It Calls From The Forest: An Anthology of Terrifying Tales from the Woods Volume 1 Paperback – Illustrated, March 26, 2020

Eerie tales of the macabre in the forest setting. Really exciting read and suspenseful. Really horrifying at times and brutal. Really enjoyed it.

Prior to reading this anthology, I had never heard of Eerie River Publishing and it showcases many indie authors. This horror anthology is a collection of 24 stories with a premise of unspeakable horror among the dark trees. Each story has been written with an aspect of a forest entwined.  Each author brought their own writing style and perspective of a forest. The diversity of the stories were refreshing as it ranges from monsters to myths to witches and more. Anthologies are tough to review since there are multiple authors and varying experiences between stories. I jumped into this without any prior knowledge of which authors were included and rated each story individually. Just like any other collection of stories (based on personal opinion), there are greats and there are some that missed the mark. Highlighting those that were my favorites - "The Thing in The Woods" (by D.R. Smith) is a great story about 3 boys that discover an odd rock and take it home. It gave off Stephen King's "Weeds" vibe and I loved the ending. "Knotwork Hill" (by C.W. Blackwell) was well written and keep me intrigued until the very end. I wanted more and this could easy be a start for its own book. "Lazarus' Respite" (by Michael Subjack) is about a kid who makes an unlikely partnership with a homeless man in the woods. Although this is not really about a forest, the setting takes place in a wooded area and shows that kids can be jerks. "Forest Man" (by Holley Cornetto) brings a grim forest secret near a family camping retreat. I enjoyed the "flashback" format of this story but I also wanted to know more of the myth. "Hollow Woods" (by Brian Duncan) is about a young girl who recently moved to Florida with her father. She was invited to meet her new friends for a day at a wilderness park but is immediately taken on a hike deep into the forest to "see something cool" and learns that it is a lie. This collection seemed to hold a 50/50 ratio of good and mediocre stories, but still offered a great stepping stone for indie writers. The opening story, "A Wail of a Tail" by Emma K. Leadley, was lacking and felt as though it belonged in anthology for adolescent readers. This was not a strong choice to start the series with and missed the theme compared to the other stories. In addition, author bios after each story takes away from the flow and should be listed in an appendix at the end of the book. "It Calls From the Forest" overall brings a variety of imagination surrounding the theme and I look forward to volume two! 3.5 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars! This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Please visit my GoodReads profile for more reviews! Thank you!

Stories vary from slightly disturbing to very creepy to ghastly. It’s a great mix- and with different writing styles you won’t know what’s in the next story.

A creepy collection filled with stories that will make you question whether you really want to step foot into those woods. With an array of stories that are eerie, horrific, disgusting, gory, saddening, hopeful, suspenseful, spooky, and mystifying, this book will surely give you a scare.My absolute favorite in the anthology was Holley Cornetto's "Forest Man". It had the perfect balance of suspense that made me want to keep reading. I also really enjoyed Jason Holden's "Fairies in the Forest" (creepy, gross, and intriguing), Mark Towse's "Jodie's Spot" (beautiful and haunting), and Brian Duncan's "Hollow Woods" (mysterious and satisfying).This book has such a great variety of stories. No one is quite like another. They all share in the fear of the forest, but each in their own unique way. I'm looking forward to reading Volume 2.

Like most anthologies, It Calls From the Forest is a mixed bag, but there were a few standout stories in here, and even the ones that weren't amazing were still decently entertaining.My favorites include:Knotwork Hill by C.W. Blackwell was one of the creepiest stories in the book and had an intriguing mystery at its center. While satisfying, its ending leaves as many questions as answers, and I would love to see this expanded into a longer work. The mythology at its center was intriguing, and the featured creature was wondrously strange and frightening.Forest Man by Holley Cornetto was the longest story in the book and thus felt the most well rounded. A man reunites with some childhood friends in an effort to discover what really happened their last summer together. This was another one with an intriguing premise and interesting mystery at its core.The Lady in the Woods by Michael D. Nadeau features Irish mythology. Though it's brief, I really liked the uniqueness of Nadeu's story, and the titular lady was fascinating.Fairies in the Forest by Jason Holden was undoubtedly the most original story in the collection, and I thought the idea of a band of angry fairies was pretty entertaining, although Holden's take on the wendigo seemed a bit odd. Still the gleeful mashing of mischievous fairy and dangerous fairy tropes was delightful.Evan M. Elgin's The Von Brunner Woods was the only other legitimately creepy story in the collection, but I might have enjoyed it more if it hadn't had a gruesome dog death. Other that my personal preference for avoiding animal death, I did enjoy this solid, scary tale.I definitely enjoyed this collection and will be seeking out other collections from Eerie River publishers soon.Review originally published on Goodreads.

Seita and Hollow Woods were a great way to end the book off. I really loved those two stories. This is the first Eerie River book I've had the pleasure to read and I look forward to more in the future! It was great to be introduced to so many great new authors.

I'm guessing most of these stories were written in less than an hour. Most are boring and pointless, and seem as though they are told through the eyes of a 3rd grader. While one or two are passable, most are downright awful. Do NOT waste you money.

All of the stories have an outdoor theme which makes them more relatable. Not a bad story in the bunch. Well worth a read!

Each unique tale is ready to give you the creeps. A combination of styles keeps the reader interested and moving right through to the end.

I've been fortunate with these audiobooks; lately, I haven't found one that I didn't like. Though I've probably jinxed myself now by saying that, but this anthology was a real treat. I've heard fantastic things about this collection, and I adored the front cover. It's so creepy and enticing and really makes you wonder what horrors are hiding inside. The first story, A Wail of a Tail By Emma K. Leadley, was an excellent starting story. The narrator added atmosphere with this one, especially with the creature that, in my mind, was like a demented version of Tigger. At least the dog Jasper wasn't hurt and got fed, even if it was an unexpected meal. You'll understand when you hear the story. The Thing In The Woods By D.R. Smith was incredible but also gave me bloody nightmares. D.R Smith, I had nightmares for a week of that bloody cat! It was like reliving the horrors of the film The Thing. And those poor animals! I'm sorry, but if I found a strange rock in the woods, it's staying no matter how shiny. The John Carpenter vibe was most definitely strong with that story. The Hike" By E.E.W. Christmas is a gruesome horror that held depth and suspense and a shocking ending. The love story mixed with horror was a nice touch, and the conclusion made it all the more twisted. Now we come to my favourite story, the Forest man By Holley Cornetto; the back and forth from past to present was easy to follow. Intense and had IT crossed with a slender man vibe. The characters were engaging and well thought out, and I loved the creepiness of the Forest man. Incredibly, each of these writers takes a creative take on the theme, from being hunted by wolves in the forest to fighting through the forests of the mind in Jodie’s spot by Mark Towse. There was so much depth in that story, and the symbolism of grief and guilt is done amazingly by Mark. Then I got to experience Tim Mendees work, two great stories, one involving old folk law in Rouse them and A Matter of Recycling works on the mind of a child dragged into the charms of the woods. Only to be possessed by the hunger of the creatures that occupy the clearing. Following Stuart's life as his mind slowly warps into adulthood, and how he starts to lose his handle on reality. Neumark woods was another twisted and imaginative use of something as innocent as a baby's cry and making it something far more sinister. My second favourite is Lazarus’ Respite by Micheal Subjack. I loved the way he made you feel for the character Walter. I'm not going to lie, and I did get an immense feeling of satisfaction with this story. Probably because of being bullied myself, let's face it, as kids, we all secretly wanted to get our own back on our tormentors. Dig had an exciting beat going through the story that made you question the word throughout the father and son expedition. Lady in the woods explores Irish folk law beautifully and scarily, and I loved it, especially the character's fate. 13 held mystery and wonder but also the fear of the unknown and made you step into the mind of a hungry predator. This is a collection beyond anything I could have imagined, from the terrifying static man to the truth that fairy tales are real and tooth fairies are the thing of Guillermo del Toro nightmares. Even creepy talking wounds that lure you to your doom. It's not the audiobook I expected, but I'm so grateful that I purchased this Eerie River publishing anthology. I can't wait to keep an eye out for more titles by the publisher and the authors. And you know what the worst part is? Because the stories were so good, I bought the damn paperback! Yes, my friends, another anthology made its way to the shelf and i'm not even ashamed.

Was enthralled by this compilation of short stories which were eerie and creepy. Michelle River and Tim Mendees are two of my favorites. Forests are fascinating places. However, how dangerous are they? Each of these stories depict the strangeness of some forests and eerie encounters of cryptids.

I love horror and short story collections and this one did not disappoint. I got it as a freebie but would gladly have paid for it and moved it right to the top of my reading list.There are 24 stories in total each based on a forest and I read a couple a night. One story follows a group of boys who find a strange rock in the woods but odd things begin to happen when they take it home and this one was my favourite but I enjoyed them all.Well worth a read.

Just bought this the other day, and have been forcing myself to not binge it all at once... difficult when you have a love for horror!It’s such a great collections of stories, and so wonderful to see the works of different minds all coalescing their take on the theme. Forests, in general, are spooky! Now, they’re infinitely more spooky! Can’t wait to finish!Great job to everyone who injected a little creepy snippet of their heart on here! 🙌🏽