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As the Night Devours Us
A mother faces a difficult choice in times of chaos. A serial killer gets more than he bargained for. Two Vikings must team up in order to escape a terror swimming in the ocean. A sexual assault survivor has an opportunity to exact vengeance on her attacker. Four friends experience a trip of their lifetime in the volcanic Iceland. Spend some uncomfortable time with a creepy cult. Journey through an eerie doll museum. Take a walk in the woods and you’ll realize it’s never a good idea to fuck with Mother Nature. The Night Devours Us is the stunning debut short story collection from the Icelandic author of the Nocturnal series, Villimey Mist. These dark stories will burrow under your skin and make you question whether or not it's safe to go out at night.
341 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2022
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Villimey Mist
19 books152 followersVillimey has always been fascinated by vampires and horror, ever since she watched Bram Stoker's Dracula when she was a little, curious girl.
She loves to read and create stories that pop into her head unannounced.
She lives in Iceland with her husband and two cats, Skuggi and RoboCop, and is often busy drawing or watching the latest shows on Netflix.
She loves to read and create stories that pop into her head unannounced.
She lives in Iceland with her husband and two cats, Skuggi and RoboCop, and is often busy drawing or watching the latest shows on Netflix.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 29, 2023
As a fan of Villimey's Nocturnal series, I was keen to read some of her short fiction too. So, what's the verdict? Is Villimey Mist as good of a short story writer as she is a horror novelist?
The short answer is yes. Villimey delivers on a range of subgenres and styles, showing a remarkable ease and fluidity with how she switches from one subgenre to another. There is no overarching theme here besides Villimey's easy yet often effortlessly chilling style.
From the tragic to the quirky, the shocking to the revenge story, this is a collection everyone who is already familiar with her work ought to read.
Naturally, as with any short story collection, there are always firm favourites and some that I forgot quite quickly. There is not a single bad story here, but there are some that really stood out for me.
My favourites included the volume opening A Mother's Job, Hope, The Doll Museum, and Receiving is Better Than Giving. I can't decide on a favourite between A Mother's Hope for the effective use of tragedy in such a simple tale, or the Christmas-themed horror (always a favourite of mine) Receiving is Better Than Giving.
Go read it! You won't be disappointed.
The short answer is yes. Villimey delivers on a range of subgenres and styles, showing a remarkable ease and fluidity with how she switches from one subgenre to another. There is no overarching theme here besides Villimey's easy yet often effortlessly chilling style.
From the tragic to the quirky, the shocking to the revenge story, this is a collection everyone who is already familiar with her work ought to read.
Naturally, as with any short story collection, there are always firm favourites and some that I forgot quite quickly. There is not a single bad story here, but there are some that really stood out for me.
My favourites included the volume opening A Mother's Job, Hope, The Doll Museum, and Receiving is Better Than Giving. I can't decide on a favourite between A Mother's Hope for the effective use of tragedy in such a simple tale, or the Christmas-themed horror (always a favourite of mine) Receiving is Better Than Giving.
Go read it! You won't be disappointed.
June 21, 2022
Villimey Mist's debut collection draws on a number of sources to deliver an absolute knockout, from visceral and extreme horror to chilling folk horror.
Urban legends, Icelandic folklore, righteous feminist rage...all are represented in the pages of "As The Night Devours Us" from the chilling first story, "A Mother's Job," which features a mother attempting to keep her daughter safe during a zombie apocalypse. The tale is a gut-punch of horror and emotion, with an absolutely gut wrenching conclusion and one of the most sympathetic characters Mist creates.
"The Thrill Of the Hunt" follows, with Mist placing us in the head of a man picking a woman up one night. It quickly becomes apparent this is no mere good Samaritan, but a hunter who has found his latest quarry. Or so he thinks. Instead, this is a girl who has a connection to the hunter, and a score to settle, with the hunter about to learn exactly what real predators are. The story is the first of Mist's revenge stories and does not disappoint.
"Taumur" is the first story that draws upon the folklore of Mist's homeland. Taumur is a beast of the ocean, a dark counterpart to friendly whales that reacts very poorly to intruders in its territory. The story features a pair of vikings on the cold waters, attempting to escape to shore after watching Taumur, the true king of the waves, devour a man in the waters and realize they are being stalked by the beast. The story is a masterpiece of suspense, tension and terror in the sea....and who the true dangers are when distrust sets in.
"Receiving Is Better Than Giving" is perhaps the best story in the book; taking place in Iceland around Christmas with a group of teens who are receiving their gifts. Our narrator remembers the old saying from his grandmother: get new clothes for Christmas or the Yule Cat might come for you, as it preys on those who don't receive new clothes for the holidays. As this is folk horror, they should have listened. Mist takes a whimsical legend and makes it positively petrifying. The Yule Cat is an absolutely frightening predator and this story would stand supreme as one to recommend to any who wants an example of Mist's best.
"The Banquet" is one of the final stories and one of the best as well. A woman receives an invitation to a mysterious banquet full of other women like her. This reverses the typical horror trend of a woman going to be a victim. Maria has already been a victim, like the other women at the banquet. The true victims are their tormentors and victimizers. This is about payback, with a blend of extreme horror as the women exact their own vengeance. A brutal and cathartic story.
This leaves me wanting more of Mist's work, with an absolutely splendid debut.
Urban legends, Icelandic folklore, righteous feminist rage...all are represented in the pages of "As The Night Devours Us" from the chilling first story, "A Mother's Job," which features a mother attempting to keep her daughter safe during a zombie apocalypse. The tale is a gut-punch of horror and emotion, with an absolutely gut wrenching conclusion and one of the most sympathetic characters Mist creates.
"The Thrill Of the Hunt" follows, with Mist placing us in the head of a man picking a woman up one night. It quickly becomes apparent this is no mere good Samaritan, but a hunter who has found his latest quarry. Or so he thinks. Instead, this is a girl who has a connection to the hunter, and a score to settle, with the hunter about to learn exactly what real predators are. The story is the first of Mist's revenge stories and does not disappoint.
"Taumur" is the first story that draws upon the folklore of Mist's homeland. Taumur is a beast of the ocean, a dark counterpart to friendly whales that reacts very poorly to intruders in its territory. The story features a pair of vikings on the cold waters, attempting to escape to shore after watching Taumur, the true king of the waves, devour a man in the waters and realize they are being stalked by the beast. The story is a masterpiece of suspense, tension and terror in the sea....and who the true dangers are when distrust sets in.
"Receiving Is Better Than Giving" is perhaps the best story in the book; taking place in Iceland around Christmas with a group of teens who are receiving their gifts. Our narrator remembers the old saying from his grandmother: get new clothes for Christmas or the Yule Cat might come for you, as it preys on those who don't receive new clothes for the holidays. As this is folk horror, they should have listened. Mist takes a whimsical legend and makes it positively petrifying. The Yule Cat is an absolutely frightening predator and this story would stand supreme as one to recommend to any who wants an example of Mist's best.
"The Banquet" is one of the final stories and one of the best as well. A woman receives an invitation to a mysterious banquet full of other women like her. This reverses the typical horror trend of a woman going to be a victim. Maria has already been a victim, like the other women at the banquet. The true victims are their tormentors and victimizers. This is about payback, with a blend of extreme horror as the women exact their own vengeance. A brutal and cathartic story.
This leaves me wanting more of Mist's work, with an absolutely splendid debut.
July 1, 2022
From the AMAZING cover to the beautiful foreword, to the last punctuation mark, this book pulls you in and and never let's you go.
It's beautiful Icelandic horror and it's cold and magnificent and will tear a hole in your soul and keep you asking for more.
The awesome people of St Rooster Press managed to unleash another wonderful literary beast in the form of Villimey Mist's 'As the Night Devours Us'.
'As the Night Devours Us', is the stunning debut short story collection from the Icelandic author of the Nocturnal series.
There are 15 chilling stories in this terrific and terrifying anthology, all of them, and I really mean all of them, beautiful in their own way. One thing is for sure, you cannot predict how a story will progress as the author manages to throw a plot twist when you least expect it.
From creepy dolls to ancient sea gods, from faeries to unconditional motherly love, from avenging goddesses to brotherly pranks, dates in the forest and dinners gone wrong, this anthology will stir quite a few emotions and will definitely cause a lot of jaw dropping moments.
The prose and writing style is flawless and the characters in each story perfectly penned marionettes to the author's will.
Dark and eerily beautiful stories that could easily become short films as the atmospherics the author manages to portray through the pages of this book are truly remarkable.
A new favorite horror author that I will definitely keep my eyes on for the future. Meanwhile I intent to grab her Nocturnal series the soonest.
It's beautiful Icelandic horror and it's cold and magnificent and will tear a hole in your soul and keep you asking for more.
The awesome people of St Rooster Press managed to unleash another wonderful literary beast in the form of Villimey Mist's 'As the Night Devours Us'.
'As the Night Devours Us', is the stunning debut short story collection from the Icelandic author of the Nocturnal series.
There are 15 chilling stories in this terrific and terrifying anthology, all of them, and I really mean all of them, beautiful in their own way. One thing is for sure, you cannot predict how a story will progress as the author manages to throw a plot twist when you least expect it.
From creepy dolls to ancient sea gods, from faeries to unconditional motherly love, from avenging goddesses to brotherly pranks, dates in the forest and dinners gone wrong, this anthology will stir quite a few emotions and will definitely cause a lot of jaw dropping moments.
The prose and writing style is flawless and the characters in each story perfectly penned marionettes to the author's will.
Dark and eerily beautiful stories that could easily become short films as the atmospherics the author manages to portray through the pages of this book are truly remarkable.
A new favorite horror author that I will definitely keep my eyes on for the future. Meanwhile I intent to grab her Nocturnal series the soonest.
March 1, 2023
Really enjoyed this collection of short stories from Villimey Mist. My first time reading this Icelandic author’s work, but will definitely read more. I really loved the breadth and variety of stories here, from zombies, demons, real life horror, Lovecraftian stories and stories looking at mythology and cryptozoology. There was something for everyone here but I enjoyed every story. Overall a fantastic reading experience.
August 12, 2022
This is as solid a collection of short stories as you can read. Absolutely no fillers here and I was thoroughly impressed by the consistent voice which the author displayed throughout. Villimey Mist has a real knack for picking out solid horror tropes and freshening them up with a style of her own. The bar is further raised by the author's expert way of introducing Icelandic folklore which makes for fascinating reading. Creatures leap from the pages in nuclear-level cautionary tales full of thrills and gore. Ultimately this is a consistent collection which entertains for it's duration. For perspective, I can't even pick a favourite! Highly recommended.
July 30, 2022
A Fantastic Collection!
My first read from Mist, but certainly not my last. I enjoyed all the stories, but my favorites were "The Banquet," "A Mother's Job," "Nails," and "Shed the Night's Skin." I'm looking forward to reading more by Villimey. Highly recommended!
My first read from Mist, but certainly not my last. I enjoyed all the stories, but my favorites were "The Banquet," "A Mother's Job," "Nails," and "Shed the Night's Skin." I'm looking forward to reading more by Villimey. Highly recommended!
July 18, 2022
I’d already read Villimey’s Nocturnal series parts 1 and 2, and a couple of her shorts in other anthologies (notably “Tupperware Party” in the Slash Her anthology from Kandisha Press, edited by the lovely Janine Pipe and the equally lovely Jill Girardi), so when I saw a call for ARC readers out on Twitter, I jumped at the chance. How was a book of shorts going to hold up, when written by an author whom I thought of primarily as a novelist…?
The collection of 15 shorts is, I’m pleased to report, well balanced, polished, entertaining, and in some cases brilliant. I don’t bandy that word around a lot, so let me repeat and clarify myself - the concept, the idea, the execution of “Nails” is, Villimey, brilliant. I loved it. Absolute highlight of the collection. What a fantastic premise - taking something so simple as The tooth fairy and working your own spin on that theme – well, I was just hanging on every word in that short. It couldn’t get weird enough, and as someone that has a phobia of choking on fingernails (don’t ask), this had me repulsed in the best type of way.
“Shed the night’s skin” was great, the sense of completion in that short really shone, and the reveal a great twist, it went in such an unexpected direction, it played perfectly.
There’s one story here that was based on a somewhat more abstract foundation, an Icelandic tradition at Christmas, but what it lacked in believability (just for me, perhaps) was made up for in cold-hearted gore and clinical observation. The destruction - the violence was wonderfully presented, perfectly executed. There’s no doubt Mist is in her prime here.
Whilst it would be easy to focus here on more of the collection, “Hope” and “Kokkuri-san” are easy contenders for highlights, the fact is that what you are buying here is not a collection of shorts, it’s Villimey’s voice. Each story here sells itself on diversity, topic, outcome, and shock value, and that’s all well and good. Still, actually, when you dig deep enough, when you ruminate and consider what it was that sold the entire collection, you come back to the same ingredient that makes her Nocturnal series so readable (and that from a reader that doesn’t really like vampires) – Villimey’s voice itself. At times soothing, at other times cold, clinical and relentless, it remains thrilling, absorbing, informative and deadly.
I liked this collection. It’s getting 4 ⭐ ‘s from me, and I can’t wait to dig into the third part of Villimey’s Nocturnal quartet this summer.
I received an ARC of the collection. This in no way influenced my honest opinion of the material received. My thanks to the author and publishing house for my digital copy.
The collection of 15 shorts is, I’m pleased to report, well balanced, polished, entertaining, and in some cases brilliant. I don’t bandy that word around a lot, so let me repeat and clarify myself - the concept, the idea, the execution of “Nails” is, Villimey, brilliant. I loved it. Absolute highlight of the collection. What a fantastic premise - taking something so simple as The tooth fairy and working your own spin on that theme – well, I was just hanging on every word in that short. It couldn’t get weird enough, and as someone that has a phobia of choking on fingernails (don’t ask), this had me repulsed in the best type of way.
“Shed the night’s skin” was great, the sense of completion in that short really shone, and the reveal a great twist, it went in such an unexpected direction, it played perfectly.
There’s one story here that was based on a somewhat more abstract foundation, an Icelandic tradition at Christmas, but what it lacked in believability (just for me, perhaps) was made up for in cold-hearted gore and clinical observation. The destruction - the violence was wonderfully presented, perfectly executed. There’s no doubt Mist is in her prime here.
Whilst it would be easy to focus here on more of the collection, “Hope” and “Kokkuri-san” are easy contenders for highlights, the fact is that what you are buying here is not a collection of shorts, it’s Villimey’s voice. Each story here sells itself on diversity, topic, outcome, and shock value, and that’s all well and good. Still, actually, when you dig deep enough, when you ruminate and consider what it was that sold the entire collection, you come back to the same ingredient that makes her Nocturnal series so readable (and that from a reader that doesn’t really like vampires) – Villimey’s voice itself. At times soothing, at other times cold, clinical and relentless, it remains thrilling, absorbing, informative and deadly.
I liked this collection. It’s getting 4 ⭐ ‘s from me, and I can’t wait to dig into the third part of Villimey’s Nocturnal quartet this summer.
I received an ARC of the collection. This in no way influenced my honest opinion of the material received. My thanks to the author and publishing house for my digital copy.
July 5, 2022
Best known for her continuing Nocturnal series of Young Adult vampire novels (Nocturnal Blood, Nocturnal Farm and Nocturnal Salvation, with a fourth installment on the way), Icelandic horror author Villimey Mist delves dauntlessly into that same blackened nightscape of her remote native isle with St. Rooster Books' release of As The Night Devours Us, a feverishly fearsome fifteen-story compendium of some of the finest terror fare in recent literary memory.
'A Mother's Job,' the volume's introductory tale, sets the tome's tone when a woman seeking to protect her daughter during a zombie apocalypse performs the grimmest of maternal duties. The Icelandic reverence for nature comes into conflict with a group of disrespectful American travelers at 'The Moss Covered Volcano', just as a father's deranged actions initiated in the name of his daughter infuses 'Hope' with harrowing, heart-wrenching power. A young woman disturbed by dolls finds her fears justified in unexpected ways when searching for a missing friend in 'The Doll Museum', while the frenetic action of 'Split' serves as a pulse-pounding escape into the treacherous world of espionage.
The volume's second half unfolds with 'Skötumóðir', an unusually effective written experiment within the 'found footage' film subgenre that's only one of Mist's many chronicles to explore Iceland's rich folklore. Similarly, the country's fabled Christmastime menace, the Yule Cat, viciously proves to a group of self-centered youths that 'Receiving Is Better Than Giving'. Unforeseen consequences align against a young musician who enlists the aid of a friend to bury the body of a vagrant he accidentally killed in 'Shed The Night's Skin', while the Japan-set 'Kokkuri-san' utilizes Shinto beliefs to realize the retribution sought by a bullied teenager. And a woman battling a demon must prepare the grisliest of haute cuisine to save her children in the tense 'What The Chef Recommends'.
There's an eclectic assembly of horror's myriad subtypes available within these pages; werewolves, devils, sea beasts, the undead, mental illness and a gallery of monsters both human and not spread their maleficence in a multitude of ways. Yet As The Night Devours Us is no simplistic compilation of creature features. Mist's ability extends far beyond that, far beyond even routine splatterpunk blood and guts; her dexterous and kinetic prose is so effective at conveying the intricate spectrum of human experience that each carefully-chosen word lures the reader further into the benighted forest. Her clear vision, deft wit and gift for fully rendering a character's interior state, their motivations, desires and insecurities, cut to the heart of every story and act as a stable center for the presented situations. An impressive and sure-handed use of Iceland's unique mythology, too, elevates As The Night Devours Us above the mire of mediocre horror pretenders. Themes of vengeance abound, as do observations on the bonds of family and the importance of friendship, the perilous disregard for the environment, the abuse of trust and the shattering terror of revelation. And while most collections, like many musical albums, contain at least some filler material, there's nary a dud in Mist's authorial arsenal; every tale strikes its intended target, though five stories deserve acknowledgement for their unabashed supremacy.
For pure shivers, both 'The Rescue' and 'Nails' deliver on the diabolical promise of their premise; in the former, a police detective infiltrating a cult to facilitate a young girl's escape uncovers the shocking truth about the nature of the commune's dreadful deity, while the latter's depiction of a young man's unraveling mind features some of the most hygienically disquieting scenes of mental disintegration ever scribed. A different kind of depraved thought process, that of a serial killer who discovers his latest victim isn't what she seems, is detailed with chillingly realistic effect in 'The Thrill Of The Hunt', while the Viking castaways who survive their sinking longboat struggle to outlast each other as well as the legendary undersea monstrosity, 'Taurmur'.
Many of the selections in As The Night Devours Us would make excellent cinematic adaptations, yet more than any other, it's the volume's culminating entry, 'The Banquet', that earns top accolades as a story strong enough to build a Hollywood franchise upon. Originally released as a stand-alone charity novella, the narrative focuses on Maria, a traumatized sexual assault survivor who is invited by a mysterious organization that gives women the chance to exact revenge upon their attackers. The unrelenting scenario benefits from some of the most excruciating torture scenes yet penned in modern indie horror, but the explicitness here never exploits; indeed, Maria's interior state is so devastated by her rape that the final confrontation becomes nothing less than undiluted spiritual catharsis. With its deep emotional resonance, savage gore and hints at a worldwide clandestine conspiracy, 'The Banquet' rivals such films as Last House On the Left, I Spit On Your Grave, Hostel and Martyrs in its breadth of intensity.
Beautiful in its own way but not for the faint of heart, As The Night Devours Us is an all-too-rare example of what can truly be accomplished with short fiction in general and genre fiction in particular. With her flair for creating realistic characters, her unflinching resolve to push boundaries and willingness to explore, Villimey Mist's triumphant work succeeds in shaking the very pillars of contemporary horror, and it's for that reason that I feel compelled to bestow As The Night Devours Us a full 5 star rating. A dark and dangerous talent arises. Prepare to be devoured.
'A Mother's Job,' the volume's introductory tale, sets the tome's tone when a woman seeking to protect her daughter during a zombie apocalypse performs the grimmest of maternal duties. The Icelandic reverence for nature comes into conflict with a group of disrespectful American travelers at 'The Moss Covered Volcano', just as a father's deranged actions initiated in the name of his daughter infuses 'Hope' with harrowing, heart-wrenching power. A young woman disturbed by dolls finds her fears justified in unexpected ways when searching for a missing friend in 'The Doll Museum', while the frenetic action of 'Split' serves as a pulse-pounding escape into the treacherous world of espionage.
The volume's second half unfolds with 'Skötumóðir', an unusually effective written experiment within the 'found footage' film subgenre that's only one of Mist's many chronicles to explore Iceland's rich folklore. Similarly, the country's fabled Christmastime menace, the Yule Cat, viciously proves to a group of self-centered youths that 'Receiving Is Better Than Giving'. Unforeseen consequences align against a young musician who enlists the aid of a friend to bury the body of a vagrant he accidentally killed in 'Shed The Night's Skin', while the Japan-set 'Kokkuri-san' utilizes Shinto beliefs to realize the retribution sought by a bullied teenager. And a woman battling a demon must prepare the grisliest of haute cuisine to save her children in the tense 'What The Chef Recommends'.
There's an eclectic assembly of horror's myriad subtypes available within these pages; werewolves, devils, sea beasts, the undead, mental illness and a gallery of monsters both human and not spread their maleficence in a multitude of ways. Yet As The Night Devours Us is no simplistic compilation of creature features. Mist's ability extends far beyond that, far beyond even routine splatterpunk blood and guts; her dexterous and kinetic prose is so effective at conveying the intricate spectrum of human experience that each carefully-chosen word lures the reader further into the benighted forest. Her clear vision, deft wit and gift for fully rendering a character's interior state, their motivations, desires and insecurities, cut to the heart of every story and act as a stable center for the presented situations. An impressive and sure-handed use of Iceland's unique mythology, too, elevates As The Night Devours Us above the mire of mediocre horror pretenders. Themes of vengeance abound, as do observations on the bonds of family and the importance of friendship, the perilous disregard for the environment, the abuse of trust and the shattering terror of revelation. And while most collections, like many musical albums, contain at least some filler material, there's nary a dud in Mist's authorial arsenal; every tale strikes its intended target, though five stories deserve acknowledgement for their unabashed supremacy.
For pure shivers, both 'The Rescue' and 'Nails' deliver on the diabolical promise of their premise; in the former, a police detective infiltrating a cult to facilitate a young girl's escape uncovers the shocking truth about the nature of the commune's dreadful deity, while the latter's depiction of a young man's unraveling mind features some of the most hygienically disquieting scenes of mental disintegration ever scribed. A different kind of depraved thought process, that of a serial killer who discovers his latest victim isn't what she seems, is detailed with chillingly realistic effect in 'The Thrill Of The Hunt', while the Viking castaways who survive their sinking longboat struggle to outlast each other as well as the legendary undersea monstrosity, 'Taurmur'.
Many of the selections in As The Night Devours Us would make excellent cinematic adaptations, yet more than any other, it's the volume's culminating entry, 'The Banquet', that earns top accolades as a story strong enough to build a Hollywood franchise upon. Originally released as a stand-alone charity novella, the narrative focuses on Maria, a traumatized sexual assault survivor who is invited by a mysterious organization that gives women the chance to exact revenge upon their attackers. The unrelenting scenario benefits from some of the most excruciating torture scenes yet penned in modern indie horror, but the explicitness here never exploits; indeed, Maria's interior state is so devastated by her rape that the final confrontation becomes nothing less than undiluted spiritual catharsis. With its deep emotional resonance, savage gore and hints at a worldwide clandestine conspiracy, 'The Banquet' rivals such films as Last House On the Left, I Spit On Your Grave, Hostel and Martyrs in its breadth of intensity.
Beautiful in its own way but not for the faint of heart, As The Night Devours Us is an all-too-rare example of what can truly be accomplished with short fiction in general and genre fiction in particular. With her flair for creating realistic characters, her unflinching resolve to push boundaries and willingness to explore, Villimey Mist's triumphant work succeeds in shaking the very pillars of contemporary horror, and it's for that reason that I feel compelled to bestow As The Night Devours Us a full 5 star rating. A dark and dangerous talent arises. Prepare to be devoured.
September 24, 2022
Incredibly engrossing and super fun from start to finish. Villimey writes with confidence, clearly someone who is a master of their craft. It was wonderful to read Icelandic folklore mixed in here and there too!
July 28, 2022
Arc provided by the author.
I really enjoyed this collection. Having read The Nocturnal series, I was very excited to read different pieces by the author.
Each story packs a different punch in terms of horror, and exploration of fears. As someone who reads horror every now and again, this collection provides plenty of stories to keep an avid reader of the genre entertained. If you’re new to reading horror this collection is also perfect for dipping your toes in and experiencing many great but terrifying thrills.
Villimey has a great writing style and doesn’t over complicate the stories, leaving you satisfied as each story ends. My favourite out of the collection was The Doll Museum, just because dolls really freak me out and the concept is extremely freaky (no spoilers here). This would make a great short film and would love to see this story adapted.
I want more stories by the author! Different themes throughout left me feeling surprised by the next, keeping me on my toes.
My other favourites in this collection are: Nails, The Rescue and The Banquet.
Thank you for giving me a chance to read this collection, and I look forward to reading more by this author in the near future.
I really enjoyed this collection. Having read The Nocturnal series, I was very excited to read different pieces by the author.
Each story packs a different punch in terms of horror, and exploration of fears. As someone who reads horror every now and again, this collection provides plenty of stories to keep an avid reader of the genre entertained. If you’re new to reading horror this collection is also perfect for dipping your toes in and experiencing many great but terrifying thrills.
Villimey has a great writing style and doesn’t over complicate the stories, leaving you satisfied as each story ends. My favourite out of the collection was The Doll Museum, just because dolls really freak me out and the concept is extremely freaky (no spoilers here). This would make a great short film and would love to see this story adapted.
I want more stories by the author! Different themes throughout left me feeling surprised by the next, keeping me on my toes.
My other favourites in this collection are: Nails, The Rescue and The Banquet.
Thank you for giving me a chance to read this collection, and I look forward to reading more by this author in the near future.
Read
July 7, 2022This collection of short tales draws together the moody and folkloric with slashers and creature features, but what ties it all together is the unique perspective Mist's background casts upon the tales. Never pulling any punches, stories veer away from where you think they are headed at the last moment. Monsters are imaginative and unique. A huge amount to enjoy here. Check it out!
January 5, 2023
While typically these disclaimers are appended to the end of a review, I wish to start off by disclosing that I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Why am I leading with this? Because it is important to frame my perception of this beautiful collection of horrifying short stories.
In September 2022, I fulfilled one of my dreams by visiting the indescribably beautiful country of Iceland, which just so happens to be the homeland of As the Night Devours Us author, Villimey Mist. No, I did not have the pleasure of meeting her on this trip, but it was shortly after my return home that she honored me with a review copy of this collection of short stories. I have read Mist's work before, so I was a bit surprised to discover how heavily many of these short stories lean into Icelandic folklore.
This is not to say this body of works has nothing more to offer readers. There are more universal themes explored—a mother's love for her child in "A Mother's Job" and a delightfully creepy twist on a children's tales in "Nails" come to mind—but for this reader, it was the short stories that leaned heavily into the author's heritage that really hit home.
If I received this copy in September 2022, you might be asking why I am *just* now writing a review for it. Simply put, I fell in love with Iceland when I visited, and reading these short stories bit by bit felt like keeping a piece of the country with me, as weird and sappy as that sounds. I also found myself not wanting these haunting stories to ever stop, and so I resorted to parsing them out longer than I admittedly should have if just to savor the experience of reading each one for the first time just a little bit longer.
Whether you are a nerd for all things Icelandic like me or just love good horror (also like me), As the Night Devours Us will surely have plenty to offer to provide you your fill and then some. Don't sleep on this one—and maybe don't plan on going to sleep directly afterward, either.
Why am I leading with this? Because it is important to frame my perception of this beautiful collection of horrifying short stories.
In September 2022, I fulfilled one of my dreams by visiting the indescribably beautiful country of Iceland, which just so happens to be the homeland of As the Night Devours Us author, Villimey Mist. No, I did not have the pleasure of meeting her on this trip, but it was shortly after my return home that she honored me with a review copy of this collection of short stories. I have read Mist's work before, so I was a bit surprised to discover how heavily many of these short stories lean into Icelandic folklore.
This is not to say this body of works has nothing more to offer readers. There are more universal themes explored—a mother's love for her child in "A Mother's Job" and a delightfully creepy twist on a children's tales in "Nails" come to mind—but for this reader, it was the short stories that leaned heavily into the author's heritage that really hit home.
If I received this copy in September 2022, you might be asking why I am *just* now writing a review for it. Simply put, I fell in love with Iceland when I visited, and reading these short stories bit by bit felt like keeping a piece of the country with me, as weird and sappy as that sounds. I also found myself not wanting these haunting stories to ever stop, and so I resorted to parsing them out longer than I admittedly should have if just to savor the experience of reading each one for the first time just a little bit longer.
Whether you are a nerd for all things Icelandic like me or just love good horror (also like me), As the Night Devours Us will surely have plenty to offer to provide you your fill and then some. Don't sleep on this one—and maybe don't plan on going to sleep directly afterward, either.
September 12, 2024
In this collection of short stories, Villimey Mist teaches Icelandic folklore and legends while marking off every subgenre of horror. For someone who knew absolutely nothing about Iceland, I went into rabbit hole after rabbit hole after almost every story, wanting to know more about the country and its many myths. *Note to self: are rabbits native to Iceland?*
For example, DO NOT TOUCH THE MOSS. The moss in Iceland is extremely fragile and a major part of the ecosystem. Apparently, it grows on the thousands of miles of lava fields they have that take up around forty percent of the country’s land. WHAT?! I won’t even get into how many active volcanoes there are in Iceland. Hopefully one day I get to see the land myself instead of staring at photos of the beautiful scenery and reading about the folklore.
As you might be able to tell from my exploratory side quests, I’m not usually someone who will pick up extreme horror, but if you’re a reader of gory and graphic horror, I’d recommend you check this out. It was packed full of terrifying and interesting stories that were easy to follow and quick to read. Perfect for spooky season!
For example, DO NOT TOUCH THE MOSS. The moss in Iceland is extremely fragile and a major part of the ecosystem. Apparently, it grows on the thousands of miles of lava fields they have that take up around forty percent of the country’s land. WHAT?! I won’t even get into how many active volcanoes there are in Iceland. Hopefully one day I get to see the land myself instead of staring at photos of the beautiful scenery and reading about the folklore.
As you might be able to tell from my exploratory side quests, I’m not usually someone who will pick up extreme horror, but if you’re a reader of gory and graphic horror, I’d recommend you check this out. It was packed full of terrifying and interesting stories that were easy to follow and quick to read. Perfect for spooky season!
January 31, 2023
Thank You to the author for a copy for an honest review! ☺️
As the Night Devours Us introduced me to the terror of Icelandic horror. I wasn’t familiar with the folklore and monsters (Giant man eating cat anyone?) but now that I am, I’ll be reading more. I love folk horror and getting to step outside of my realm of comfort. This book provided that step for me.
First Impressions:
I loved the title and the cover. As someone who is still afraid the dark is going to get her, this was a great title.
If you’re a reader who loves folklore and tales spun by generations of story tellers, you’ll love this book of scary stories.
My favorite stories were The Doll Museum (I do not have an irrational fear of dolls..it is totally rational) Receiving is Better Than Giving (folklore with a giant killer cat set during the holidays) and The Banquet (cathartic revenge horror that left me feeling empowered).
Icelandic folk horror, lovely story telling and prose and engaging characters.
As the Night Devours Us introduced me to the terror of Icelandic horror. I wasn’t familiar with the folklore and monsters (Giant man eating cat anyone?) but now that I am, I’ll be reading more. I love folk horror and getting to step outside of my realm of comfort. This book provided that step for me.
First Impressions:
I loved the title and the cover. As someone who is still afraid the dark is going to get her, this was a great title.
If you’re a reader who loves folklore and tales spun by generations of story tellers, you’ll love this book of scary stories.
My favorite stories were The Doll Museum (I do not have an irrational fear of dolls..it is totally rational) Receiving is Better Than Giving (folklore with a giant killer cat set during the holidays) and The Banquet (cathartic revenge horror that left me feeling empowered).
Icelandic folk horror, lovely story telling and prose and engaging characters.
October 11, 2022
Mist presents some very interesting ideas and concepts. While the writing style wasn't really 'for me', I still enjoyed the ride overall.
September 12, 2022
This is a must read. Seriously. That little Island of Iceland has a huge talent to be proud of.
Nails was one of my favourite stories in this collection but Hope was an exceptional tale and likely one of the best I've ever read.
A stunning collection that deserves a ton of readers.
Nails was one of my favourite stories in this collection but Hope was an exceptional tale and likely one of the best I've ever read.
A stunning collection that deserves a ton of readers.
January 15, 2023
First time read of this author, I don't remember buying it but I knew why I had when I started reading it. I love horror and I especially love horror that is based in other countries. They're like little travelogues but without the boring shit and added scary bollocks to keep my horror-candle lit. Some brilliant imagery in this and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for some more by this author
September 20, 2022
This anthology contains a variety of stories, all of them deliciously unsettling. In this volume you'll find creatures of Icelandic myth, unfaltering motherly love, dumba** tourists learning a gruesome lesson, a nasty twist on the tooth fairy and so, so much more. I can't recommend it enough for a little light bedtime reading. Just don't turn out the light afterward.
September 27, 2023
AVOID: Woeful sparse writing that leans too hard on assumptions to fill the gaps in the story. Dull, uninteresting ideas with paper thin characters offer no joy of reading but instead a long endurance. Like lacking envelopes for junk mail. I had just finished reading House of Leaves, so maybe this pulp nonsense is getting a harder review - but the fact it has a picture of a book printed on the cover in a compressed jpeg is perfectly reflective of the attention shown in the prose. I wrote a warning in the cover and donated into a community bin.
January 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this collection. The author's perspective, and knowledge and infusion of both their local and wider folklore and mythology was a really refreshing change. Great stories!
July 4, 2024
Full review on Happy Goat Horror:
https://happygoathorror.com/2024/03/1...
What a bloody great collection! My first read by this author and won't be my last - an excellent storyteller that infuses wonderful folklore with horror and suspense. These short stories are all varied, unique, and interesting, and I absolutely loved reading them.
https://happygoathorror.com/2024/03/1...
What a bloody great collection! My first read by this author and won't be my last - an excellent storyteller that infuses wonderful folklore with horror and suspense. These short stories are all varied, unique, and interesting, and I absolutely loved reading them.
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