Tales of Terror

by Time-Life Books

A collection of thirteen tales about ghosts, goblins, hauntings, and black magic, gathered from places as far apart as Arabia and Norway.

Stories: Walking dead of Brittany -- Implacable army -- In the body of the beast -- Harvest of horrors -- Goblin's guest -- Unfinished death -- Furies of the far north -- Bloodguilt of a royal house -- Stormy reckoning -- Bride of the ghost-chief -- Kiss of evil -- Demons of the dreamtime -- Healer's secret.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Horror, Folklore, Art, Fiction, Halloween

143 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic tales, elegantly told, brilliantly illustrated.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is a little different from the others. Yes, it is thematic to terror, but it doesn’t attempt to shape a narrative throughout the entire book. There are thirteen chapters in this volume - OOOO spooky - as opposed to the normal three, and the stories are simply presented without much context. Occasionally a few of the chapters have one or more tales in them, especially the ones dealing with werewolves or ghostly travelers, but overall, the tales jump from chapter to chapter. Despite this, I found it an easier read than some of the previous volumes - or perhaps the theme was just more to my liking.

The tales come from all over. Ancient Greece, old Russia, war-torn Brittany, mythic Persia. Wherever a story or legend, might dip over into the realm of horror, where the protagonist usually comes to a bad end. it is fair game for this volume. My particular favorite was Chapter 8 “Bloodguilt of a Royal House” which dealt, from beginning to end, with the curse put on the ancient house of Atreus - beginning with the betrayal of Pelops and ending with the Furies scourging Oriesties.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The number thirteen to me has always held a bit of horror and fear. This collection has thirteen stories that might just keep you up at night. Of course, with a Time-life book you will know you are grabbing a winner.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to enjoy this one because the horror genre is not my favorite. But this surprised me. Many of these stories had a sweet aspect to them, and as usual, the illustrations and the storytelling was superb.

[Dasha Slepenkina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Absolutely fantastic read for Halloween. The book features 13 scary stories from all over the world. Each story is well-written with a compelling and disturbing narrative and is accompanied by atmospheric illustrations.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book series has some of the most amazing art - that cover is just the beginning.

My favorite story was 'The Kiss of Evil' about a man who falls for lies a jinn tells him and ends up a tongueless, limbless man.

[Ben Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic stories. Creepy and fun. I highly recommend it.

[Keri-Ann Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable creepy book. This was the first one I read from the Enchanted World series and I was very pleasantly surprised. The stories, though short keep you glued in and the art work is beautiful.

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for all of these books in this series is the same.

Time-Life has once again done an outstanding job putting together a series. From cover to cover they are thoughtful, beautiful books. I'm starting to sound generic, but it's true.
I'm a DK fan, I like white backgrounds and side notes with clear sections for every subject. This series has none of that. What they do have is an old book feel. Timeless artwork, thoroughness, and very well written makes these a must on my occult/paranormal bookshelf at home. I've been collecting the series slowly over several years and still have a few books to go. I refuse to go on amazon and buy them. It's all in the hunt for me. There is no subject they have left untouched. I highly recommend them.

[Jamie Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terror? There wasn't anything in here that I would call terrifying. I read these stories right before going to bed, sometimes reading two or three in a sitting. I didn't get a single nightmare, and I was hoping for some since they tend to give me good story ideas I can use later. But this book did have a lot of good stories, and I was happy to see the editor put each story in its own chapter, as opposed to the other volumes in the series where the stories often run together in a big confusing mess. The artwork was just as good as other volumes. Overall, it's hard to pick a favorite with this series, but this volume would certainly make my top three.

[Natajia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOOOOOVEEEEEE THESE BOOKS. The whole series is just so awesome :D

[L]

Gave up. No terror at all; the tone's more an overview than narrative tales. Did not suit my reading mood.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 spine-tingling folk tales from all over the world. I loved it! Very eerie, some sad and some very gruesome! A must read for those who love scary tales.