3 Stones for the Nixie - Stories of Life and Death in Øyerstad

by Kjell-Vidar Åhman Teig, Per Ivar Hjeldsbakken Engevold (editor), Ida Charlotte Åhman Teig (photographer)

3 Stones for the Nixie is a standalone book set in the same universe as A Battle Against Demons.

“By sharing with us some of the most excruciating experiences from his own life, and using them as a basis for his exploration of life, death, and the great ”what if?”, he challenges death itself by completely deconstructing it and rebuilding it on his own terms.”
- Henning Øverby Klausen / Skrekkruttskolen

It’s 1989. Robert Baastad, his family, and friends navigate their seemingly ordinary lives in Øyerstad, a village nestled deep in the forests and cornfields of Indre Østfold. Robert races through the streets on his Apache bike, his little brother Fredrik pedalling furiously behind on his BMX. They are the Hulk and Spider-Man, famous football stars, and the highest-paid actors—whoever they want to be. They fly past the gas station near their house, their grandparents’ home, and across the road, abandoning their bikes as they dash toward the kiosk. It’s Saturday. Scattered houses stand silent across the Haugen fields, framed by golden corn, blue skies, and vibrant green grass.

They are oblivious to the darkness that lies beneath. Mysterious deaths, disappearances, and vengeful spirits stain hidden layers with blood red, grief-stricken black, and the sickly brown of rotting flesh. Something watches from the depths of the forests, lurks in the shadowed hills, and peers out from soulless windows. Something stirs beneath the surface of the bottomless Nixie pond.

Something dark is waiting. Watching.

Genres: Horror

251 pages, ebook

Published January 24, 2025

About the author

Kjell-Vidar Åhman Teig is a creative director, designer, singer-songwriter, and author. He grew up in Båstad, Norway, and now resides in Bålsta, just outside Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and children

Reviews

[Nicolai Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven horror short stories written by a relative newcomer on a short roster of Norwegian indie horror writers. It's translated into English as 3 Stones for the Nixie - Stories of Life and Death in Øyerstad. My rating is based on an early Norwegian edition, so the later revisions, and the English translation, should be even better. This is Teig's debut collection, but his stories still feel somewhat original and memorable due to his style of writing combined with his biographical approach to the horror genre. Each story seems to recount different stages of Robert's life as kid, but Teig never goes easy on him. These stories are mostly disturbing or disgusting and often filled with grief, regret or hopelessness. Some stories are shocking, others are reality bending and nightmarish, but never devoid of empathy and laughter. The author is brave in his use of personal experiences with suffering, which undergird the dark progression of each story and makes them even more emotional and believable. His main sources of inspiration are Stephen King and Dean Koontz, of which some of you will be very pleased to know (and perhaps a little intrigued by?).

I know that because I interviewed the author for a Norwegian online magazine dedicated to science fiction, fantasy and horror, called Nye NOVA. Alongside this interview, I wrote a review of both this book and Teig's second book, a horror novel called En kamp mot demoner / A Battle Against Demons, in which we go back to the village of Øyerstad and face the all too real nightmares of the same characters we met in this collection.

You can read that review and interview (in Norwegian) here:

https://www.nyenova.no/intervju-med-g...

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first sentence, vibes enveloped me like a cozy blanket, old-forgotten warmth.

It rolls and rolls lightly and cozy with a grain of darkness. Thin rope of tension is working through a story. And when you feel comfortable, the cold dread of the ending comes.

That's how the book starts.

Every story goes deeper into your soul. With each story you understand, that's impossible just to read. You have to hear, you have to think, and have to understand. The stories are deep, creepy, cold and warm at the same time. The stories talk about pain and fear, about desperation and love, about darkness and family.

Having started a new story I thought, would it be the best? But that's absolutely impossible to choose just one or two. They're all different and they're all absolutely breathtaking.

I feel like a part of Øyerstad myself. I feel I know this place, these people. The author easily teleports a reader to his (and must say, absolutely amazing cold-blooded cozy) world.

I wish someday I could really go to Øyerstad.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 STONES FOR THE NIXIE by Kjell-Vidar Åhman Teig
Pub date: 24th of January 2025
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

3 Stones for the nixie is a unique collection of stories about Robert Baastad and his family and friends around the village of Øyerstad. With these people he shares some of the best and the worst memories of his childhood.

This book is based on experiences in the authors own life, but with a sinister and dark turn or ending and I think it’s a brilliant concept.
Some of the recurring themes are life, loss, love, karma and forgiveness and all of this is drenched in a nostalgic and intense 80’s/90’s vibe.

I just can’t tell you which story I loved the most. They were all unique and intriguing in their own way. Each and every tale made me laugh, but feeling sentimental at the same time and some of the stories were heartbreaking and left me sobbing. I felt myself deeply connected with Robert since we’re born in the same year, but also with all of the other people and happenings in Øyerstad and I had a hard time saying goodbye, so it left me with a serious hangover.

This is a book that you can easily read several times in your life, because every time you find another life lesson or more depth in it and it’s definitely a high stake contender for my favorite of the year and even all time favorite! 🥰 Read this and my guess is it will live rent free in your heart too. ♥️

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I wish I could give it more stars, it’s an absolute banger!! 👌🏼🤩

Thank you so much @author_kjell_vidar_aahman_teig for sending me an e-ARC. 🫶🏼 I will pre-order a hardcover too, this is a must-have! Now I’m even more excited to start A battle against demons. 🤩

#3StonesForTheNixie #KjellVidarÅhmanTeig

[Ashley Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

7 Folklore Stories with Some Truth to Them brings to life more of the rich, otherworldly atmosphere I was introduced to in the first book I read by Kjell. “The 3 Stones for the Nixie” stood out as the strongest piece. The entire collection is full of meaningful, quotable moments that hold your attention.

The writing remains undeniably compelling there were some points that wasn’t hitting for me so it was more leaning on 3 stars but there were others that were 5 stars. Each tale is uniquely crafted, and there’s an underlying depth in how folklore and truth intertwine. Whether grounded or surreal, the stories are vivid and thought-provoking.

[Ari bookedmybook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kjell-Vidar Åhman Teig - 3 Stones for the Nixie // book received from the author

In 2023 I read En kamp mot demoner (A Battle Against Demons) by Kjell and liked it so when he offered to send me his debut, this time in English I gladly accepted. The book is a collection of horror novels that each explore the life in a small town called Øyerstad. Most of the novellas are told from Robert Baarstad’s POV as he’s the main character. All seven stories is connected but I wouldn’t say all are in the same universe. Yet most of the characters can be found in all novellas.

My top three was the last ones; The Golden Heart, The Crow’s Cliff and This Is My Life. Especially The Crow’s Cliff resonated with me. It’s the only story where Robert isn’t the narrator throughout. It starts with Marianne, Robert’s mother and her struggle with an invisible friend who drives her to the edge. Fiction can be speculated, but for me this is a fantastic portrait of a battle against the demons in your head (see what I did there?) When you really want to keep your head up, but everything continues to beat you down until one day you can’t go on.

The Golden Heart for me explores greed and the danger of continuing to take, take, take. Never being satisfied and how it slowly can devour you. This Is My Life is the perfect wrapup of the collection. It leaves me with a bittersweet taste for the ending. It was sad, but still had the edge of everything Kjell writes.

In total 3 Stories for the Nixie delves into deeper topics but with a bodily horror element. It leaves you pondering while giving you some shivers. I found the translation well though I missed the characteristic I felt A Battle Against Demons had. Still I think I liked these bite sized horror novellas even better. Lastly, this book gave me the urge to make school buns (my father was very pleased with that) 😂

[Martin Sørvold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Teig's debut, and the second book I've read from him. Teig kindly sent it to me for an honest review, so here we go...

The book contains 7 stories from the fictional town of Øyerstad, Norway. It's fun to read about growing up in the 80s and 90s. It makes me think about my own childhood, and it's a great coming-of-age story, even without the supernatural elements. The dialogue is on point, and the dialect is super cozy! It's also part autobiographical.

I didn't like that the story changes between past and present tense, and it's confusing that the characters die all the time only to be alive in the next story.

But the last story "Den Tøffeste Gutten" or "The Toughest Boy" makes up for everything. It's a fantastic story where the only supernatural element is death itself. To me, it seemes like this story offers answeres to why the main characters keep dying. Are these stories from different multiverses? Are there different realities in this village? Are the "Øyeboers" reincarnated to the same life after they die?

I hope to return to Øyerstad - Rebell Town once again, and can't wait for Teig's next book. He also seemes like a nice guy that has been through a lot.

See you in Øyerstad...

[Priscilla BookaddictNL · Rating 4 out of 5]

With ‘3 Stones for the Nixie’, Kjell-Vidar Åhman Teig takes us back to Øyerstad, the village we first got to know in ‘A Battle Against Demons’—at least, if you read that book first, like I did.

This short story collection revolves around the life and death of Robert Baastad, and just like in ‘A Battle Against Demons’, we’re immersed in a world where the ordinary and the supernatural blend seamlessly.

The ’80s and ’90s vibes? Absolutely spot on once again!

But these stories are more than just spooky tales—they all carry a deeper message.

Kjell-Vidar’s writing is vivid and detailed, and even within the short format of these stories, he manages to evoke strong emotions and keep you hooked from start to finish. From chilling moments to deeply moving scenes—you feel it all.

The highlight of the collection? The final story. It completely broke me; I cried my eyes out. It wasn’t just heartbreaking, but also beautifully written—a perfect ending to this intense set of stories.

What made this book even more special to me was returning to Øyerstad and its people. It felt like coming home. The characters are so well written that I’ve truly grown attached to them, and I loved stepping back into their world.

All in all, ‘3 Stones for the Nixie’ is a fantastic collection for anyone who loves short horror stories with real depth. Once again, Kjell-Vidar proves that he can make a big impact with just a few words. Highly recommended!

[Jesy Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, for starters, you absolutely need to read A Battle Against Demons first. Not just because it will help with understanding the background of these stories but because it is an incredible book. Check my review for that one, too, if you're so inclined!

Moving on past that, this is a series of short stories told by the main character of Demons, Robert Baastad. Much of the premise of both books deals with Robert as a child. How he interprets his time with his family, stories he is told, his life experiences. Many of the stories in 3 Stones are fantastical ideas instead of real memories. The dreams and thoughts of a child discovering and beginning to understand the world. These stories span the widest range of emotions I can imagine possible. You will laugh, you will cry. You will experience life through the eyes of this boy and fall more in love with him and his family.

I don't want to give away any of the stories, but I will say I was thankful for another Linn story. The insane ending just felt right... that deep feeling of regret burying you.

Honestly, some of my favorite bits of this book were the little, one page "stories." Each one, though barely more than a paragraph, made me feel some big feelings! I'd like to share just one. Hopefully, it will show you why you need to get this book.

DEATH

I’ve seen death come with brutal and devastating force. I’ve seen pain and suffering as the only possible outcome, and I’ve been terrified by it. But maybe suffering is not all there is to it? What if there is light in death? Some kind of opportunity? A door to something so much bigger than we, as simple humans, can even begin to grasp. Our life as part of a process, a transition to another state—one that isn’t bad. There is so much I don’t know—so much I cannot possibly understand. And that gives me some sort of hope of natural death in life, and natural life in death. I am not afraid anymore.

[Bokkjellden · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Dette omhandler en bok jeg har fått tilsendt av forfatter/forlag, men det foreligger på ingen måte noe avtale om (fordelaktig) omtale. Tusen takk til Kjell-Vidar for leseeksemplar.)

Dette er en novellesamling med skrekkelige historier og mange diverse temaer. Oppvekst, nostalgi, sorg, lokale myter, familie, og vennskap er bare noen av dem. Passer perfekt for Halloween og høstmørket.

Besøk bokkjellden.com for en mer utfyllende omtale.

[Tom Paulsen]

Syv "fine" visitter til Øyerstad. Forstår at en god del elementer er ment å skape nostalgi. Jeg er nok født litt for seint (1990) til å kjenne ordentlig på alle disse. For min del ble siste fortellingen litt for lang. Favoritten ble som tittelen antydet. Likte også godt Gullhjertet. Mislikte ingen av historiene, og vil nok returnere tilbake til Øyerstad ved en senere anledning. En kamp mot demoner = tbr.

[Rickard Dahlgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fullt godkända skräcknoveller men som tyvärr saknar det där lilla extra som skapar obehag hos läsaren. Intressant fenomen att i flera av novellerna berätta slutet först och början sist. Det finns mörker i novellerna men också mycket kärlek. Så det blir svårt att enbart se dem som skräcknoveller.

[Skrekkbibliotekaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fjor leste jeg Teigs debutroman 𝘌𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘮𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳, og elsket den! Jeg følte meg ikke ferdig med den fiktive bygda boken tok plass i, Øyerstad, men heldigvis var ikke det den eneste boka satt i Øyerstad. Før 𝘌𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘮𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 ble utgitt, debuterte nemlig Teig med novellesamlingen 3 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘪𝘭 𝘕ø𝘬𝘬𝘦𝘯 i 2020. Nå har den kommet i en oversatt, og som jeg forstår det ganske revidert utgave, under tittelen 3 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦. Og jeg har endelig fått lest denne også, og likte den minst like godt som hans forrige bok!

Teig er utrolig god på å skrive karakterer som er enkle å sympatisere med, og som det er vanskelig å ikke bry seg om. Det hjelper nok en del at jeg var godt kjent med karakterene fra før av, men det er ingen tvil om at dette er godt skrevet karakterer, og man må absolutt ikke være kjent med karakterene før man leser denne.

I tillegg er historiene like mye morsomme og fine, som de er skremmende! Og skremmende, det er de virkelig. Samlingen er stappfull av ubehagelige og skrekkelige scener, med alt fra morderiske naboer, til eldgamle ånder.

Boken generelt er utrolig godt skrevet, og Teig har gjort en god jobb med å få disse historiene til å fungere på engelsk, men jeg gleder meg til å kunne lese denne samlingen om igjen på norsk i fremtiden, nå som den har kommet i revidert utgave på norsk også!

Liker du oppvekstromanene til Stephen King, vil du like 3 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 (og 𝘌𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘮𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 også for så vidt). Liker du skrekk generelt burde du definitivt sjekke ut Øyerstad-bøkene, hell, til og med om du ikke leser skrekk, men liker sterke, rørende og triste fortellinger burde du sjekke ut disse!

3 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘹𝘪𝘦 får av meg 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝟔!🎲

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy 5 stars. This is one of the best short story collections I've ever read. While each story is different, we focus on the same characters and the same small town. The stories are haunting, scary, thoughtful and in some cases, damn right emotional. There are twists, plenty of shocks, and moments where you wanted to look away. Despite the horror of the supernatural, the author does a fantastic job of portraying the real horror in life: loss. And all the grief and desperation that comes with it for those left behind.

"The Baker" was absolutely terrifying! Like a retelling of Hanzel and Gretal in the most gory way! However, my favourite was "3 Stones for the Nixie" - it was damn right scary!! The characters are punished for their actions in such a haunting and eerie way. That'll deffo be staying with me for sure! Although "The Crow's Cliff" and certain elements of "The Doll" were emotional, frightening and shocking too.

The author truly does an excellent job of bringing these people and this town to life. It was so clear in my head, I feel like I've watched a movie instead. So clever and vivid. Geunis writing style. It's one of those books I put down and instantly want to talk about!

I also loved the relationships between the brothers and their dad. Especially painful to read the strength in these bonds with the last story "This is my life".

For fans of horror stories, "campfire story" vibes, "is this a true story or not?" vibes, emotional grief riddled horror and overall, coming of age stories...

I can't wait to read more by this author!

[Giovanni Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, like it's predecessor, is haunting.
Reality is thrown out of the window (or is it?) as characters from Oyerstad, especially the main character, Robert, confront death in all its forms - from the most mundane to the most gut wrenching and stomach turning.
The story is grippingly written, with the characters' emotions never being far out of reach, and the existential terror the town's dark little secrets is never far away either.
I think what makes this book especially scary to me is the seemingly innocuous ways the stories and their setpieces play out. Everything seems normal until it isn't, and when you realise that something is wrong, it's already far too late. Death is a spiteful and mean little trickster here and Oyerstad, and nothing can really stop it from sinking its claws into you one way or another.

[Renate · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 Stones for The Nixie is a collection of 7 chilling stories about Robert Baastad, his family and friends, and the horrors they face in Øyerstad.

It’s got an 80s and 90s vibe, with a recurring theme of love, loss and grief. And kids just being kids. The stories are frightening, haunting, creepy, eerie and emotional.

The stand out stories for me was the title story, 3 Steiner til Nøkken (3 Stones for the Nixie), and the last one, Den Tøffeste Gutten (This Is My Life). I finished the book with a tear or two in my eyes!

Can’t wait to go back to Øyerstad!

[Jeffrey S. Kuehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 Stones for the Nixie by Kjell-Vidar Ahman Tieg
Received as an ARC from author.
Oyerstad Norway a small town where in seven dark folklore tales of oddities, horrors, and humor you get to visit behind the scenes of this bizarre town and it’s inhabitants .

[Nicole Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I've read by this author. I was stunned on how fast I was pulled in to this story. It was really good. I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading this book. I definitely will be reading more books by this author. I Highly Recommend This Book.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invited to comeback to Øyerstad and I couldn’t be happier; after the love I developed for Battle against demons I knew I needed to bury myself again in Kjell’s immersive and compelling writing. This is a stand alone anthology of 7 stories full on folk horror and nostalgia, that takes place in the same universe as his full novel. The 7 stories navigates between paranormal and very emotional and heartbreaking life events that involves death and real life horrors, that once again made me close the book with my cheeks covered in tears. There’s some deep and emotional,even a personal feeling almost, in this author books that simply stayed with me and make me feel his stories so fondly. If you ghouls are interested in check both of Kjell’s work, trust me won’t regret. Can’t recommend both books enough 💀🖤