My favorite thing about this novel is the atmosphere. The author did a good job of portraying a cold, creepy forest and a close-minded, judgmental village. If you’ve ever lived in a place where the cold seeps into your bones, then you’ll appreciate the wintry world this story is based in. If you’ve been exposed to a close-minded religion, then you might identify with outcast characters in this story.
I think I was reminded of a Grimm fairy tale - it’s fairly innocent, but a little too morbid to be a regular fairy tale.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think I was reminded of a Grimm fairy tale - it’s fairly innocent, but a little too morbid to be a regular fairy tale.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 15, 2024
A solid 4.5
I loved this book. The pacing was perfect. The length was perfect. I loved that it wasn't drug out. Although I do wish some of the other characters stories were explored! f you love eerie monster books with found family, this is for you.
I loved this book. The pacing was perfect. The length was perfect. I loved that it wasn't drug out. Although I do wish some of the other characters stories were explored! f you love eerie monster books with found family, this is for you.
October 15, 2024
If you want a dark winter, Scandinavian-vibe story, look no further! You'll feel like you want to cozy up with a cup of tea by a fire with your favorite blanket around you and read it straight through to the end.
I enjoyed reading this SO much. There are times in the story you think it's going to be predictable only for the twists and turns to show you that it's nothing you would have expected. It's clean, which is refreshing. It's got some romance and some scary. But not too scary. Just the right amount of everything. It's a quick read--the book isn't very long--but there's a lot of story packed into its pages.
Looking forward to this author's next book!
I enjoyed reading this SO much. There are times in the story you think it's going to be predictable only for the twists and turns to show you that it's nothing you would have expected. It's clean, which is refreshing. It's got some romance and some scary. But not too scary. Just the right amount of everything. It's a quick read--the book isn't very long--but there's a lot of story packed into its pages.
Looking forward to this author's next book!
September 11, 2024
This book became a page turner for me. The story was captivating and had some nice surprises, plus a sweet romance. And it was clean! I loved that I could read without running into foul words or illicit scenes. Some of it was predictable, but that didn't spoil the read for me.
October 7, 2024
This was a quick read. I enjoyed reading this book. It is a fantasy and not a spicy it does have some scenes, but they are clean. And not much if any fowl language . This would be a good palette cleansing if you just finished a heartbreaking or a dark romance book.
September 8, 2024
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for granting me an ARC copy! I’m super excited to review a book I know will soon reach other readers!
To kick this off, I’m giving this book 2.5 stars because it was a good idea and I absolutely love fairytales. This one was haunting, but not too dark, and I feel as if I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read it during the winter months rather than September, but it was still pretty good.
It definitely gives dark, mystical vibes that were very alluring and enjoyable. The story follows a girl named Rune who goes out looking for her father one snowy night—and it’s pretty safe to say she gets a bit more adventure than she asked for. Soon, she’s caught up in what’s basically a fairytale come to life, only it’s not something either innocent or wondrous: it’s the tale of the evil, vicious Fanden, a creature that steals people away in the dead of night and keeps them as his own, hanging those who have caused mischief from trees in the deep forest. I’ll leave you to wonder how this plays out, how Rune handles this discovery, and if the Fanden is a creature of lore, or something a little more threatening.
I was intrigued.
However, I do have some issues with it that kept me from enjoying it as much as I feel I could have. First of all, I felt that there could have been more subplot lines going that would have helped engage characters more than just Rune. Stein’s role, for example, could have been elaborated on more, or Amelia’s; both of them had great potential to enrich the emotional value, and this would have taken the burden of carrying the story off of Rune. I also feel as if the village people could have been a bit more weird (this would have really added to the creepy vibes I was anticipating, and it would have raised the stakes as well).
Secondly, and probably the biggest barrier I faced whilst reading, was that the pace felt rushed. Whenever something began to feel meaningful, the moment was interrupted and became cold again as the subject was changed. The plot was sadly marred by choppy sentences, unrealistic interactions/reactions/dialogue, and an impersonal feeling that left me not really caring about what happened to the characters. Maybe this is just an ick of mine, because I’ve noticed it in several books besides this one, but I feel like a lot of books are ruined by not giving the characters time to adjust.
There were also some inconsistencies—“plot holes”— in here that just nagged at me, but I could have overlooked them had the other problems not been present alongside.
That said, I actually did enjoy this book. I finished it, and am glad I did, because I feel like it evened out towards the last third, even if the end was a bit anticlimactic. I would encourage readers to give this one a try, especially if they like mysterious books for wintertime. I would happily try another book by this author again in the future. This was a debut novel, and I feel like this author has lots of potential!
To kick this off, I’m giving this book 2.5 stars because it was a good idea and I absolutely love fairytales. This one was haunting, but not too dark, and I feel as if I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read it during the winter months rather than September, but it was still pretty good.
It definitely gives dark, mystical vibes that were very alluring and enjoyable. The story follows a girl named Rune who goes out looking for her father one snowy night—and it’s pretty safe to say she gets a bit more adventure than she asked for. Soon, she’s caught up in what’s basically a fairytale come to life, only it’s not something either innocent or wondrous: it’s the tale of the evil, vicious Fanden, a creature that steals people away in the dead of night and keeps them as his own, hanging those who have caused mischief from trees in the deep forest. I’ll leave you to wonder how this plays out, how Rune handles this discovery, and if the Fanden is a creature of lore, or something a little more threatening.
I was intrigued.
However, I do have some issues with it that kept me from enjoying it as much as I feel I could have. First of all, I felt that there could have been more subplot lines going that would have helped engage characters more than just Rune. Stein’s role, for example, could have been elaborated on more, or Amelia’s; both of them had great potential to enrich the emotional value, and this would have taken the burden of carrying the story off of Rune. I also feel as if the village people could have been a bit more weird (this would have really added to the creepy vibes I was anticipating, and it would have raised the stakes as well).
Secondly, and probably the biggest barrier I faced whilst reading, was that the pace felt rushed. Whenever something began to feel meaningful, the moment was interrupted and became cold again as the subject was changed. The plot was sadly marred by choppy sentences, unrealistic interactions/reactions/dialogue, and an impersonal feeling that left me not really caring about what happened to the characters. Maybe this is just an ick of mine, because I’ve noticed it in several books besides this one, but I feel like a lot of books are ruined by not giving the characters time to adjust.
There were also some inconsistencies—“plot holes”— in here that just nagged at me, but I could have overlooked them had the other problems not been present alongside.
That said, I actually did enjoy this book. I finished it, and am glad I did, because I feel like it evened out towards the last third, even if the end was a bit anticlimactic. I would encourage readers to give this one a try, especially if they like mysterious books for wintertime. I would happily try another book by this author again in the future. This was a debut novel, and I feel like this author has lots of potential!
April 30, 2025
3.5!
this was a fast and engaging read! the writing felt smooth, and the storytelling was imaginative and intriguing!
A story that begins in solitude and small family living transforms into horror and mythology and then exposes itself as a small town thriller.
I actually recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible since it carries you through what feels like multiple genres in such a short period of time!
The FMC is inexperienced but with (reasonably, not some sudden spark of untapped talent which i was super grateful for) intuition and has to fight through tragedy and confusion in order to unearth a mystery that has been plaguing a small town for decades.
The found family was heartwarming, and the personal growth is both justified and gratifying.
My only real criticism is I feel it got wrapped up a bit too quickly. There was more backstory about the FMC I would have loved, and although it ended well, I felt like there were some bigger picture elements I wanted to know more about to feel truly satisfied. At times, the story felt a tad rushed, but in general, the pacing was well done.
For sure, a great indie read!
p.s. there is pregnancy and msicarriage mentioned and present in the book. it is more of a device to depict the social cruelty of events as well as hope, but I wanted to mention this for those with tokophobia.
this was a fast and engaging read! the writing felt smooth, and the storytelling was imaginative and intriguing!
A story that begins in solitude and small family living transforms into horror and mythology and then exposes itself as a small town thriller.
I actually recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible since it carries you through what feels like multiple genres in such a short period of time!
The FMC is inexperienced but with (reasonably, not some sudden spark of untapped talent which i was super grateful for) intuition and has to fight through tragedy and confusion in order to unearth a mystery that has been plaguing a small town for decades.
