Reviews

Howls from the Dark Ages: An Anthology of Medieval Horror by P.L. McMillan, Solomon Forse

Only show reviews with written explanations

gfarinas's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

starowls's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

reads_vicariously's review

Go to review page

3.0

**Review originally published in SCREAM Magazine**

Medieval literature has always had its fair share of fantastical horror, going all the way back to the monstrous Grendel in Beowulf and the beheading game in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Howls from the Dark Ages, the latest anthology from the HOWL Society, features eighteen stories of medieval horror. As proclaimed on the book jacket, all the staples of the genre are there: cursed castles, wild woodlands, haunted hamlets, and mysterious monasteries. There are several tales of monks: some dabble in otherworldly magic, others discover dangerous secrets in catacombs, a few find prophetic drawings and ingest glowing mushrooms, and one becomes obsessed with solving an unnatural codex. There are stories about knights battling strange creatures, bounty hunters seeking their fortune, and one about a woman whose face is falling apart. In short, there’s a nice mix of ideas with a little something for everyone.

I enjoyed a number of stories from the anthology, but these are a few of my favorites. “Deus Vult” is about a weary knight who comes across a strange town and the castle that overshadows it, and his quest inside will reveal untold horrors. It’s a dread-filled story that builds to a wonderfully bizarre climax. In “The Last Book of Sante Foy’s Miracles” a man recounts his experiences with the a murdered child turned maryred saint. It’s told in multiple parts and it’s fun to witness the twists in the narrative as they unfold. And finally, “The Mouth of Hell” is about a page who journeys into hell to save his master. Its mix of occult and uncanny is wonderfully Clive Barker-esque.

As with most anthologies, this one is a scattershot of hits and misses. While some of the stories worked for me, others felt lacking; not bad, just not worth writing home about. One oddity that stood out was the inclusion of stories that are clearly not composed in the correct setting. Stories like “In Every Drop” and “A Dowry for Your Hand,” set in ancient South America and China respectively, just feel wrong mixed in with stories clearly set in medieval Europe. I’m conflicted because they’re some of my favorites, but in a collection that calls itself “historical horror from the medieval period” they seem glaringly out of place.

Howls from the Dark Ages might be a mixed bag, but for lovers of medieval horror such as myself, it was still an enjoyable read. It has a nice variety of stories, it touches on various types of terror, and it introduced me to several emerging indie authors that I will definitely be reading more from!

mrzachyt's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

gaven's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

paramrb's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

braynard's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I first heard about this collection when it was announced on Twitter a few years ago (back when I still liked and regularly used Twitter). I was not a huge horror reader at the time, but I was scheduled to take a class on Horror Literature and decided that my love for historical fiction could overcome any issues I had with the horror aspects.

And let me assure you, it was totally worth it.

First off, the book is set up as a museum tour—as though the reader is being shown these strange objects with horrifying histories behind them. I love a fun writing conceit, so this drew me in instantly. The first story was a normal horror fantasy, which was not my favorite, but I can understand the editors’ decision to put it first. It does serve as a good basic introduction to horror.

The next few stories are what really cemented my opinion, however. Stories about amoral monks and strange magic traditions. A fascinating dissection of beauty standards as a medieval woman destroys her skin with cosmetics. A first person account of the ‘miracles’ of a saint with an unsaintly temper. They were strange and engaging and wonderful to read.

Obviously, like all collections, not every story is a perfect story. Some of them were a bit too strange for my tastes, or seemed more like a straight fantasy story than a horror story. One was just confusing and I even attempted to dissect it for one of my college essays. That said, none of these ruined my reading experience. Not every story is for every reader, and I can respect the time and effort put into them. The stories I loved, I really loved.

As much as it pains me, I do have to give this collection a 9/10. While it is a 10/10 in my heart, in reality, I have to acknowledge that there were parts I did not love. Still, a fantastic collection for anyone who loves horror or obscure medieval history.