Reviews

Horrors Untold: Vol 2 by Matt Wildasin

ericarobyn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Horrors Untold: Volume 5 by Matt Wildasin is a collection of horror shorts that range from the unsettling to the totally petrifying. But one thing that they all have in common? Body horror! Buckle in before diving into this one!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author per request of an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. 

I love that Matt begins this collection an introduction where he gives the readers insight into where each tale came from. I LOVE getting more information like this! It really helps to add a whole new and exciting layer to the tales.

Each story was great, but my top three favorites from this collection include:

• Tenants
• It’s The End Of The World As I Dreamt It
• Turkey Massacre

I cannot wait for readers to experience these! 🙂

Per usual, here are my notes on each story:

Hall’s Tower

Based on a real tower in Mechanicsburg, PA, in this tale, two podcasters are determined to get to this hidden tower in order to explore. It takes awhile to find the hidden road, but once on the right path, things take a very dark turn.

This one was so eerie! I love exploring abandoned places, so I can’t say my curiosity wouldn’t have gotten the best of me in a situation like this. 

I also couldn’t help it, the scene where Will’s ringtone goes off, and it’s the Silent Hill theme, I just had to laugh. How terrifying! 

Turkey Massacre

When something crashes to the ground of this small turkey farm, the farmer is initially worried that his turkeys will all run away. But soon, he ends up wanting to get as far from them as he can as there is something very, very wrong with them.

Written as a B-Movie, Matt nails this crazy tale! The body horror is intense! I would 100% watch this as a movie short.

North Postal

This year, when the elves are preparing, they realize Santa has not been seen. When they all search for him, two find him in the sporting goods section, but they quickly realize something is wrong. The next thing they know, Santa has shot one of them. He then goes on a wicked rampage.

I loved all of the names of the elves and how lines from Christmas songs were thrown in here and there. The body horror here is extremely brutal! What a horrible night at the north pole!

Inevitable

A short and dark tale of a mind unraveling. This one is heartbreaking.

Death Has Come to Your Town

When a man named Dent is called to a crime scene, the bizarre murder certainly has his interest as he’s never seen anything quite like this. As he goes around the small town asking questions, he soon realizes that he maybe he should have left things alone when he was first warned off…

The very last sentence is terrifying! What a note to end on!

Crazy Cat Lady

When a widow who lives with her slew of cats is forced to venture out for supplies when zombies take over, she learns that her cats are great protectors! That is, until they want something else… Then they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Reading this one made me want to sneeze! There were so many cats!

It’s The End Of The World As I Dreamt It

Set up as a dream this man has about the end of the world, we see the path that the terror takes.

I cannot imagine having a reoccurring nightmare like this! Reading it once was terrifying enough!

Tenants

In this building, a mother enjoys giving back by providing her neighbors with soup. But she has one rule, they cannot see the cook. Because of this, she has her son deliver it for her. After a strange encounter with one of the residents, the boy is wary to deliver again. But when his mom insists, he runs into the new tenants and overshares.

This one had so many little eerie bits tossed into the mix! By the time we got toward the end, I was so nervous to see what we were going to learn next. What a killer tale to end the collection with!

My Favorite Passages from Horrors Untold: Volume 5

The path was foreboding to say the least. The red dirt path snaked its way into a thick wood. The trees surrounding the road where dead, almost blackened and brittle, most of which seemed to lean or twist back away from it.   
“Well, if that don’t look downright fucking scary!” Matt exclaimed, leaning over to look out Will’s window.

Martha wasn’t sure which allocated day of the week it was this one early morning, as she had stopped counting them months ago, but she started noticing a change in one of her cats.

Soup is such a comforting dish. Warm, savory, and when done just right, a true meal on its own that can make one forget the troubles of the day. It is a truly relaxing culinary experience. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: Did this story just start by praising soup?

My Final Thoughts on Horrors Untold: Volume 5

I know that It’s The End Of The World As I Dreamt It is one that is going to haunt me for a long time to come!

Horrors Untold: Volume 5 is must read for horror fans! Everyone is sure to find a tale that they love and another that makes them squirm here.

eyglo's review against another edition

5.0

Great collection of terrifying tales. Perfect read now before Halloween! Loved the cosmic horror story and The Pit! The themes are varied told with care, gentleness and a great eye to detail that sets the atmosphere very well! Warmly recommended!