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Roots of My Fears

Not yet published
Expected 9 Sep 25
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British Fantasy and Bram Stoker-nominated author Gemma Amor brings together a unique line-up of authors to explore heritage and horror, featuring stories from Gabino Iglesias, Erika T. Wurth and many more

It’s a bedtime story, ancient family lore, a secret passed down from generation to generation. Stories that have deep dark roots, ever-growing, ever-creeping. 

This anthology explores stories of heritage and horror. The tales we grew up on, hometown rumours and legends. 

The things we pass down through our bloodlines. 

Featuring stories
Erika Wurth 
Ai Jiang
Usman T Malik
Adam Nevill
Nuzo Onoh
Premee Mohammed
Gabino Iglesias
Nadia El-Fassi
Ramsey Campbell
V Castro
Hailey Piper
And more!

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 9, 2025

8 people are currently reading
239 people want to read

About the author

Gemma Amor

43 books726 followers
I'm a horror fiction author, podcaster, artist and voice actor from Bristol, in the U.K.

I write for the wildly popular NoSleep Podcast and various other horror fiction audio dramas. My traditionally published debut FULL IMMERSION is out from Angry Robot in September 2022.

Find me at @manylittlewords on Twitter and Insta.

Repped by Mark Falkin at Falkin Literary.



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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Milt Theo.
1,634 reviews142 followers
August 27, 2025
"Roots of My Fears" is a beautifully crafted anthology of dark fantasy and horror, full of atmosphere, subtlety, elegant prose, and enthralling story ideas. It collects fourteen stories, of varying length, with a foreword by the editor, Gemma Amor. About half of the tales lean towards dark fantasy, dark fairy tale, or folklore and dark lore, the rest turning more properly to horror. There's a lot of ethnic and cultural variety in the stories, a feature that enhanced the volume as a whole and offered fascinating glimpses into more than the expert employment of standard horror themes. As expected with authors such as Hailey Piper, V. Castro, Ai Jiang, Nuzo Onoh, and Usman T. Malik, all the stories are of extremely high quality, on all fronts: writing, structure, pacing, characterization, imagery and endings. They're genuinely fun to read if you enjoy dark speculative fiction, and cover so many different themes there's something for everyone.

My personal standouts were the Ramsey Campbell folk horror reprint, "The Faces at Pine Dunes," which even on a second reading disturbs and unsettles with its expertly designed slow burn structure, blending coming-of-age themes and family issues with legends and witchcraft; Premee Mohamed's "One of Those Girls," a harrowing tale of unwanted pregnancy that finds its resolution in the supernatural; Gabino Iglesias' "Juracan," a suspenseful and pleasantly complicated story of a father trying to warn his son about an entity appearing during storms that has targeted their family; and another reprint, Adam Nevill's "To Forget and Be Forgotten," a triumph of liminality and isolation, about a nightwatchman discovering sinister and unexpected truths about the place he's working in, be it about the residents or the strange vibes of the corridors and the noises in the vacant rooms.

The monsters in this anthology are seldom human, though humans are not far behind. There is a lot of variety in purpose and scope, from troubles with one's family to abuse and addiction, every little detail handled with great care. The inventiveness found in each tale will leave a lasting impression."Roots of My Fears" was a joy to read and would highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Maya.
231 reviews6 followers
August 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with the ARC.
Pub Date 9 Sep 2025
The theme of this short story collection is the ancestral horror that roots us to the traumas and curses of our ancestors. Unfortunately, I found most of the stories to be lacking originality. The story that was further away from the theme was my favorite one - To Forget and Be Forgotten. I also very much enjoyed Chalk bones and The saint in the mountain, but the majority of these stories didn’t impress me. Based on the ratings I gave each story, this is 3.5 stars as a whole. I would recommend it if you love reading short stories.
My individual ratings and comments for each story are as follows:
Lamb had a little Mary – Elena Sichrovsky 3.5/5 Very poetic, reminded me of Lamb by Lucy Rose.
The house that Gabriel built – Nuzo Onoh 3/5 There was a lot of repetitiveness to this storytelling.
The faces at pine dunes - Ramsey Campbel DNF This had me confused from the very beginning. How old was Michel? He read as a 10 y old boy at the start, but then he makes himself a coffee and is looking for his mom’s contraceptives, like what?? Then he goes to a night club, so he’s 18 maybe, but why his parents spoke to him like he was in the 5th grade? Yeah, big hard DNF for that one
In silence, in dying, in dark – 3.5/5 Very good storytelling
One of those girls – 3/5 I expected some grand ending, but the end was very, very disappointing
Juracan – Gabino Iglesias 3.5/5 There were some good creepy scenes.
The saint in the mountain – Nadia El – Fassi 4/5 One of the good stories
Crepuscular – Hailey Piper 3/5 It was okay.
Laal Andhi – Usman T. Malik DNF
The woods – Erika T. Wurth – 2.5/5 I didn’t like the way the story was unfolding, too choppy
Unsewn – Ai Jiang 3.5/5 Good body horror, but not as detailed as I would’ve wanted.
To Forget and Be Forgotten – Adam Nevill 5/5 The best story in here, reminded me of Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
The veteran – V. Castro 3.5/5 This book was like in the middle of nowhere, but still it was interesting enough
Chalk bones - Sarah Deacon 4.5/5 I love reading from the perspective of a child, this story was very good as well.
Profile Image for Marta.
244 reviews24 followers
September 2, 2025
As a horror enthusiast, when I saw the impressive names attached to this anthology, I thought it would be a great way to discover authors I hadn’t yet read and to revisit others whose work I already enjoy. The truth is, though, that overall, it left me with a disappointing impression, and if I were to judge these writers solely on what I found here, I probably wouldn’t be eager to pick up much more of their work.

That said, there are stories I found worth highlighting, and I’d like to begin with them. One of Those Girls by Premee Mohamed (an author I was already familiar with and definitely want to keep reading) drew me in through her distinctive voice. The story itself may not have been wildly original or ended with a spectacular twist, but I appreciated the themes it tackled, the way they were explored, and the life she gave to her characters. Laal Andhi by Usman T. Malik, in terms of atmosphere, narrative voice, and story, was for me the true highlight of the collection. I hadn’t read him before, but the blending of folklore with the tale he chose to tell kept me hooked and impressed me. To Forget and Be Forgotten by Adam Nevill also gave me chills. Even if I struggled a bit to see how it tied in with the anthology’s overall theme, I still enjoyed the escalating tension and the balance of weirdness and dread that built throughout. Finally, the closing story felt very deliberately placed at the end for good reason. Chalk Bones by Sarah Deacon perfectly balances a return to origins, a sense of ancestry, and the kind of horror that springs directly from it.

All in all, being able to single out four strong pieces in an anthology of fourteen is not insignificant (the others weren’t disasters, just somewhat underwhelming). What left a slightly bitter aftertaste was that too many of the stories felt half-formed: written with a childlike voice that wasn’t always intentional, blurred around the edges. In some cases, they read almost like outlines, sketches, if I may, of what could have been enthralling stories, compressed into short pieces just to meet the requirement of inclusion.
Profile Image for chloe.
93 reviews
August 29, 2025
Roots of My Fears was the perfect book to get me ready for autumn. By the end all I wanted were crunchy leaves underfoot, a cold breeze, and a hot drink. Oh, and perhaps a haunting whisper on the wind.

My favorite stories were:

The Faces at Pine Dunes by Ramsey Campbell, a wonderfully witchy tale of cosmic horror that left me reeling. This is one I think I’ll have to read a few times to catch every nuance.

One of Those Girls by Premee Mohamed, a good for her (sort of?) story about a young woman desperate to get out from under the thumb of her parents and get an abortion without them knowing. She begins to see a pregnant ghost and wonders if she’s losing her mind.

The Saint in the Mountain by Nadia El-Fassi, a coming of age story about a girl getting her first period and being taken to do a terrible ritual by her mother. This one was crazy. I can’t say much more without spoiling it.

Crepuscular by Hailey Piper, a story about a married couple seeking help for their daughter’s uncontrollable psychic abilities. I loved this story and I wanted more by the time it was over.

The Woods by Erika T. Wurth, a beautiful yet creepy exploration of grief about a couple who checks into what they think is just a nice hotel but turns out to be so much more.

To Forget and be Forgotten by Adam Nevill, a story about a night watchman at a fancy apartment building who discovers his new job is so much more than he bargained for. Adam Nevill is the modern master of horror to me and I loved this story.

Unsewn by Ai Jiang, a story about a woman desperate to give birth to a son but cursed to only have daughters. I loved how this story wove the red string of fate myth throughout.

I enjoyed them all though! Each one fit perfectly like puzzle pieces in this collection and they complemented each other wonderfully.

Thank you so much to Titan for the arc!
Profile Image for Mariah.
183 reviews
September 2, 2025
The root of fear is hidden in the bones of the fairy tales we thought we buried, yet our subconscious keeps reminding us through our quirky phobias. This is exactly the vibe that the collection Roots of My Fears delivers. Myriad creepy tales to keep you up at night and have you turn each page craving more. This collection yearns for an audience that loves everything dark fantasy and horror – straight from our cultural lores. This is an expansive and inclusive collection that I wish had even more stories included. There are many ways we can use the horror lens to view our society – but our cultural lore is rooted in something ancient and an extension of oral traditions that are passed down through these modern rewritten narratives.
A collection that opens with a grisly Mary Had a Little Lamb. This one almost reads like a Blumhouse production in the making. Then you have V. Castro who is a personal favorite of mine presenting “The Veteran”. There is a way we look at things mundanely and then twist a critique through the lens of horror to truly show what it means to embody these everyday cultural norms. And truly a diverse list of writers that contributed to this fantastic collection. This is one to keep on your shelves and read on Samhain! Thank you Titan Books and Net Galley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read more on https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com/
Profile Image for little blue haired old lady X.
16 reviews
September 4, 2025
Roots Of My Fear: Terrifying Stories of Ancestral Horror Anthology Edited by Gemma Amor
Published by Titan Books

The idea of linking horror and ancestry makes sense. Our ancestors have struggled, overcome odds, harmed someone, maybe even harmed us- whether they meant to or not. We will always remain rooted to them in some way.

All of these stories are well-written, well-thought out and enjoyable. Each story contains a journey, and adds different emotions into the mix of fear and horror. I appreciate the different cultural aspects the writers blend in with their stories.

Four of these stories really touched me and I want to mention them: Ai Jian’s Unsewn is devastatingly psychologically brutal and beautiful, it will haunt me. Nadia El-Fassi’s The Spirit In the Mountain is beautifully detailed, heart-wrenching, and imaginative. V Castro’s The Veteran has an easy, ambling pace and gave me hope on many levels (I was delighted to see it in another anthology that has recently come out that honors my favorite author). Lastly, Sarah Deacon’s Chalk Bones really tapped into the theme of this anthology and the roots we share with our ancestors. It was beautifully written and macabre, I hope that Sarah will publish more in the near future.

My thanks to Titan Books for allowing me to read this ARC.
Profile Image for AitziST.
177 reviews6 followers
August 28, 2025
(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

I always find it difficult to review anthologies because I do not like to pinpoint exactly which stories I liked and which ones not. I suppose I feel this could attract some kind of ‘prejudice’ to readers that look for reviews before reading the anthology themselves.
Roots of my fears is an anthology about heritage and horror, a perfect mix for someone like me. Gemma Amor, editor, has done a fantastic job recruiting some of the best and more interesting voices for this topic, and it never feels as if the stories are repetitive or shallow. Even if all anthologies are irregular (I am of the opinion that it is impossible for them not to be this way), the general feeling was a very positive one.
I very much enjoyed ‘In silence, in dying, in dark) by Caleb Weindhardt; ‘Juracán’, by Gabino Iglesias; ‘The Saint in the Mountain’, by Nadia El-Fassi; and ‘Chalk Bones’, by Sarah Deacon, but, as I already said, I found each and every one of the stories to have something interesting or unique, either on the theme or the writing style.
Profile Image for Mandy.
70 reviews4 followers
September 1, 2025
I'm fond of a good anthology, and this one has a few writers in with whom I'm already familiar, and plenty of writers that are up and coming, and worth keeping an eye on. Of course, it came to my attention because I'm an unashamed Ramsey Campbell fan, and Goodreads put him front and centre on the page recommending this text. I was only slightly disappointed to find his contribution was a reprint, but hey-ho, you can't have everything, and The Faces at Pine Dunes is definitely suitable for a re-read, as little details slot into place quite nicely on a second or third run-through.

But enough Ramsey; the other stories are a mixed bag, as you'd expect, simply because some of them resonated with me more than others. Definitely one to have a look at, especially as Titan books seem to be knocking it out of the park recently with their horror anthologies, and it's nice to see. Long may it continue!
Profile Image for Chantelle.
78 reviews11 followers
September 1, 2025
2.5 Stars

I firstly want to say a big thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Roots Of My Fears promises to explore stories of heritage and horror, showcasing ‘the tales we grew up on, hometown rumours and legends.’ And it certainly did do that. I will say this was quite the easy read, I’m big on horror and I read it fairly quickly, but other than that I’m not really sure what was missing for me but I do know that I found these stories lacking in something but I cannot pinpoint on what. Some stories did grip me, I enjoyed The saint in the mountain, To Forget and Be Forgotten and Laal Andhi but the others were fairly forgettable sadly.

I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt and I know many people will enjoy this, but this is my first anthology and I feel like I’ll skip these from now on as they’re not my vibe.
Profile Image for Giniro.
133 reviews1 follower
August 26, 2025
14 stories of heritage. The cover art is perfect for displaying the stories, themes, and setting the mood for this anthology series! It's a family tree of horror.

Life was sometimes better when monsters were monsters. Going and gaining experience in the real world really shows you how horrible humans can be. Working retail is a different genre of horror, but I have my own set of stories that came into the shop that made my heart break. And they were always a 'family' issue.

Some of the worst monsters are the ones in your own family tree and getting others to realize that is almost impossible.

Profile Image for Steph.
458 reviews59 followers
August 19, 2025
Thanks to Titan Books for a copy for review.

Some of my favorite authors right tales of ancestral horror and generational trauma.

My favorites:

One of Those Girls by Premee Mohamed
A young college girl gets pregnant by her professor and is followed by a ghostly pregnant vision. As she seeks out help, she is left without time and time again. She confronts the professor. A tale of revenge and feminine rage.

To Forget and To Be Forgotten by Adam Neville
A man wants to disappear from society so he takes a night security guard gig at an old hotel. Seems like the perfect job for him, until he begins to meet the elderly full time guests and realizes something nefarious is at play.
2,568 reviews16 followers
August 28, 2025
Some incredible stories in here by great authors like Ai Jiang, Erika Wurth, Nuzo Onoh, Hailey Piper, and V. Castro among others. Probably my favorite story in this set was To Forget and Be Forgotten, though every one was a banger. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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