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Vulture Gold: Stories
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26238 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Micah Dean Hicks’s collection of short stories, Vulture Gold, captures the feel and essence of old folktales while giving them a modern, American South glaze. These stories explore themes of death, obsession, love, the family unit, and religion—among others—by blurring the line between human and animal.
It is difficult for me to give a rating to a collection of stories, given that all are different and some I really enjoyed while others didn’t resonate with me. But there are a lot of things I really liked overall. The human-animal interaction is done phenomenally, with multiple characters being an in-between of the two (for example, a deer boy cut out of a doe’s womb, or a group of five brothers who used to be crows until their adopted father cut out their feathers). The folk horror elements and the creativity in each story are also some high points, and I personally love how some of the stories start mixing around halfway through the book, giving them a universe they stand on rather than simply being disconnected tales.
I will admit I do not usually read short story collections, which is why maybe I found the book harder to follow, or why I didn’t understand a few of the tales at all…Sometimes the action felt very discombobulated to me, and I had to reread multiple pages to understand what was happening. But there are quite a few gems encrusted in this book, so I would recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced read with all the folk horror vibes.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Micah Dean Hicks’s collection of short stories, Vulture Gold, captures the feel and essence of old folktales while giving them a modern, American South glaze. These stories explore themes of death, obsession, love, the family unit, and religion—among others—by blurring the line between human and animal.
It is difficult for me to give a rating to a collection of stories, given that all are different and some I really enjoyed while others didn’t resonate with me. But there are a lot of things I really liked overall. The human-animal interaction is done phenomenally, with multiple characters being an in-between of the two (for example, a deer boy cut out of a doe’s womb, or a group of five brothers who used to be crows until their adopted father cut out their feathers). The folk horror elements and the creativity in each story are also some high points, and I personally love how some of the stories start mixing around halfway through the book, giving them a universe they stand on rather than simply being disconnected tales.
I will admit I do not usually read short story collections, which is why maybe I found the book harder to follow, or why I didn’t understand a few of the tales at all…Sometimes the action felt very discombobulated to me, and I had to reread multiple pages to understand what was happening. But there are quite a few gems encrusted in this book, so I would recommend if you’re looking for a fast-paced read with all the folk horror vibes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oops all bangers
Normally when I read any sort of anthology or short story collection it ends up being a mixed bag, but this is an exception. Every short story in this collection is excellent. I was blown away the whole time. The folky atmosphere, the gothic storytelling, and the hard themes all work wonderfully together to create one amazing story after another. Each story, even down to the shortest, is something you have to sit with. I'm going to be chewing on these for years I can already tell
(I received a free copy for review)
Normally when I read any sort of anthology or short story collection it ends up being a mixed bag, but this is an exception. Every short story in this collection is excellent. I was blown away the whole time. The folky atmosphere, the gothic storytelling, and the hard themes all work wonderfully together to create one amazing story after another. Each story, even down to the shortest, is something you have to sit with. I'm going to be chewing on these for years I can already tell
(I received a free copy for review)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews