Book Review: Dark Fairytales For The Unloved: Collective Anthology

 Fourteen Indie authors! Fifteen stories of the twisted and macabre! Enter if you dare, a dark fairytale collection that will make the Brothers Grimm either blush or smile with glee. Content and trigger warning precede each tale for an unaware sensitive reader, but the title warns you these are dark fairytales. Now let’s follow the bread crumbs and enter into the darkness.

Dark Fairytales For The Unloved: An Indie Author Collection (Volume One)

Published: March 26th, 2025

Genre: Fairytales/Folklore/Fantasy/Anthologies

Synopsis

Step into a realm where enchantment and darkness intertwine. In this anthology, fourteen master storytellers from diverse backgrounds conjure original fairytales that are as chilling as they are captivating. From eerie forests to twisted kingdoms, each tale spins a web of intrigue, mystery, and danger. Embrace the delicious dread and discover the hidden truths that lurk in the shadows. Perfect for lovers of the macabre and fantastical, these stories will leave you spellbound long after the last page is turned.

REVIEW

Dark Fairytales For The Unloved is a collection of Fairytales for adults, oozing with dark fairytale-inspired stories. Two are dark retellings of classic tales such as “Elves and the Shoemaker” and” Beauty and the Beast” in spectacular NOURSHMENT and HUNTER & THE BEAST by Gareth Ian Davies and SD Paine. The rest are dark original fairy tale-inspired tales, such as my favorite, the brilliantly written folklorish horror THE PALE MOTHER by Nova B. Quinn and BIRDS OF WINTER by Ruby Ann Stiegelmeier.

Then we have the hauntingly magical with FOXGLOVE and THE BLOOMING CURSE by Stacey LP and Hannah Gardiner. The bottom rips out from under us, and we go deeper and darker with wickedly devilish tales like BEAUTIFUL SUFFERING and SPIT AND SPITE AND ALL THINGS NIGHT by Alex Upchurch & Ellen Winter.

The opening story, REQUIEM, by Marianne Gray, is an absolute banger, setting the tone of the book nicely. While not every story tickled my witchy fancy, the next one usually did. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed getting treated to a new story by a new author. It was like getting a sneak peek into these delicious indie authors’ minds.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

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