The found family was heartwarming, and the personal growth is both justified and gratifying.
My only real criticism is I feel it got wrapped up a bit too quickly. There was more backstory about the FMC I would have loved, and although it ended well, I felt like there were some bigger picture elements I wanted to know more about to feel truly satisfied. At times, the story felt a tad rushed, but in general, the pacing was well done.
For sure, a great indie read!
p.s. there is pregnancy and msicarriage mentioned and present in the book. it is more of a device to depict the social cruelty of events as well as hope, but I wanted to mention this for those with tokophobia.
December 9, 2024
Eerie, atmospheric winter read. You could definitely curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and a mug of your favorite drink and finish this in one sitting. I kind of got The Village vibes (red coat, scary mythical creature, lore, and a creepy village?) but also nothing like The Village at the same time...much more fairytale-esque. It's also a little graphic, which didn't bother me, but might catch other readers off-guard.
That being said, I wish it had been a little longer just to give a bit more substance to the characters. I would have loved to get to know Karhu more (and Amelia and Stein).
Great debut novel! Can't wait to read more from this author!
That being said, I wish it had been a little longer just to give a bit more substance to the characters. I would have loved to get to know Karhu more (and Amelia and Stein).
Great debut novel! Can't wait to read more from this author!
March 20, 2025
Some aspects of the story were interesting and kept me reading (I like folklore), but the book could use several reviews by both an editor and a copy editor. There are a lot of formatting errors, grammatical and spelling errors (including main characters' names misspelled) and inconsistent details (such as a character's eye color changing from blue to brown within a few pages; side characters suddenly having names with no introduction to the reader; key items unaccounted for, etc). I think the story is imaginative and has good bones, but it needs some cleaning up. That being said, I read the whole thing because I wanted to see the end of the mystery!
January 1, 2025
This was a really cool, eerie, winter mystery with a clean love story. I really loved how it transported you to a community that felt isolated and magical without using any real "magic". I loved that the characters were easy to root for, and the sensory experiences throughout the book were excellent. Easy to rush through, but I wanted to savor it!
My main gripe is that I felt like the plot climax was over much too quickly! With all the delicious build up I wanted the author to milk the resolution a bit more 🤷♀️
My main gripe is that I felt like the plot climax was over much too quickly! With all the delicious build up I wanted the author to milk the resolution a bit more 🤷♀️
October 15, 2024
I just finished reading it a couple nights ago and WOW! I was totally blown away! I was totally captivated from the first chapter and the twists and turns were mind-blowing! I'm still thinking about it and can't wait to see what the author comes out with next! I'm already thinking about who I can give this to for Christmas.
February 7, 2025
Overall, it was an enjoyable story, especially for a debut author. Cozy and mysterious and was nice to read during the cold winter months.
However, it needed a lot more editing. There were quite a few plot holes, grammatical errors, and flow issues for me. This distracted me often from the plot. I look forward to more books from her with a bit more finesse.
However, it needed a lot more editing. There were quite a few plot holes, grammatical errors, and flow issues for me. This distracted me often from the plot. I look forward to more books from her with a bit more finesse.
December 29, 2024
4.5 stars
ok guys you neeeeedddd to read this book! it's not my usual cup of tea (so i thought lol) so i was a little nervous i wasant going ok to like it. but it was greattt!! 100% recommend
ok guys you neeeeedddd to read this book! it's not my usual cup of tea (so i thought lol) so i was a little nervous i wasant going ok to like it. but it was greattt!! 100% recommend
December 7, 2025
A fast-paced page turner with an interesting mystery element and eerie winter setting! ❄️
January 22, 2026
Rune is such a great main character. This story had me gripped.
A nice change of pace for a cozy winter read with plenty of intrigue and mystery. And a good dog is always a sign of a good book!
A nice change of pace for a cozy winter read with plenty of intrigue and mystery. And a good dog is always a sign of a good book!
April 8, 2025
I met the author and got my book signed, which made me immediately excited to read this book. The detail was fantastic at pulling the reader in. I felt the icy snow and felt warmed whenever the characters were near the fireplace. Great debut novel, can't wait to see what she writes next :)
December 30, 2025
Great story, easy read and a fun mystery! Very well-written.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews