What do you think?
Rate this book
Into Shadow #4
What the Dead Know
A woman posing as a medium who can channel the spirit world comes face to face with the truth in this short historical fantasy by Hugo Award–winning author Nghi Vo.
The Fogg River Seminary, a girls’ school in a small Illinois town, is supposed to be just another stop on Maryse and Vasyl’s endless travels. They’ve made lucrative use of Maryse’s “foreign” looks in their melodramatic séance act—and an act is all it is. Then, during their performance, a blizzard sweeps in and cuts them off from town completely. In the freezing halls, there’s a voice speaking the secrets of the dead, and Maryse has no choice but to listen…because this time, the voice is real.
The Fogg River Seminary, a girls’ school in a small Illinois town, is supposed to be just another stop on Maryse and Vasyl’s endless travels. They’ve made lucrative use of Maryse’s “foreign” looks in their melodramatic séance act—and an act is all it is. Then, during their performance, a blizzard sweeps in and cuts them off from town completely. In the freezing halls, there’s a voice speaking the secrets of the dead, and Maryse has no choice but to listen…because this time, the voice is real.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2022
488 people are currently reading
5916 people want to read
About the author
Nghi Vo
41 books4,447 followersNghi Vo is the author of the acclaimed novellas The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. The Chosen and the Beautiful is her debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 947 reviews
April 5, 2023
Another solid entry into the Amazon collection. Very different from the Riverlands series, the only other works I've read from Vo. Set in 1899, it's a short story about a couple of spiritualists who get a job for a séance up at at the Fogg River Seminary for Young Ladies.
"It [the school] lifted up to the sky with two low wings fanning out to either side, its diamond-paned windows picking up what little light they could and gleaming like coyote eyeshine in the dimming day."
Very evocative, more traditional ghost-mystery story, with intriguing hints that some of the couples' skills are legitimate. I appreciate the feminist and multicultural elements updating contextualizing the story more fully without feeling like they were forced in. I'd absolutely read more in this world.
Number four in the Into Shadow collection from Amazon.
"It [the school] lifted up to the sky with two low wings fanning out to either side, its diamond-paned windows picking up what little light they could and gleaming like coyote eyeshine in the dimming day."
Very evocative, more traditional ghost-mystery story, with intriguing hints that some of the couples' skills are legitimate. I appreciate the feminist and multicultural elements updating contextualizing the story more fully without feeling like they were forced in. I'd absolutely read more in this world.
Number four in the Into Shadow collection from Amazon.
January 10, 2023
We're not suppose to know.....
Nghi Vo makes us feel the chill of the frigid in What the Dead Know. She sets the stage for this short story in 1899 in a small midwestern town in Illinois. And what transpires leaves a sharp dusting of ice crystals behind.
Picture two exhausted travelers climbing down from an abrupt stop at a small train station. Their suitcases are tossed out like trash behind them as the train journeys on. But Maryse and Vasyl are more than used to this bump in the road. They've taken their "talking to the dead" show to places far and wide.
A small wagon pulls up to escourt them to the Fogg River Seminary For Girls. The driver is Miss Nina who will drive them to their destination. Once there, the couple will experience a reverse action. Just you wait and see.
Nghi Vo has created an eerie experience here. My only concern is that it was far too short even in the short story category. The butter was just melting on this biscuit when the ending slammed the door shut. Believe me, Nghi Vo can write. Really write. What the Dead Know could have been a 300 page novel. Vo is a crafty atmospheric writer. I wanted more. Much more. Will be checking this author out, immediately if not sooner.
Nghi Vo makes us feel the chill of the frigid in What the Dead Know. She sets the stage for this short story in 1899 in a small midwestern town in Illinois. And what transpires leaves a sharp dusting of ice crystals behind.
Picture two exhausted travelers climbing down from an abrupt stop at a small train station. Their suitcases are tossed out like trash behind them as the train journeys on. But Maryse and Vasyl are more than used to this bump in the road. They've taken their "talking to the dead" show to places far and wide.
A small wagon pulls up to escourt them to the Fogg River Seminary For Girls. The driver is Miss Nina who will drive them to their destination. Once there, the couple will experience a reverse action. Just you wait and see.
Nghi Vo has created an eerie experience here. My only concern is that it was far too short even in the short story category. The butter was just melting on this biscuit when the ending slammed the door shut. Believe me, Nghi Vo can write. Really write. What the Dead Know could have been a 300 page novel. Vo is a crafty atmospheric writer. I wanted more. Much more. Will be checking this author out, immediately if not sooner.
November 30, 2022
Get the audio! I’m in love with paranormal anything so I was really excited to see that Vo, an author that I already know and wanted to read more, was the one with the ghost story. I had fun with this and thought for a short story there were more bits of intrigue and action than I expected. I would have loved a few things to have been expanded on, but than this would not have been a short story. Still, it was very entertaining, and I enjoyed it.
I would highly suggest if you got the option of the free audio to absolutely listen to it instead of reading the short story. This short is only 30 pages. If you read that the story will fly by in minutes. The audio is a different experience. It slows it down, and you feel like you are listening to this longer and therefore more complete story. The audio is under an hour, and it was the perfect way to consume this short and I would absolutely recommend it. 4.00 Stars for the audiobook.
I would highly suggest if you got the option of the free audio to absolutely listen to it instead of reading the short story. This short is only 30 pages. If you read that the story will fly by in minutes. The audio is a different experience. It slows it down, and you feel like you are listening to this longer and therefore more complete story. The audio is under an hour, and it was the perfect way to consume this short and I would absolutely recommend it. 4.00 Stars for the audiobook.
December 11, 2022
Beautifully written and atmospheric, but the plot felt a bit flat. Maybe it's the big reveal not coming out as enough of a shock, or maybe it's the lack of agency on the main character's side (she kind of just went into someone else's house, witnessed something happen there, and left). The overall story just wasn't very engaging for me.
I did like the writing style here better than the singing hills cycle though, so it was enjoyable enough for a short read.
I did like the writing style here better than the singing hills cycle though, so it was enjoyable enough for a short read.
December 6, 2023
In a Nutshell: A decent short story that would have been great with more detailing at the end. Paranormal, but not scary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
This story is a part of ‘Into Shadow’, described by Amazon as ‘an enthralling collection of dark fantasy stories about the lure of forbidden knowledge.’
The premise of this 31-page story is quite interesting. I loved how the story highlighted Vasyl’s tactic of marketing Maryse’s foreign appearance in order to get more saleability and thereby bookings. Their rapport was excellent. The historical details also come out surprisingly well for a short work.
I was completely hooked by the proceedings for most of the story, even as it took the path often taken. Though the plot was predictable, the writing was crisp and the atmosphere was taut with tension. However, once the séance was over and the blizzard struck, the story lost its flow. Too many things happened with not enough of detailing and too much of a rush. The reveal about the spirit was barely convincing, forget about being scary. If this final section were handled better, the story would have been a memorable one. But as is, it turns out to be just about average.
I read it for free; that’s a plus, I suppose.
2.75 stars. (4 stars for the first half, 1.5 star for the rest. Averaging the two.)
This standalone work is the fourth story in the ‘Into Shadow’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
1899. Fogg River, Illinois. Vasyl and Maryse are travelling con artists. Capitalising on Maryse’s “exotic” look, Vasyl markets her as a talented medium who can channelize into the spirit world and communicate with them. Their latest stop is Fogg River seminary, a girls’ school in a small town. Their performance is going as smoothly as always, when a sudden blizzard cuts them off. And something that has never happened before in their so-called séances actually happens.
This story is a part of ‘Into Shadow’, described by Amazon as ‘an enthralling collection of dark fantasy stories about the lure of forbidden knowledge.’
The premise of this 31-page story is quite interesting. I loved how the story highlighted Vasyl’s tactic of marketing Maryse’s foreign appearance in order to get more saleability and thereby bookings. Their rapport was excellent. The historical details also come out surprisingly well for a short work.
I was completely hooked by the proceedings for most of the story, even as it took the path often taken. Though the plot was predictable, the writing was crisp and the atmosphere was taut with tension. However, once the séance was over and the blizzard struck, the story lost its flow. Too many things happened with not enough of detailing and too much of a rush. The reveal about the spirit was barely convincing, forget about being scary. If this final section were handled better, the story would have been a memorable one. But as is, it turns out to be just about average.
I read it for free; that’s a plus, I suppose.
2.75 stars. (4 stars for the first half, 1.5 star for the rest. Averaging the two.)
This standalone work is the fourth story in the ‘Into Shadow’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
January 18, 2023
✰ the collection on amazon
✰ the collection on goodreads
➽ The Six Deaths of the Saint ★★★★★
nghi vo is one of my favorite authors, so i knew i would enjoy this short story from this collection. it was spooky, unsettling, and truly all the vibes were exactly what i look for in horror. we follow two people posing as mediums traveling in historical illinois, where they find themselves stranded at a very isolated school for young girls, in a really creepy and unsettling town, with a river that is holding dark secrets.
again, vo is such a talented writer that i felt like i was barely breathing while reading this and watching everything happen. This a very high three star from me, but upon finishing it just really left me wanting more in a good way, but also in a way that really makes me think this story would be better in a longer and more expandable format. i still fully recommend and i am still very curious about this collection of short stories.
trigger and content warnings: racism, blood depictions, murder, death, gore, + maybe choking (the writing is so good and descriptive, it made me feel it a little hehe)
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
✰ the collection on goodreads
➽ The Six Deaths of the Saint ★★★★★
“...Maryse had finally learned, after five years as a medium, what the dead spoke of.”
nghi vo is one of my favorite authors, so i knew i would enjoy this short story from this collection. it was spooky, unsettling, and truly all the vibes were exactly what i look for in horror. we follow two people posing as mediums traveling in historical illinois, where they find themselves stranded at a very isolated school for young girls, in a really creepy and unsettling town, with a river that is holding dark secrets.
again, vo is such a talented writer that i felt like i was barely breathing while reading this and watching everything happen. This a very high three star from me, but upon finishing it just really left me wanting more in a good way, but also in a way that really makes me think this story would be better in a longer and more expandable format. i still fully recommend and i am still very curious about this collection of short stories.
trigger and content warnings: racism, blood depictions, murder, death, gore, + maybe choking (the writing is so good and descriptive, it made me feel it a little hehe)
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
Read
December 28, 2023Source of book: KU
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
*******************************************
I know I make a deal about not having favourites but Nghi Vo has become one of those authors who I will follow into the fire. She could publish her shopping list and I would be there for it.
All of which is to say, there was a lot I loved about What The Dead Know but it mostly felt like things I already love about Nghi Vo rather specific to What The Dead Know itself, if that makes sense.
The plot here is that a couple of charlatans, posing as mediums, are hired as the entertainment at girl’s finishing school in smalltown Illinois. A sudden storm forces them to spend the night, forcing to the heroine to confront for real this time the voices of the dead she usually just pretends to hear.
The story showcases all of Vo’s strengths: buckets of atmosphere, an intriguing setting conveyed in a way that makes it feel both familiar and strange, fascinatingly flawed characters who—because of race, gender and/or queerness—are constantly forced to reckon with their place in the world, and, of course, absolutely fucking exquisite prose:
*swoonful sigh*
The other thing I love about Vo’s work—and that feels quite unique to her, even though it probably shouldn’t—is the way she depicts significant relationships between queer-coded characters that never feel secondary to their romantic relationships. And don’t get me wrong, I know romantic relationships are important too—I’m primarily a romance writer for God’s sake—and I know there’s a degree to which it feels like mainstream media still has a lot of catching up to do in terms of depicting queer characters with fully realised romantic and sexual lives. But I think the price we pay for this sometimes is that we lose depictions of queer connectedness that *aren’t* sexual or romantic. And that’s … lessening. Because queer lives are at their richest when they’re at their most expansive.
Oh, I should also probably note at this point, before I get well-actuallyed in the comments, there’s nothing explicit in the story to suggest that either Maryse or Vasyl are queer. I just, rightly or wrongly, got major queer vibes from them.
Ultimately, though, I think What The Dead Know suffered slightly for me in its proximity to The Six Deaths of the Saint. This is not, in any way, to compare Vo and Harrow as authors—they’re both brilliant and I love them both—it’s just The Six Deaths of the Saint is a notably remarkable short story. The format and the content are perfectly aligned. Where What The Dead Know felt like a whole book, or at the very least a novella, mutilated into the loose shape of a short story. The ending is wildly rushed in a way that retrospectively unbalances the beginning (even though the build-up was absolutely necessary and, actually, I wish there’d been more of it). And while the villain’s arbitrariness is part of the point there was just too much happening in the last 20% of the story—chases, secrets, ghosts—for the emotions and the themes of the final revelations to land properly.
Don’t get me wrong, What The Dead Know is still a fantastically bleak, chilling and intriguing read. It’ll just leave you aching for the novel or novella it so desperately wants to be.
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
*******************************************
I know I make a deal about not having favourites but Nghi Vo has become one of those authors who I will follow into the fire. She could publish her shopping list and I would be there for it.
All of which is to say, there was a lot I loved about What The Dead Know but it mostly felt like things I already love about Nghi Vo rather specific to What The Dead Know itself, if that makes sense.
The plot here is that a couple of charlatans, posing as mediums, are hired as the entertainment at girl’s finishing school in smalltown Illinois. A sudden storm forces them to spend the night, forcing to the heroine to confront for real this time the voices of the dead she usually just pretends to hear.
The story showcases all of Vo’s strengths: buckets of atmosphere, an intriguing setting conveyed in a way that makes it feel both familiar and strange, fascinatingly flawed characters who—because of race, gender and/or queerness—are constantly forced to reckon with their place in the world, and, of course, absolutely fucking exquisite prose:
[The house] lifted up to the sky with two low wings fanning out to either side, its diamond-paned windows picking up what little light they could and gleaming like coyote eyeshine in the dimming day.
*swoonful sigh*
The other thing I love about Vo’s work—and that feels quite unique to her, even though it probably shouldn’t—is the way she depicts significant relationships between queer-coded characters that never feel secondary to their romantic relationships. And don’t get me wrong, I know romantic relationships are important too—I’m primarily a romance writer for God’s sake—and I know there’s a degree to which it feels like mainstream media still has a lot of catching up to do in terms of depicting queer characters with fully realised romantic and sexual lives. But I think the price we pay for this sometimes is that we lose depictions of queer connectedness that *aren’t* sexual or romantic. And that’s … lessening. Because queer lives are at their richest when they’re at their most expansive.
Oh, I should also probably note at this point, before I get well-actuallyed in the comments, there’s nothing explicit in the story to suggest that either Maryse or Vasyl are queer. I just, rightly or wrongly, got major queer vibes from them.
Ultimately, though, I think What The Dead Know suffered slightly for me in its proximity to The Six Deaths of the Saint. This is not, in any way, to compare Vo and Harrow as authors—they’re both brilliant and I love them both—it’s just The Six Deaths of the Saint is a notably remarkable short story. The format and the content are perfectly aligned. Where What The Dead Know felt like a whole book, or at the very least a novella, mutilated into the loose shape of a short story. The ending is wildly rushed in a way that retrospectively unbalances the beginning (even though the build-up was absolutely necessary and, actually, I wish there’d been more of it). And while the villain’s arbitrariness is part of the point there was just too much happening in the last 20% of the story—chases, secrets, ghosts—for the emotions and the themes of the final revelations to land properly.
Don’t get me wrong, What The Dead Know is still a fantastically bleak, chilling and intriguing read. It’ll just leave you aching for the novel or novella it so desperately wants to be.
October 15, 2024
2 stars
short review for busy readers:
After having read On the Fox Roads, a novella about two Bonnie-and-Clyde style East Asian bank robbers in 1930s America and very much enjoying it, I wanted to read another from Nghi Vo.
This short Amazon story was largely a disappointment, unfortunately.
Again, we have a criminal duo (an East Asian woman and a Slavic man) in the historic American midwest duping locals with their spiritualist act. The woman has some psychic skills, as most did, but the rest was nothing more than a show.
While the atmosphere of the girl's school and the weather is strong, the plot goes from decent to garbled, making the sounding of the Teder Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ unavoidable. Too much happens too quickly and without the proper foundations being laid.
The best -- or shall I say most unique -- parts of the story are a ghost typing furiously on a telegraph machine and the description of the ghostly hands of drowned women waving under the rushing water of a local river. THOSE were cool, cool, cool. The rest: 🤷♀️
Again, another Amazon Exclusive that fails to impress.
short review for busy readers:
After having read On the Fox Roads, a novella about two Bonnie-and-Clyde style East Asian bank robbers in 1930s America and very much enjoying it, I wanted to read another from Nghi Vo.
This short Amazon story was largely a disappointment, unfortunately.
Again, we have a criminal duo (an East Asian woman and a Slavic man) in the historic American midwest duping locals with their spiritualist act. The woman has some psychic skills, as most did, but the rest was nothing more than a show.
While the atmosphere of the girl's school and the weather is strong, the plot goes from decent to garbled, making the sounding of the Teder Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ unavoidable. Too much happens too quickly and without the proper foundations being laid.
The best -- or shall I say most unique -- parts of the story are a ghost typing furiously on a telegraph machine and the description of the ghostly hands of drowned women waving under the rushing water of a local river. THOSE were cool, cool, cool. The rest: 🤷♀️
Again, another Amazon Exclusive that fails to impress.
February 27, 2023
3.5 Stars
When a traveling pair of charlatans proclaim they can speak to the dead, they’re all set for their usual rote performance. However, when they really do accomplish such, inevitably it’s not a pleasant experience.
Vo can obviously write, and in such few words she brought some intense scary suspense. The setup was atmospherically creepy, but this was too short with some questions left unanswered.
Currently free for Amazon Prime members
When a traveling pair of charlatans proclaim they can speak to the dead, they’re all set for their usual rote performance. However, when they really do accomplish such, inevitably it’s not a pleasant experience.
Vo can obviously write, and in such few words she brought some intense scary suspense. The setup was atmospherically creepy, but this was too short with some questions left unanswered.
Currently free for Amazon Prime members
November 24, 2023
2/5
I was still on a high from the previous book and wanted to give this one a try, but it was surprisingly boring and I didn’t feel any connection to the story. Too bad because I had high hopes after the third one being wonderful.
I was still on a high from the previous book and wanted to give this one a try, but it was surprisingly boring and I didn’t feel any connection to the story. Too bad because I had high hopes after the third one being wonderful.
December 18, 2022
"Strong storms," Vasyl mused. "What strange things your country admires."
It was just more of his nonsense, things he said to keep the customers suitably impressed with his etheric connections, but as they left downtown and pulled onto the wooded road, Maryse wondered.
Strong storms and angry rivers.
This part of the country wouldn't love them, and while she was usually fine with that, now it made her shiver.
I loved this! It's not explicitly defined, but I believe it takes place in the world of Siren Queen - but turn of the century rather than the Gilded Age. If not though, it's a similar world, where the supernatural rubs shoulders with the prosaic and seems completely in place.
Into that world walk a travelling pair of speakers-to-the-dead; and one of my favourite tropes comes out to play, with a ghost choosing to speak through someone not used to their medium-ship actually working. It's short, but it's great, and I so hope the author has more in mind for this world.
It was just more of his nonsense, things he said to keep the customers suitably impressed with his etheric connections, but as they left downtown and pulled onto the wooded road, Maryse wondered.
Strong storms and angry rivers.
This part of the country wouldn't love them, and while she was usually fine with that, now it made her shiver.
I loved this! It's not explicitly defined, but I believe it takes place in the world of Siren Queen - but turn of the century rather than the Gilded Age. If not though, it's a similar world, where the supernatural rubs shoulders with the prosaic and seems completely in place.
Into that world walk a travelling pair of speakers-to-the-dead; and one of my favourite tropes comes out to play, with a ghost choosing to speak through someone not used to their medium-ship actually working. It's short, but it's great, and I so hope the author has more in mind for this world.
February 24, 2025
3.5 stars
if this was a full book, i probably would’ve loved it tbh.
if this was a full book, i probably would’ve loved it tbh.
July 25, 2024
high 3 ★
| lots of things happening in a very short amount of pages, but paced quite well i thought
| a dynamic pov character, though the rest were relatively undeveloped (short story moment)
| i didn't find this quite as compelling as some of the other short stories i've recently read, but it was still a gripping read
| lots of things happening in a very short amount of pages, but paced quite well i thought
| a dynamic pov character, though the rest were relatively undeveloped (short story moment)
| i didn't find this quite as compelling as some of the other short stories i've recently read, but it was still a gripping read
May 8, 2023
Okay but what the fuck was that? Ending was rough, conflict was unclear, plot was blurry- what is the fucking point of this??? And why the fuck am I so pissed with this- 💀😤
January 28, 2023
I felt like there was too much going on in too few pages, and half the plot was lost on me.
December 9, 2022
Nghi Vo just does not miss for me! What the Dead Know is a short story set a magical version of historical America. An east Asian woman who has been posing as a medium discovers the truth of the dead in a small American town. Inventive, creepy, and lyrically written- this is an excellent story.
September 1, 2025
3,0 ✨✨✨
(Audiobook)
(Audiobook)
January 13, 2023
nghi vo remains the only author who consistently nails the short story & novella format for me!
December 13, 2022
Seance Grifters in 1899
Review of the Amazon Original Kindle eBook (November 15, 2022) released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook (November 15, 2022)
[3.5 rounded up]
This may have been a fairly conventional ghost story but the atmosphere and historical setting added quite a bit to its ambience. It was also a marked improvement over the Unsatisfactory Ending Alerts™ encountered earlier in the Into Shadows collection.
Two grifters of exotic origin (Maryse Ly being Vietnamese & Vasyl Janiv by his name sounding East European) come to an isolated girls finishing school in Illinois, USA in 1899 to perform a seance. Among the other attendees, the school mistress and her daughter are seeking to know what happened to their other daughter and sibling who had supposedly run away. The seance and the events which follow during the night bring about unexpected answers.
What the Dead Know is the fourth of seven Amazon Original Kindle eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on November 15, 2022 as part of the Into Shadow Collection of short stories where "Some truths are carefully concealed; others merely forgotten. In this spellbinding collection, seven acclaimed fantasy authors create characters who venture into the depths where others fear to tread. But when forbidden knowledge is the ultimate power, how far can they go before the darkness consumes them?"
Trivia and Link
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon Original Kindle eBook (November 15, 2022) released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook (November 15, 2022)
[3.5 rounded up]
This may have been a fairly conventional ghost story but the atmosphere and historical setting added quite a bit to its ambience. It was also a marked improvement over the Unsatisfactory Ending Alerts™ encountered earlier in the Into Shadows collection.
Two grifters of exotic origin (Maryse Ly being Vietnamese & Vasyl Janiv by his name sounding East European) come to an isolated girls finishing school in Illinois, USA in 1899 to perform a seance. Among the other attendees, the school mistress and her daughter are seeking to know what happened to their other daughter and sibling who had supposedly run away. The seance and the events which follow during the night bring about unexpected answers.
What the Dead Know is the fourth of seven Amazon Original Kindle eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on November 15, 2022 as part of the Into Shadow Collection of short stories where "Some truths are carefully concealed; others merely forgotten. In this spellbinding collection, seven acclaimed fantasy authors create characters who venture into the depths where others fear to tread. But when forbidden knowledge is the ultimate power, how far can they go before the darkness consumes them?"
Trivia and Link
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
December 4, 2025
3.25 stars.
Hard to say no to my favorite audiobook narrator, Natalie Naudus.
The plot twists aren't anything surprising for this genre, but this was pretty well-written. I thought Nghi Vo wasn't for me, but I might give her another try.
Hard to say no to my favorite audiobook narrator, Natalie Naudus.
The plot twists aren't anything surprising for this genre, but this was pretty well-written. I thought Nghi Vo wasn't for me, but I might give her another try.
January 31, 2025
"𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳.”
Well, this one was interesting—definitely not as good as 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩, but still better than the first two in the collection, i enjoyed the ghostly vibes. 🤍
"𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯.”
Well, this one was interesting—definitely not as good as 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩, but still better than the first two in the collection, i enjoyed the ghostly vibes. 🤍
"𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯.”
May 10, 2024
“As many reasons as there are women in the water"
Now this is a short story!
What the Dead Know had me from the very beginning and it did not disappoint. It promised chills and spooks and Midwestern gothic and it absolutely delivered.
I adored the atmospheres and the characters, well defined in spite of the time and length constraints. The text is good on its own but I highly recommend an immersive reading for this one! The audiobook is absolutely brilliant, left me genuinely unsettled.
I could probably read more of it but all in all it's perfectly self-contained. This also had me immediately look up other works from this author to add to my TBR.
Now this is a short story!
What the Dead Know had me from the very beginning and it did not disappoint. It promised chills and spooks and Midwestern gothic and it absolutely delivered.
I adored the atmospheres and the characters, well defined in spite of the time and length constraints. The text is good on its own but I highly recommend an immersive reading for this one! The audiobook is absolutely brilliant, left me genuinely unsettled.
I could probably read more of it but all in all it's perfectly self-contained. This also had me immediately look up other works from this author to add to my TBR.
January 25, 2023
Second best story in this collection so far, although a tiny bit confusing at the end.
December 31, 2022
Невеличке, але дуже стильне оповідання, в якому концепція, атмосфера й дрібні детальки забороли сюжет і навіть не захекались.
За формою - класична вправа з готики "Ми приїхали в глушину й там ПОЧАЛОСЬ".
За змістом - хороше, хоча й не в усьому впевнена висловлювання про голоси жінок, які мало хто погоджується чути, тільки тут метафора максимально буквалізована: йдеться про голоси _мертвих_ жінок та медіумку-шахрайку, яка все ж таки дещо чує.
За вайбом - усе найкраще одночасно: готичний маєток, який водночас школа, високоповажне зібрання, серед якого ховаються хижаки у фраках, пихато-манірне вікторіанство, хрестоматійна сцена зимової гонитви формату "тебе ж сліди викажуть!" та своєрі��но темперований катарсис.
І все таке прозоре, дзвінке, з нотками антиколоніального дискурсу, елементами виробничого роману, другорядним героєм-(імовірно) українцем, певними сюжетними нелогічностями, сніжинками та ненав'язливими натяками, які не одразу підказують, що йдеться про світ, в якому існує магія, просто така... невагомо делікатна. Привиди тут матеріальніші й наполегливіші.
За формою - класична вправа з готики "Ми приїхали в глушину й там ПОЧАЛОСЬ".
За змістом - хороше, хоча й не в усьому впевнена висловлювання про голоси жінок, які мало хто погоджується чути, тільки тут метафора максимально буквалізована: йдеться про голоси _мертвих_ жінок та медіумку-шахрайку, яка все ж таки дещо чує.
За вайбом - усе найкраще одночасно: готичний маєток, який водночас школа, високоповажне зібрання, серед якого ховаються хижаки у фраках, пихато-манірне вікторіанство, хрестоматійна сцена зимової гонитви формату "тебе ж сліди викажуть!" та своєрі��но темперований катарсис.
І все таке прозоре, дзвінке, з нотками антиколоніального дискурсу, елементами виробничого роману, другорядним героєм-(імовірно) українцем, певними сюжетними нелогічностями, сніжинками та ненав'язливими натяками, які не одразу підказують, що йдеться про світ, в якому існує магія, просто така... невагомо делікатна. Привиди тут матеріальніші й наполегливіші.
January 1, 2023
A medium duo that travel the country face the ugly truth of death and the Great beyond. This was daily atmospheric in places, with evil lurking in the shadows, however it definitely could have done with being longer to build up the tension. I could see more stories from these two though, they feel a lot like a Victoria era Ed and Lorraine Warren.
November 18, 2022
Liked the writing, liked the characters and setting, found the plot overly elaborate for a short story.
August 14, 2025
˙₊➴ ꒰ 2.5-stars★ ꒱ ꒷⊹࣪˖
⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Thoughts
I chose to pick this up cause I’ve been wanting to read Nghi Vo’s work, yet I have such a backlog of reads that I couldn’t fully commit, so I chose to read this novella of hers instead!
The setting of this book gave super gloomy and dark atmosphere, and as a gothic loving girly, I was absolutely eating it up! The eerie build-up had me completely hooked, and I was so intrigued by the mystery surrounding Maryse, Vasyl, and the Fogg River Seminary. However, as the story progressed, it started to fall flat. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautifully written and the mystery was drawing me in, yet the delivery of what happened after felt super rushed, which impacted the story.
Overall, I just wish the payoff matched the promise of the setup. Despite this being a miss, I will still read Nghi Vo’s work cause this short novella didn’t give her writing enough justice. Her beautiful writing deserves more space and pages to breathe, and I’m definitely still interested in exploring more of her work.
❝ How lucky we are, then, to know what the dead say. ❞
⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Thoughts
I chose to pick this up cause I’ve been wanting to read Nghi Vo’s work, yet I have such a backlog of reads that I couldn’t fully commit, so I chose to read this novella of hers instead!
❝ You see, she is almost gone. But she can return, if we are lucky. In this dangerous place, this brave young woman can listen for the dead, relating messages that she herself cannot understand. While she possesses not a word of English, she will repeat the messages from those who have gone before. Through her lips, the dead speak, and we must listen. ❞
The setting of this book gave super gloomy and dark atmosphere, and as a gothic loving girly, I was absolutely eating it up! The eerie build-up had me completely hooked, and I was so intrigued by the mystery surrounding Maryse, Vasyl, and the Fogg River Seminary. However, as the story progressed, it started to fall flat. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautifully written and the mystery was drawing me in, yet the delivery of what happened after felt super rushed, which impacted the story.
❝ That is what Hell is like, Maryse thought wildly. You found it. ❞
Overall, I just wish the payoff matched the promise of the setup. Despite this being a miss, I will still read Nghi Vo’s work cause this short novella didn’t give her writing enough justice. Her beautiful writing deserves more space and pages to breathe, and I’m definitely still interested in exploring more of her work.
November 18, 2022
Short story I listened to on audio, and like all of Nghi Vo's work, I thought it was delightful. Spooky and horror-esque without freaking me out too much (I'm a baby), atmospheric, and with some cool supernatural world-building efforts in this historical time-period that added some nice flavor. Plus, POC rep is always great. It's a short story, and while I'd say it was satisfying overall, it did feel a little shorter than totally ideal, but that's my only real issue. Honestly, I'll pretty much read anything by this author...
December 13, 2024
This would be a perfect story to expand into a novella.
January 23, 2023
The vibes that were missing from book two were very very present here.
Not only was this a cohesive story, it was very well written, it had excellent atmosphere, and it felt like a perfect slice of life from the time period. I also really enjoyed the characters, both in who they were and the roles they both had to play.
This might actually only be a 3.5 as I do think it would do a bit better as a longer story, particularly with the plot elements near the end as it related to a crime and mystery. But considering the massive disappointments that were the first two instalments, which I've just finished as I read some of these out of order, I'm feeling generous. Additionally, the call back to the title was really great.
Also, side note, I really need to read more by this author because this was my first go at her writing and I want more of this.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Not only was this a cohesive story, it was very well written, it had excellent atmosphere, and it felt like a perfect slice of life from the time period. I also really enjoyed the characters, both in who they were and the roles they both had to play.
This might actually only be a 3.5 as I do think it would do a bit better as a longer story, particularly with the plot elements near the end as it related to a crime and mystery. But considering the massive disappointments that were the first two instalments, which I've just finished as I read some of these out of order, I'm feeling generous. Additionally, the call back to the title was really great.
Also, side note, I really need to read more by this author because this was my first go at her writing and I want more of this.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 947 reviews