Screams From The Dark Ages: A Medieval Horror Anthology

by Heather Ann Larson, M.J. Mars, Elizabeth J. Brown

The past is not always buried—and in the Dark Ages, some horrors refuse to die.

And who better to unearth these Middle Ages tales from the dark corners of history than a roster of horror’s brightest female authors? Bold, brutal, and unforgettable, this collection will drag you into a medieval nightmare—and leave you there, screaming.

From cursed castles and plague-ridden villages to rumors of witchcraft and public executions, each story in this collection unearths a terror from a time when survival often meant enduring great sacrifice.

Featuring fourteen brand new stories MJ Mars, Jeani Rector, Elizabeth J. Brown, Elizabeth Devecchi, Savannah R. Fischer, Lisa Vasquez, Christy Aldridge, Jae Mazer, KK Monroe, Laura Bilodeau, Asia Brito Guerrero, Kimberly Nicole, Ali Jane Sweet and Heather Ann Larson.

Foreword by Christina Henry.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2025

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Screams From The Dark Ages," a terrific medieval horror anthology, is the third entry in the "Screams of Horror" anthology series (after "Screams From The Ocean Floor" and "Screams From Beyond The Veil"), edited by Heather Ann Larson, and a foreword by Christina Henry. It contains 14 stories, all by easily recognizable women indie horror authors (though the stories are not always exclusively about women), published on the occasion of Women’s History Month.

I loved the previous two anthologies, and this one certainly does not disappoint. Though variety is lacking, and the time period (from the 5th to the 15th Century A.C.) works rather too restrictively on content (predictably, it ranges repeatedly over witches, princesses, kings, soldiers and peasants; not coincidentally, the beautiful cover by Christy Aldridge is quite representative of what you'll find within), the stories deliver chills and twists galore: the authors pull no punches about the place and treatment of women in the patriarchal regimes of medieval Europe, showing clearly the scorn, disrespect, objectification, and utter contempt about the voice of women by virtually everyone at that time.

In fact, the anthology opens with a supernatural story, “Sister. Maiden. Witch.” by Savannah R. Fischer, which hits the nail on the head about the fate of women in this period: from betrayal to actual physical torture, all the details are shown here. It's quite an achievement that the author, after including so much pain of all sorts in her story, manages to provide such a satisfying ending! The story also sets a pattern one'll find again and again in the volume: the intertwining of horror themes with the Black Death, the bubonic and pneumonic plague sweeping across Europe at the time. That said, some stories focus on men and the historical dangers of the times: loss of religious faith (“The Bishop” by Jeani Rector), Vikings ("Northmen" in “Forged in Blood” by Elizabeth J. Brown), and unjustified execution (“The Shoemaker” by Laura Bilodeau). Even those, however, are bleak - and I mean, really bleak. Gory revenge stories abound (for example, Kimberly Nicole's “Saxon Fodder” and MJ Mars' “If I Could Just Speak”), but they end on a bleak note as well. Witches come up often (e.g., “The Riddle of the Bone Witch” by Christy Aldridge, “Black Death” by Ali Jane Sweet, “The Witch and the Serpent” by Lisa Vasquez, “The Little Old Woman” by Asia Brito Guerrero, “Marrowland” by KK Monroe) broaching themes of fertility, children taken from their mothers, demonic attacks, even haunted villages.

My personal favorites were the rather weird and unusual ones, Elizabeth Devecchi's “Web of Truths,” about art students visiting a medieval town today, and one of them finding out her family's dark legacy; Heather Ann Larson's “Screams from the Dark Ages,” whose escalating tension culminates in a rather unpredictable ending, and the absolutely brilliant “There’s a Rumor of Witches Here” by Jae Mazer, the volume's closing story, whose over-the-top sexual and aesthetic imagery fitted perfectly the author's original take on witches, coming up with witch lore I found extremely interesting. The Substance meets medieval horror!

Overall, this is one anthology with excellent writing and imaginative premises from hugely talented female authors. The stories portray a time period dangerous for women (but weren't they all?), male authority free to condemn a woman on a whim. Its publication is quite significant in an age where women may have to reassert themselves and fight once again for the obvious.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection we needed for Women’s History Month! Here there be witches, Vikings, pestilence, and so much more.

Make sure you grab this book asap:
-medieval and historical tales of terror
-each story written and edited by a female
-feminine rage and vengeance galore

Listen to the stories our ancestors were prohibited from telling…

[Leigh Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger from Broken Brain Books. They are fast becoming synonymous with themed horror anthologies jam-packed full of the newest and best talents that the indie horror world has to offer.

This time around, we delve into the mud and pestilence of the Dark Ages as a whole host of female writers use the voices their ancestors did not have access to. They write their rage. They write the darkness of that time period. There are witches aplenty, plague and pestilence, and a couple of curveballs mixed into the cauldron.

A fantastic bunch of horrors, with standout stories for me being Forged in Blood by Elizabeth J. Brown, If I Could Just Speak by MJ Mars, and There's a Rumor of Witches Here by Jae Mazer.

Do your ancestors proud. Listen to their screams. Read this book.

[Trisha Tropiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another phenomenal Screams collection - these collections are an automatic must-read for me! It features stories by a fantastic line-up of female authors - Savannah R. Fischer, Jeani Rector, Elizabeth J. Brown, Kimberley Nicole, Christy Aldridge, MJ Mars, Ali Jane Sweet, Elizabeth Devecchi, Lisa Vasquez, Asia Brito Guerrero, Laura Bilodeau, KK Monroe, Heather Ann Larson, and Jae Mazer. With a foreword by Christina Henry, it contains 14 stories from the dark ages, the period from the 5th to 10th century. Think witches, vampires, and other ancient evils! Every story in this anthology was a solid 4 or 5 star read. Forged in Blood by Elizabeth J. Brown, The Riddle of the Bone Witch by Christy Aldridge, If I Could Just Speak by MJ Mars, The Little Old Woman by Asia Brito Guerrero, and Screams From the Dark Ages were among my favourites, but I truly enjoyed them all. Highly recommend!

[Jesse Bollinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great anthology! I enjoyed all of the stories, especially since most had a dark ages or medieval feel. Most stories had feminine rage, which I thought was a great touch. My favorite overall stories in the collection were the ones that had to do with witches.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Screams from the Dark Ages, I loved this, I need a physical copy now, type of I loved this .

The idea of all women authors writing about survivial in the middle ages?
Sold AF

I had two stand outs, although to be honest there were so many good ones in this, it was hard to be like yes THIS one, so I'm going to tell you about the two that are still living in the back of my head.

If I could just speak by MJ Mars
I don't want to spoil this one, but I felt this in my Soul, I had actual goosebumps reading this.


Screams From The Dark Ages by Heather Ann Larson
This one was so atmospherically creepy, it kept making me want to look over my should, but I'm leaning against a wall type of vibes.
It gets under your skin, and sometimes those rumored tales, even the crazy ones? Are true, the stories had to originate somewhere, and sometimes, they are a little more real then we thought..

You truly cannot go wrong with this collection, thanks for letting me check it out !

[Meredith Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a all all the way through this anthology yet, but it starts off with a punch, with Savannah R. Fischer’s "Sister. Maiden. Witch”. It also contains some stories from some heavy hitters: Elizabeth J. Brown, M. J. Mars, Asia Brito Guerrero, Lisa Vasquez and more! One additional author I need to mention is Kimberly Nicole. I read her short story: " the considerate cannibal”, and this short “Saxon Fodder”, is just as gripping. This is not only well written, but also a perfectly curated anthology.

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prepare to be dragged back through history screaming! Stories of rage, revenge, torture and excruciating death. 14 fabulously feral tales that will haunt you long after you close the page.

My favourites: If I Could Just Speak, The Little Old Woman and There’s a Rumour of Witches Here.

Bite size synopsis - a betrayed woman finds her faith, the plague comes to England, the Northmen arrive, feeding the family, a daughter’s love for her mother, a village protector silenced, a thief meets his fate, an Italian festival of witches, a fairytale ends in fire, the price of motherhood, under a cruel king, brother versus witch, a new Lord of the castle, are there witches here?

[Angel Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun set of stories set in the 'dark ages' of history. While witches tend to be the big theme in these, these are tales of women who had to suffer in a time when they were seen as second-class citizens. There are plenty of feminine rage and revenge stories in this one that I enjoyed. Some of my absolute favorites were.

Sister. Maiden. Witch
Black Death
Web of Truths
The Witch and the Serpent
Screams from the Dark Ages

Overall, this was a solid set of stories by some of the most talented female authors in the indie horror community today. I urge you to read today!

[Jen Ramsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of stories from some of the best female indie horror authors, all based on the middle ages. This was a really fun anthology, with stories from authors I love, as well as some new to me authors. Creepy, gory, brutal and highly enjoyable.

[Marco Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this anthology of dark age horror by all these wonderful ladies. I found myself taken back in time the trails and tribulations or that era. My one criticism would be a little more diversity in stories as many of these authors chose to write about witches.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great anthology by very talented authors. I loved it.

[Rhonda Bobbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaplin has done it again. This is an amazing anthology. Full of witches, creatures, and torture. This cauldron (I mean book) is full of spells, horrifying tails of creatures in the dark. A few favorites were..

Jae Mazer.. There's a rumor of witches🧙 here. So very good.
“They scuttle in the night. I hear them in my skull.”

Mj Mars... If I could just speak
Your sympathy has become rage. And we are one. This was so good.

Heather Ann Larson ... Screams From The Dark Ages
Stay clear of Castle Draydon. The rumors are true nightwalkers are real. Very creepy.