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Ghost Days: An Anna O'Brien Collection
Anna O'Brien had her future set, scratching out a living in the remote hills of southern Appalachia with her new husband at the turn of the 20th century. Now, cast out by tragedy and strange magic, she’s bound to wander the countryside, living by her wits and banishing spirits for her work. But for Anna, some things aren’t so easily settled, and some traditions aren’t so easily forgotten. Dark, ancient things are stirring in the woods, awakened by the war between the states, by the new roads, the belching locomotives and logging cuts. There’s granny witchery and her own roots to learn. If she’s going to survive, she’d better learn them fast...
Anna O’Brien: Ghost Days is an illustrated collection of short stories, with tales of the uncanny that draw from the (often misunderstood) history and folklore of the Southern Appalachians. An enchanted mask that exacts a powerful price; a bank heist that runs afoul of an undead curse; dark things yearning for an even darker savior on a remote hill; and two women tormented by a relentless suitor.
Born out of a deep love for the southern mountains, Ghost Days is road trip through a world on the brink of massive upheaval and ecological collapse, a world of old traditions and remnant spirits. It's a mix of historical fiction and magical realism, plus a hefty dose of monsters, hags and haints. If you like the work of Mike Mignola, Andrzej Sapkowski, and Manley Wade Wellman, this is the book for you.
Anna O’Brien: Ghost Days is an illustrated collection of short stories, with tales of the uncanny that draw from the (often misunderstood) history and folklore of the Southern Appalachians. An enchanted mask that exacts a powerful price; a bank heist that runs afoul of an undead curse; dark things yearning for an even darker savior on a remote hill; and two women tormented by a relentless suitor.
Born out of a deep love for the southern mountains, Ghost Days is road trip through a world on the brink of massive upheaval and ecological collapse, a world of old traditions and remnant spirits. It's a mix of historical fiction and magical realism, plus a hefty dose of monsters, hags and haints. If you like the work of Mike Mignola, Andrzej Sapkowski, and Manley Wade Wellman, this is the book for you.
188 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2019
17 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 13, 2021
This is an indie-published book that I backed on Kickstarter, having an interest in American-based fantasy. Anna O'Brien is an Appalachian "conjure woman" in the tradition of Manly Wade Wellman, with which the author blends influences from Cherokee legends and H.P. Lovecraft.
Anna's story is told here in a series of short stories, illustrated with very nice pencil work by the artist, Tiffany Turrill.
The stories take Anna from her origins, as a new bride who made a terrible bargain to try to bring back her dead husband, through the first four years of her career, in a series of stories not linked together in any particular sequence. Anna learns to banish ghosts and haints, encounters hags, bog hogs, and even the Raven Mocker and old gods, but the most awful monsters are often human.
There's a very authentic mountain folk vibe in the stories, as the author claims to harken from that region. Anna is clearly meant to support a series, but so far there's just another novella available.
Although the writing had a mood and was particularly evocative when conjuring ancient terrors in the woods, it was a little unpolished, not just in terms of typos but also stylistically, and the scattered nature of Anna's stories left me disconnected with the character. She might be a less grim and puritan Solomon Kane. She wanders around, encounters random monsters, occasionally helps someone in trouble, and seems to be propelled through life on a supernatural path she was pushed onto. There's not much sense of continuity, though I may pick up the sequel novella.
Anna's story is told here in a series of short stories, illustrated with very nice pencil work by the artist, Tiffany Turrill.
The stories take Anna from her origins, as a new bride who made a terrible bargain to try to bring back her dead husband, through the first four years of her career, in a series of stories not linked together in any particular sequence. Anna learns to banish ghosts and haints, encounters hags, bog hogs, and even the Raven Mocker and old gods, but the most awful monsters are often human.
There's a very authentic mountain folk vibe in the stories, as the author claims to harken from that region. Anna is clearly meant to support a series, but so far there's just another novella available.
Although the writing had a mood and was particularly evocative when conjuring ancient terrors in the woods, it was a little unpolished, not just in terms of typos but also stylistically, and the scattered nature of Anna's stories left me disconnected with the character. She might be a less grim and puritan Solomon Kane. She wanders around, encounters random monsters, occasionally helps someone in trouble, and seems to be propelled through life on a supernatural path she was pushed onto. There's not much sense of continuity, though I may pick up the sequel novella.
February 6, 2019
I am reminded of Silver John, and I mean that as exactly the compliment you think it is.
This is a lovely book; the combination of art and words really evoke the folklore of the mountains, and the stories are moody, spooky, and chilling. Anna O'Brien is a fantastic character, and there's an emotional depth to the stories I did not expect and found really appealing. Highly recommended.
This is a lovely book; the combination of art and words really evoke the folklore of the mountains, and the stories are moody, spooky, and chilling. Anna O'Brien is a fantastic character, and there's an emotional depth to the stories I did not expect and found really appealing. Highly recommended.
June 4, 2021
This beautifully illustrated book would appeal to those who love dark forests, haunted mountains, and the wonderful podcast "Old Gods of Appalachia". I enjoyed every short story about Anna O'Brien and wish there was a second collection of her adventures! The characters were well-formed and each story had a dark heart of spooky folklore and myth. Highly recommended!
December 22, 2020
A massively entertaining update on the "wandering hillbilly conjure (wo)man" subgenre of pulp fiction, these stories combine the action, gore, weird creatures, ghosts, and magic of your classics with a more diverse cast & thoughtful, sensitive exploration of serious subjects and emotions. The illustrations are excellent, and Anna is a likable, but interestingly flawed, protagonist. I hope there will be many more Anna O'Brien stories in the future!
September 5, 2021
Solid set of short stories involving ghostly, Appalachian folklore in the tradition of Manly Wade Wellman. Technical writing is good, plotting is solid, characterization is a bit thin in places but perfectly workmanlike, very good research and quality atmosphere. The illustrations bring this up from about a 4 to a 5, since they are gorgeous and add a lot to the story's mood. (The Ewah is goddamn terrifying).
March 14, 2023
This was a solid quick little read. I’m a sucker for folk lore. And this makes me want to go read more straight from the source
March 7, 2022
Great collection of short stories featuring a monster/ghost/witch-hunting woman in the early 1900s Appalachian Mountains. Lots of regional folklore, spooky atmosphere, and a compelling main character whom I enjoyed watching work and rooting for. Would love a full blown novel about her one day.
May 3, 2019
Something I really appreciated about this collection is how hard it shows life is for Anna and her neighbors without being exotifying or sugar coating it. Life just is; you deal and keep going. It felt grounded because of this. Life just is, these ghouls and haunts are likewise treated as facts of existence. Some you fight, some you hide from, but they’re as real as weather or the grind of history.
January 27, 2022
3.5 stars
Fans of Appalachian folklore will enjoy this atmospheric collection of connected stories, with source material that includes Cherokee, Scots-Irish, and Affrilachian (the first time I’ve seen this term) traditions and the history of the area. Each story includes gorgeous, spooky artwork by Tiffany Turrill.
Asher Elbein’s writing is heavy on description, especially of nature and the forces of nature. It’s well done—if not my particular preference to have quite so much description—but I felt like the author must love this part of the country to describe it so.
The stories by themselves were more of a 3-star read for me. I felt like there were missing pieces to Anna’s story. Some of them were set into place by the end of the collection, but I still didn’t know her well enough by the end. Maybe that was part of her characterization, but it nagged at me and kept me from immersing myself in the stories. The writing is good. I think I just prefer more dialogue and character interaction in what I read. The main character is dealing with grief, confusion, and a lot of unfriendly supernatural forces, and there’s a pervading gloom to the collection that weighed me down, I think. It’s certainly not a light romp about a ghost hunter/monster hunter/righter of wrongs. My favorite stories were “Where the Woods Have Never Known the Axe” and “Pretty Flowers Were Made for Blooming.”
I really liked the Afterward, where Elbein talked about the history and folklore behind the stories, and the pencil sketch style of the artwork was very appealing. Those two aspects of this collection bumped up my rating.
Personal reading preferences definitely affected my enjoyment of the collection, and I can see why the overall Goodreads rating is high.
Fans of Appalachian folklore will enjoy this atmospheric collection of connected stories, with source material that includes Cherokee, Scots-Irish, and Affrilachian (the first time I’ve seen this term) traditions and the history of the area. Each story includes gorgeous, spooky artwork by Tiffany Turrill.
Asher Elbein’s writing is heavy on description, especially of nature and the forces of nature. It’s well done—if not my particular preference to have quite so much description—but I felt like the author must love this part of the country to describe it so.
The stories by themselves were more of a 3-star read for me. I felt like there were missing pieces to Anna’s story. Some of them were set into place by the end of the collection, but I still didn’t know her well enough by the end. Maybe that was part of her characterization, but it nagged at me and kept me from immersing myself in the stories. The writing is good. I think I just prefer more dialogue and character interaction in what I read. The main character is dealing with grief, confusion, and a lot of unfriendly supernatural forces, and there’s a pervading gloom to the collection that weighed me down, I think. It’s certainly not a light romp about a ghost hunter/monster hunter/righter of wrongs. My favorite stories were “Where the Woods Have Never Known the Axe” and “Pretty Flowers Were Made for Blooming.”
I really liked the Afterward, where Elbein talked about the history and folklore behind the stories, and the pencil sketch style of the artwork was very appealing. Those two aspects of this collection bumped up my rating.
Personal reading preferences definitely affected my enjoyment of the collection, and I can see why the overall Goodreads rating is high.
February 12, 2019
On the surface a classic reluctant hero tale with some witchery and ghouls, Ghost Days quickly becomes more than that--a love letter to the Appalachians and the various peoples that made their homes there. The stories are tied together by a timeline and main hero, but tonally and thematically they flow together in a way that makes you forget they're actually separate tales. The sheer amount of research and care behind each bit of folklore, each set piece, each character is incredibly impressive--Ghost Days is a collection of stories that clearly took work, but combine into seemingly effortless prose and a captivating tale.
Anna O'Brien herself is one of my favorite fictional leads: equal parts terrified, determined, curious, exasperated, tragic, naive, and (there's no other word for it) cool. The ghouls range from enigmatic and ominous to fairly horrifying (Night on the Bald in particular will haunt my dreams for a while, I think), and the magic and witchery feels real and grounded, unfamiliar and yet like a natural part of the setting.
Asher Elbein's skillful storytelling sucks you into the world of ghosts and ghouls and Tiffany Turrill brings it dramatically to life with stunning and haunting illustrations. Combined, they create stories that promise to stick in the imagination for years to come.
Anna O'Brien herself is one of my favorite fictional leads: equal parts terrified, determined, curious, exasperated, tragic, naive, and (there's no other word for it) cool. The ghouls range from enigmatic and ominous to fairly horrifying (Night on the Bald in particular will haunt my dreams for a while, I think), and the magic and witchery feels real and grounded, unfamiliar and yet like a natural part of the setting.
Asher Elbein's skillful storytelling sucks you into the world of ghosts and ghouls and Tiffany Turrill brings it dramatically to life with stunning and haunting illustrations. Combined, they create stories that promise to stick in the imagination for years to come.
August 2, 2019
There is an art to being a good storyteller and Elbein has been gifted with the ability. Anna O’Brien lives in the Appalachian Mountains when her husband mysteriously dies and her life turns upside down as she vows to prevent anyone else from dying the way Tom did. Anna leaves her home to learn everything she can from anyone she can, but she can’t go to school to learn because the knowledge she needs is the kind passed down through the generations. The kind that deals with witches, magic, evil demons and selling your soul. Elbein does a marvelous job of making these stories just enough scary to be exciting but not so much that you cannot sleep at night. Anna is a strong, empowered woman who learns quickly and believes in her calling. She does not shy from her opponents and often it seems as though she is more afraid of people than the supernatural. Her character comes to life for the reader and gives the story depth. This is perfect for a read-aloud!
June 17, 2019
Little did I realize it this would be a one day read as I could not put it down. Starting as a historical tale from Appalachia, this anthology will quickly lull you into Anna’s world; however, when her husband returns from a hunting trip, mangled and not speaking – the world tilted. I really hate to give too much away – as the surprises are best experienced without warning – however, think about if you would be able to pay the price? Wandering and learning Anna is one of those characters that have the ability to remain in my mind long after the last page.
The illustrations are the perfect match and carry the story along just as much as the words. I especially enjoyed the comments by Asher & Tiffany as to their background when creating the creatures that inhabit the book.
The illustrations are the perfect match and carry the story along just as much as the words. I especially enjoyed the comments by Asher & Tiffany as to their background when creating the creatures that inhabit the book.
May 9, 2019
Within a few pages, I was drawn in to the haunting tension carried in every step Anna O'Brian takes as she wanders the superstitious foothills of Appalachia's wooded terrian. Elbein's stories masterfully echo the cadence of the tales our grandparents told of the life their grandparents lived, summoning chills time and again. In the throng of modern novels depicting wizards, werewolves, and vampires, Anna's witchcraft is refreshingly grounded in a mature understanding of the folk who have long told those stories. This work is among the few modern tellings of fantasy that retains an established sense of place -- and I just can't get enough.
December 4, 2019
Concept and content itself is great, but it's surprisingly lacking a sense of place. Loads of research has been done into regional legends, but the settings themselves are quite repetitive (often the word branch or tree is repeated several times in a paragraph). For someone who isn't American/isn't familiar with the locations at all, it's hard to picture. The story itself could probably have been given some room to breathe so that more detailed descriptions could contribute more to the atmosphere. I'd definitely have read it at twice the length, though that might have made it less marketable for a debut (sigh).
May 12, 2019
One of my favorite things is in literature when a story can take existing folklore and incorporate it thoughtfully, and I have not found a work that can do that better than Ghost Days. The setting and ambience are vibrant and cohesive, richly written but understated enough that a beautiful story is allowed to take place.
I also just have to give a shout out for how the story balances internal character development with external action sequences. Ghost Days is just super easy to read from a pacing standpoint, which is greatly appreciated.
I also just have to give a shout out for how the story balances internal character development with external action sequences. Ghost Days is just super easy to read from a pacing standpoint, which is greatly appreciated.
July 9, 2025
After a slow start, I looked at a couple of reviews and saw I was expecting something different than what this book actually was.
It is not a flowing, single story, but a series of tales and quests (for lack of a better word) that Anna O'Brien endures, and it makes the book read much better!
My only nitpick is that I wish I had gotten more about the actual character early to connect with her more readily, but the overall collection, read as it was intended, was very good! My favorite was the bank robbery.
4 solid stars
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It is not a flowing, single story, but a series of tales and quests (for lack of a better word) that Anna O'Brien endures, and it makes the book read much better!
My only nitpick is that I wish I had gotten more about the actual character early to connect with her more readily, but the overall collection, read as it was intended, was very good! My favorite was the bank robbery.
4 solid stars
Keep posting about your books!
May 1, 2019
I loved this collection from cover to cover! Asher has a real talent for building atmosphere while also letting his characters drive the story. Anna O'Brien is such a compelling character, dealing with things that are often beyond her. My favorites were The Wampus Mask, Night on the Bald, Pretty Flowers are Made for Blooming, and Speaking With Tsul'Kalu, but all the stories in this collection are excellent!
May 9, 2020
Turn of the century southern Appalachia, ghosts and witches, strong female lead. What's not to love. I like that stories in the collection are only as long as they need to be, which might be 3 pages or might be 40 I would have given it 5 stars, but one or two of the stories just aren't quite as strong as the rest of the collection. Overall a really fun read that's unlike anything I've read before.
June 14, 2019
This is a delightful collection of spooky short stories with a disabled lady protagonist who explores Appalachian folklore. They are quick reads perfect for a story a night before bed. I enjoyed the thoughtfulness that went into each aspect of the story and the respectfulness toward the cultures borrowed from. Suitable for YA and adult.
April 18, 2019
perfect quiet spooky adventures for reading curled up listening to the rain. I was sad when I realized I had finished the last story and seriously considered just going back and starting from the beginning again.
March 17, 2022
This is urban fiction, if by urban you mean Appalachia in the early 1900's. It's a mosaic of shorter works and reads more like old pulp horror than anything newer. Old pulp if you gender switched the protagonist.
Anna O'Brien is fantastic, the world she inhabits is fantastic. I loved this.
Anna O'Brien is fantastic, the world she inhabits is fantastic. I loved this.
November 14, 2022
This was magnificent! I love stories inspired by Appalachian folklore, and to have the main character be a Conjure Woman was just icing on the cake. If you enjoy the Silver John stories by Manly Wade Wellman, this will absolutely be your jug of shine. I desperately want more of Anna O'Brien.
May 9, 2019
I love this author and their work! The Anna O'Brien stories come with the gift of rich, fantastical text and wild Appalachian heart.
May 4, 2024
Utterly excellent. No other words.
January 24, 2019
This is the short story collection for lovers of folklore, ghost stories, history, and just plain old-fashioned, good storytelling. The book follows the adventures of cunning protagonist Anna O'Brien as she faces down hags, witches, beasts, and the spirits of turn of the century Appalachia - there is blood in the soil of the South and these short stories contend with the past in a way that is both meaningful and exciting. These are stories that I keep coming back to to re-read over and over, and I still can't recommend the book enough. The attention to detail, the lore, the diverse and exciting characters, and, of course, the writing will have you flying through this anthology and wishing for more tales of Anna O'Brien and her adventures. The fact that this book functions as an anthology rather than a single novel means that readers get vignettes featuring new adventures and characters while they also follow the overall development and changes of Anna O'Brien and Appalachia as the twentieth century begins. Even if you don't typically appreciate folklore, I promise that the stories and characters will get you hooked and keep you reading enthusiastically. You need this collection of stories.
January 25, 2019
An engrossing collection of short stories by a talented author, Asher Elbein. Anna O'Brien is one of the most unique and interesting protagonists in any book that I've read over the last few years. The spooky yet enthralling stories are complemented perfectly by Tiffany Turrill's spectacularly evocative illustrations. Here's hoping for many more tales from Anna's travels!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews