The Horse-Eater

How to Survive Camping #3

by Bonnie Quinn

This book is the physical edition of a series of posts from Reddit’s r/nosleep subreddit, containing the third major storyline of “How to Survive Camping”. It is largely unaltered, with only minor edits for readability in print form.

Every year, campground manager Kate sends out a pamphlet titled “How to Survive Your Camping Experience.” In it is a list of rules to help campers have an enjoyable experience and hopefully survive any encounters with the campground’s… other… inhabitants.

With the land turning ancient, it is no longer just the campers that are in danger. Kate is the key to ascension and every inhuman entity is out for her blood. All the lesser creatures are making attempts on her life, from the hammock monster to the gummy bears. Kate isn't willing to let her land go without a fight. If these creatures are going to hunt her, then she'll hunt them in turn and eradicate everything from her land that cannot coexist with humanity. With the help of both her inhuman and human allies, it looks like Kate might actually have a chance at controlling her land. But ancient land attracts ancient things, and the town has a bad history with ancient creatures.

A new entity has come to the campground, bearing an old grudge against one of the inhabitants. Its malevolent designs will put the entire land at risk - unless Kate can stop it.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Humor, Horror Thriller, Urban Fantasy

258 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2021

About the author

I am a Senior Software Developer and author. I'm active in the Reddit r/NoSleep community and wrote the popular "How to Survive Camping" series.

Reviews

[Sophie]

I have such mixed feelings.

If in the last book I was eating every single crumb of the Man with the Skull Cup’s appearances, this time around.. ugh. I know this isn’t a romance, and the plot was never about a romance, but the fact that the author keeps leading me on and teasing a romance while knowing full well they will never deliver on is so frustrating. It just feels cruel, you know? I’m tired. So this time around, every time Beau showed up (yes, he has a name now and it means ‘boyfriend’. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I’M UPSET) I was quietly seething.

I also liked the plot of the last book a lot more than this one. I guess I liked it more because it had spiders, and the main monster was someone that Kate used to rely on. The main monster in this book was just not as interesting.

But then that fucking ending. What the actual fuck. I saw so many reviews about Bryan and I get it now. I GET IT. And all I could think about were Kate’s dumb choices that led to this. Omg I hated her so much in this book.

I will also never look at Gummy Bears the same way again. Ew.

3.5 stars

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: Finally getting to read the arc that started my obsession with the Man with the Skull Cup lmao. I had no idea it was the 3rd in a series. Happy accidents!

💌 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Ryn]

I’m gonna keep promoting this series like a used car salesman because it’s SO GOOD

I’m so excited that I got the arc for this third book but now there’s a void in my heart after I saw the next one doesn’t come out until May 2027???? 😭😭😭

This series just keeps getting better and better with each installment, and The Ancient Things (originally published as The Horse Eater) expands upon what the last two installments established. We get more time connecting with the creatures inhabiting the campground as well as the humans in Kate’s life. This third book ramped up the emotional tension and made for a high-stakes adventure that had me hooked. And don’t worry, Kate’s deadpan humor is still in this story so there’s plenty of funny moments too.

This series is so nostalgic for me. It reminds me so much of early internet creepypastas mixed with the internet horror of today. It’s a perfect cozy horror book and I will not stop recommending this series.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.*

[Kat]

Still love it

Bonnie Quinn is one of those authors who's stories may start in humble places but who's worlds they spin are EPIC.
Continues to be one of my favorite series of urban horror/fantasy

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit]

First of all, I need to mention a discrepancy with the title of this book. When I downloaded a copy, the Kindle version is titled, “How to Survive Camping: The Fairy and the Fomorian”, but the NetGalley and Goodreads entries are, “How to Survive Camping: The Ancient Things”, which is very confusing. Hopefully, the publishers have straightened out this issue since publication.

Anyway, “The Ancient Things” is the third installment of Bonnie Quinn’s quirky, campy (see what I did there?) lite horror books set in a family campground shared with many, many magical beings. Some of them are harmless…and some of them are decidedly not. This time around, a new ancient being arrives at the campground, and everyone and everything had better be on guard at all times. Kate, the campground manager, has her work cut out for her, even more than usual.

There is also some weird stuff going on with The Man With The Skull Cap, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. You’ll know what I mean after you finish reading.

I love how this series somehow manages to be cozy horror with some humor and heavy topics equally mixed in. You truly never know where the author is going to go next, and it’s always a fun, wild ride.

Please note: although there hasn’t been much of a wait between the first three books, apparently the fourth installment, “The Beast”, isn’t being published until August 2027. So enjoy this one, and settle in for an almost year-long wait!

4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Ryan]

4.5/5

[Andrew]

I love these books. Just the right blend of internet/reddit culture, folk horror, and character building. I know the series probably ends with the next one, and I'm avoiding the website and r/nosleep until it's done, because I want to save it.

[Kat]

3.5. The writing and humor in these books doesn’t always work for me, but they are just SO fun and addictive. I always read them in just a couple sittings. The creature horror in this one was probably my favorite yet - something I really love about this series is the way it mixes real folklore with a whole sandbox of original inventions, and book 3 had an even more folkloric feel because it’s pulling from Irish mythology.

Plenty of humor, plenty of gross pulpy horror, but not enough Beau / Man With the Skull Cup. Give him back so I can continue hallucinating a romance subplot please.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kat]

3.75*

Guys what the hell 😭😭

[Jamie Loves Books]

Another solid entry in the How to Survive Camping series. I keep telling people it's "cozy horror" and they look at me like I'm crazy, but that's honestly the vibe. Ancient evil forces, blood sacrifices, things with way too many teeth... and somehow it still feels like a chill hangout book.

What I love most is Kate's totally deadpan approach to running the campground. The land is turning ancient and monsters are actively trying to kill her, and she deals with it like it's just another Tuesday. That matter of fact tone is honestly what makes this series work so well. Stuff that should be terrifying just gets brushed off, and somehow that makes it funnier instead of less scary.

The world building keeps getting better too. The monsters actually feel like real characters instead of random threats, and I love how much history has built up between them and Kate over the books.

And can we talk about Beau? His storyline had me the most invested out of the whole series so far. I am so excited to see where his character goes next.

The only thing keeping this from a full five stars is that the cozy factor can work against it sometimes. There were a few stretches where things got so relaxed that I actually lost momentum and my interest started to drift. I love the vibe, I just need it balanced with a little more tension to keep me hooked all the way through.

Still, if you've been reading this series, this one gives you exactly what you want. Cannot wait for book 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

[Lindsey (endless_tbr_list)]

When I first stumbled upon Bonnie Quinn's How to Survive Camping series I figured it would be a fun and funny take on your standard campground horror, but three books in I'm realizing it's so much more than that. If you like tales of morally grey characters and the exploration of their actions, ancient horrors and the bargains they make, and trying to find the humor in the horrific, then boy do I have a series for you!

In the latest installment of Kate's tenure as campground manager to the land that's taken so much of her family, an old enemy comes home and a new ancient being comes calling. Armed with little more than a knife - albeit a unique one - and her wits and years of experience fighting that which wants to kill her, Kate finds herself facing almost certain death...again.

In an effort to avoid spoilers I won't go any deeper into the forest and the horrors it hides, I'll just say that this year-long wait for book four is going to be rough.

Thank you Saga Press for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jules]

im going to throw up and i cried, where the hell is the next book bonnie 😭‼️

[king bitchard 💜]

GOD. HIS NAME IS BEAU.

Bryan. The dogs. The thing in the dark. This is gonna live in my mind forever

[Alexandra]

Obsessed with this series, review to come!

[Alex]

This series just continues to build and develop in such fascinating ways. Kate has grown so much, as have each of the creatures on the grounds. The immersive world of Goat Valley continues to bring gore, wit, and suspense to every page - I'm absolutely hooked!

[PompeyLulu]

Much like the last book, this one really has you connecting differently. In fact, while we do look a little at guests, the majority of this book is about the relationships with the various otherworldlies.

You could really feel the change in dynamics, learning to work with some of the monsters against the worst ones. Not only are there some that she likes but there are some she would die for.

No longer just the keeper of the campground, the protector of the town. We get to watch our leading lady stand tall and show that she is the protector of the campground and all those trapped in it. It’s hard not to feel a little proud.

As always Bonnie’s talent captivated me and while this book is just releasing, I’m already on the next book courtesy of nosleep. When it releases in paperback I will buy that too. I’ll never get bored of these stories

[She’s]

Kate and her campground of horrors is back. This time around loyalties and alliances are tested as ancient things stir. The stakes have never been higher. This one has supplanted The Man With No Shadow as my favorite in the series so far. Kate is more relatable in her angst, regret, and acceptance than she has been in her recklessness and bravado. Beau, often a deus ex machina, has backed off, and the damsel is doing more to save herself. The roles of the Old Sheriff and Kate’s brother are shifting as well. The main thing I want to stress: This is a series, and the first novel is the only one that might be considered a standalone. Do what I did and read the first two before tackling this one.

This is my honest review of an advanced reader’s copy. My thanks to NetGalley, Saga Press, and Bonnie Quinn for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Rebekah Moore]

Our beloved Camp Manager is definitely NOT a horse girl. In book 3 of HTSC we’re back with even more monstrosities and horrors beyond comprehension.
Only one bed trope? Nah. But there IS only one coffin 😈.
Bonnie Quinn does such a fantastic job at balancing the “Monster of The Week” vibes with the overarching plot of the series, I’m always so impressed. Per usual, I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for the next terror to come crashing in.
All the stars ✨✨✨✨✨
Big thanks to Netgalley and Saga Press for allowing me to continue this adventure!

[Erin Martin]

This series is a blessing and this book in particular was an incredibly wild ride from start to finish. I cannot recommend this series enough. READ THIS SERIES!! Seriously! You will enjoy it and be left wishing for more!!

[Lydia 🌙]

I’m not ready for the last book in Kate’s story. I know it’s going to wreck me.

[Jennifer Leonard]

As always, exceptionally fun and filled with emotion. I don’t know that I’ll ever get over the loss, but here I sit waiting anxiously the next installment anyway.

[Evald Mark]

Az a nagy helyzet, hogy ezt a sorozatot nekem írták. Tökéletes mértékben keveredik benne a creepypasta és a folklore, van benne némi list-of-rules és a főszereplő is megfelelően unhinged.
Imádom Katet az a nagy helyzet. A character arcja kvázi nonexistent, és csak annyi, hogy megpróbál minél kevesebb embert és lényt megölni/feláldozni az általa nagyobb jónak ítélt érdekében. És csak azért próbálkozik ezzel is, mert egy természetfeletti, a karácsonyhoz köthető entitás befenyítette kínhalál belengetésével, ha nem változtat.
Azóta meg csak próbálkozik, bár látjuk, hogy azért mégiscsak a gyilkosság az, amihez mindig visszatér, mint megoldás.
Imádom érte.
So unhinged.
Jó nagy adag bűntudattal és haraggal nyakonöntve.
Meg az, hogy mindenki "Campground Managernek" hívja a természetfelettiek körében, az indokolatlanul vicces. Tetszik, hogy továbbra is beleállunk ebbe a fajta elnevezésbe, és egy ponton még egy viccet is elsütünk ezzel kapcsolatban.
Kate abszolút karakter és nagyon szurkolok, hogy valahogy győztesen jöjjön ki ebből az egészből a sorozat végére. Megérdemli, na.
Továbbra is abszolút shippelem Bo-val, és mélységesen sajnálom, hogy nem Sippycup lett a vezetékneve a csávónak, nagyon vicces lett volna. Mondjuk Kate kategórikusan tagad minden romantikus kapcsolatot, de szerencsére mindenki más meg látja az igazságot, és még ronda karácsonyi pulcsit is adtak nekik :3 I love them.
Meg a szörnyfelhozatal is tetszett, ami ellen most küzdenünk kellett, a húsevő/kannibál gonosz ló határozottan egy jó döntés volt, nagyon adtam, bár egy kicsit sajnáltam, hogy nem azzal ért véget a vele való szenvedés, hogy akkor a tesó megszelíditette, de hát ez csak személyes preferencia, nem voltam csalódott azzal, hogy megoldották.
A másik entitás meg a tündér közötti csatározás is jó volt, éltem, hogy ráfekedtünk az ír mitológiára ebben a kötetben. Szeretem, hogy kilépünk egy kicsit az átlagosan használt mitológiákból, és kapunk tényleg változatos dolgokat. És ebbe beleviszi azt, amit én is nagyon szeretek, hogy xy mitológiai lényre csak az adott mitológia dolgai hatnak, és akkor mindig kell némi kutatómunka, hogy akkor most mégis miként tudunk elbánni az aktuális ellenféllel.
És végre több szerepet kapott Brian meg a kutyái! Nevezett kutyák sajnos nem élték túl, és ez alaposan megsiratott, de olyan rohadt szép volt az egész! Nagyon méltó haláluk volt, és nem csak azért haltak meg, mert horrorkönyv, hanem aktiv szereplői voltak a cselekménynek, és segítettek a harcban is.
A kannibál ló is meghalt, amit annyira nem sajnálok, viszont őszintén szólva néztem még volna az evil Fehérlófia szált, amit nem láttam jönni, és őszintén szólva meg is voltam lepődve, hogy nem tagadták ki Katet ott helyben, vagy nem lett nagyobb következménye. De legalább többet interaktálhatott az így behozott changelinggel, aki valami hatalmas forma, nagyon adom, remélem lesz még szerepe.
Összeségében nagy komfort könyv volt ez, nagyon szerettem, nagyon jó volt, robogok tovább a következő részre.

[Marlo Bowman]

Thank you NetGallery for the eARC! 4.5 ⭐️

It is very intriguing seeing how each book evolves. In comparison to book one, this book definitely has stronger character development, while lacking some aspects of books one and two. This is not to be taken as an entirely negative, but as note of comparison.

Positives:
-Kate is getting developed; she is finally showing off kindness and connection with her family, the creatures of the campground, and her employees.
-The plot is coming together. Each fight and setback has started to make more and more sense, leading to this final(?) confrontation with the Beast.
-Bryan development! Bryan development :(
-Each new plot and character thrown into the mix keeps the story gripping. I REALLY enjoyed this plot line with the stallion…one of my favorite campground visitors for sure.

Negatives:
-The original structure of this novel has fallen apart slightly. It has been established that her rulebook was hurting her by making the creatures stronger, but in doing so unravels the physical layout of the read.
-Bryan…without too much spoiler-context, I’m not sure I appreciate where he stands in the end of this book.
-Beau was present, but was he present? He was there a lot honestly, but I didn’t find him particularly helpful/involved in a narrative.

I have really, really enjoyed each one of these books. The creativity around this narrative is one I keep coming back to, especially with all the wonderful gore. I have no idea where this story continues to go, but I am ready for the next piece.

[Kayleigh Galletto]

It’s official! I’m in love with this series. The same characters, same crazy monsters with some raw emotion finally coming into the story. I need the next book NOW.

Since it’s a series, I won’t give too much of the plot away in case you need to catch up. Supernatural (the tv show) vibes: cursed family running a monster-infested campground. This is book 3 in the series - the campground is shifting and Kate has to face her toughest foe yet.

The gore in these is mid-high level, so these aren’t fun little stories to read with your kids. There’s a lot of gutt!ings and entrails and all the lovely vi0lence you’d expect from a monster hunting story. You’re going to want to check your TWs if you have them, especially with animals for this one.

Now that we know the MCs and enough of the basic lore, this is the first book that really stuck to the storyline. While the first two books felt choppy at times with the introduction of so many new origin and monster tales, that background storyline carrying us through really took over. I think that’s what allowed us to dive a little deeper emotionally. There were a couple of jaw dropping, tear-inducing moments - if I cried from books anyway…

I’m now fully invested in Kate’s journey. I love the fast paced writing. I love the humor of the rules and the dark humor sprinkled throughout. The witty dialogue.

It’s just a really fun time.

[Cyd’s Books]

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for approving me to read this book, Im rating it 4.0 stars.

I enjoyed this a lot, perfect for spooky season approaching. I’m not much of a camper and this has reinstated how much I wouldnt be able to cope, I mean obviously there’s no monsters where I’d be staying, but fending for myself in the wilderness in general sounds awful.

I love how each moment in this books kinda gets abit worse and some of it our characters are taking in their stride, shrugging their shoulders and saying well lets get on with it then and it’s not a normal reaction to the situation I promise.

This particular time on the camp grounds takes the past and present and interlinks it to remind you why you should make sure the past stays buried like depths of the earth type buried if you can. The story has dark humour, ruthless characters, passion and heart. I really enjoyed this and hope to read more stories at the camp as I fear it’s only going to get worse and I must find out how.

[Rachel]

3.75 ☆
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

So far, this one was my least favorite but also more emotional. I am sad that the final installment won't be released until next year, but I'm definitely far too invested to leave after this. I understand Bryan more in, but it also didn't feel genuine to his character based on the previous 2 books. He seemed more caring for Kate (in a non-romantic way), even as infuriating as she was. PLEASE GIVE BEAU AND KATE'S LOVE A CHANCE!!

[Kate | Date With A Thriller]

4.5 ⭐️s rounded to 5 ⭐️s

I had been curious about this series for a while, so I was thrilled to get an ARC for this third installment! I was not disappointed, book peeps! I found myself chuckling throughout! Now I have to go back and read the first two books! Definitely recommend checking this series out! 👏

Thank you partner Saga Press for the gifted advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

[Jenée]

Just in time for spooky season. The camp manager has a whitty sensibility of humor as things go awry on the campground. The grounds are becoming ancient and with that new inhuman things arrive causing an imbalance on the campsite. I loved the children without a wagon, who got a wagon, who shouldn’t have got a wagon.

[jess]

I did really enjoy this book, but there were certain parts of it that didn't feel like it quite fit into the world that has been building. I am excited for the next book absolutely want to see where this goes. I just wasn't as in love with this addition to the series as I was for the first two.

[Vir Sala Keville]

The first thing that struck me about this book was actually the physical edition itself. I love the size—it’s small, compact, and so easy to carry around. The deckled edges of the pages are such a beautiful detail, and together with the cover design, the whole book feels delicate and really special.

As for the story, I did finish it, but I have to admit that I struggled to get through it. I really wanted the different stories to feel more interconnected and to build toward something deeper. Instead, it often felt like each section introduced a new story or situation without giving it enough time to develop before moving on to the next one.

The moments I enjoyed the most were when we got glimpses of something more personal—Kate’s past, her relationship with her brother, or some of the more emotional stories, especially the ones involving the dogs. Those moments made me want to know more about the characters and their relationships, but unfortunately, most of them stayed at a fairly superficial level.

Because of that, even though some of the chapters were quite long, I never felt a strong connection to the overall story, and reading it eventually became a little tedious for me. I also wasn’t expecting quite so much gore, graphic violence, cruelty, and profanity, which made certain parts harder for me to enjoy.

Overall, I’m giving it 3 stars because I think the concept has a lot of potential. I especially loved the idea of exploring ancient stories and different mysterious entities, and there were a few genuinely touching moments throughout the book. I just wish everything had been more connected and that the characters and their relationships had been explored with more depth. In the end, there were interesting pieces here, but I never quite found the emotional connection I was hoping for.

[Ashley]

I continue to love this spooky little weird books.