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Creature Encounters #4
It Lives in the Woods
A group of friends goes on a hike in search of an ancient spring deep inside the forest. Mythical stories come from the woods - tales of gnomes, fairies, and other not so benevolent creatures. Everything changes for the group when they run into a hiker that mysteriously vanished in the area weeks ago. She is malnourished, dehydrated, and hurt, but she keeps raving about the danger in the woods, repeating one incoherent word over and over in a foreign language. By the time they turn back the way they came, it's too late.
There's something ancient in these woods.
Something far more dangerous than fairies and gnomes.
And it's after them.
There's something ancient in these woods.
Something far more dangerous than fairies and gnomes.
And it's after them.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
315 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
Boris Bacic
54 books466 followers"Boris is my favorite author on Nosleep, he's always killing it with his stories!"
"The security guard series is the best one ever!!"
"I love the subtle connection between each story."
"Like R.L. Stine, but better."
"I want to see this book as a Netflix mini-series!"
"No one can scare me like Boris."
Both traditionally and self-published, Boris is a prolific writer whose horror novels often find themselves on the #1 bestselling ranks. With the books he has published, he is quickly becoming a big name in the horror community.
His stories have been narrated by famous YouTube and podcast narrators, including MrCreepypasta, CreepsMcPasta, DrCreepen, etc. His book, Tales of a Security Guard, is currently in the works to become a short film.
"The security guard series is the best one ever!!"
"I love the subtle connection between each story."
"Like R.L. Stine, but better."
"I want to see this book as a Netflix mini-series!"
"No one can scare me like Boris."
Both traditionally and self-published, Boris is a prolific writer whose horror novels often find themselves on the #1 bestselling ranks. With the books he has published, he is quickly becoming a big name in the horror community.
His stories have been narrated by famous YouTube and podcast narrators, including MrCreepypasta, CreepsMcPasta, DrCreepen, etc. His book, Tales of a Security Guard, is currently in the works to become a short film.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
October 24, 2022
This was my first Boris Bacic book and definitely will not be my last, I'm already looking forward to the next one. This was extreme folk horror at its finest and though I so badly want to shout about what the "it" in the woods is, I won't spoil it for anyone. It's not an overly used subject and I appreciated that! I have nothing bad to say about this book, I absolutely loved it!! And that ending 😳 5/5 folklore skulls 💀
April 11, 2025
I couldn't put this one down. so freaky! I can't believe the ending 😭
March 2, 2023
Oh my...does it ever!!! This could make you take a second and a third look at a group of trees, before you dare to ever enter them. Just the title did it for me! It wasn't a ghost story but it sure could raise goosebumps before I even opened the book. It's a very original monster story with a really excellent "creature". I thought I knew what the monster was but believe it or not...I was SOOO wrong. This is the first time I've read anything from this author...but I already have a second book on my list by him. If you are not a fan of blood and gore, be aware that there is lots of it as well as terror involved, but it is SO worth it if you are a fan. Thank you, Mr. Bacic for a really good, really, really scary book.
October 25, 2022
If I'm being honest I didn't have high expectations for this book. I truly just hoped whatever the thing was that it 1. was a thing, not just a psycho human and 2. this thing actually lived in the woods. Low and behold the book hits both points accurately and this turned into a very good read. While the premise is something that's been done a million times in both fiction and film, I still found myself immersed in the story with questions building: who, what where, when and why? Something I do appreciate is we get answers and a very concrete ending. Given the topic don't expect a HEA but instead a steady thrill ride where no one is safe. This was also my first read about this type of monster and I loved it, as again it was something new.
September 20, 2024
Can't go wrong with creature features..
October 3, 2022
Ok, I can honestly say this was the least freaky in the series...still a deep-rooted fear of mine to be lost in a forest, but I will safely go to sleep tonight.
May 22, 2024
He’s very quickly becoming another favorite author!
He’s good at crafting a solid creature feature.
There’s more than just fantasy monsters though, and honestly, I prefer those. Humans suck
He’s good at crafting a solid creature feature.
There’s more than just fantasy monsters though, and honestly, I prefer those. Humans suck
October 5, 2022
‘It Lives in The Woods’ is by Boris Bacic, my newly - discovered teller of strange, febrile, terrifying stories. This book is from his ‘Creature’ series, and stayed quite engrossing till the last 20% or so. It then turned into one of those horror or encounter films. A never- ending story see- sawing to the end. But yes, it is different from your usual horror stories in some ways.
3 Stars
3 Stars
February 13, 2023
A good story about a well-known creature, but with some variations that made it interesting. Being lost and hunted in the woods is a common trope, and this one delivered a fast-paced read and an interesting story.
October 24, 2022
3.5🌟
Predator-esque, gory, cinematic horror. Easy, fast paced read.
Predator-esque, gory, cinematic horror. Easy, fast paced read.
December 17, 2024
You can find this review and all my others over at Read Book. Repeat
When a group of friends go for a daytrip hike through the wilderness to find an ancient spring, they didn't plan on stumbling upon the stuff of nightmares. Everything changes when they run into a woman who has been missing for weeks. She's malnourished, dirty and terrified. She keeps raving about the danger in the woods, repeating one word over and over again in a foreign language. By the time they turn back to leave, it's too late. There's an ancient evil that lives in these words, and it knows they're here.
Now this is a creature feature done well. I love a good creature feature, so I was so keen when I came across this one. The synopsis leaves it very open as to what exactly we'll be encountering throughout the pages, and I love that. So, I'm not gonna say too much about that as I feel like it works better if you go into it not knowing. All I'll say is that it's not something I've encountered before. And I am here for it. I loved that this story could bring something different, and it did it SO well.
Bacic did an amazing job at setting a strong atmosphere of dread that just grew with each page. Not knowing exactly what they were facing added to this. You do find out, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying. You get to see this creature through the views of the friends, and also through a group of soldiers who are part of a special forces task who deal with this kind of stuff on the daily. I thought this was a great way to do the story as it gives you two points of view.
The characters were well written, and I both liked and hated some of them in equal measure. I enjoyed the characters of the soldiers, they were all great, I also enjoyed the characters of the main male lead and his girlfriend. The girlfriend's brother was a character that I liked but got annoyed at for a lot of it, and the brother's friend, man, what a piece of work he was.
All in all, this was a great creature feature that gives something different that I haven't encountered in horror books before. There were solid creepy parts and great atmosphere with a diverse cast of characters that really rounded out the story. If you're after a creature feature that's different to the rest, give this one a go. I'm looking forward to reading more of Bacic's work.
When a group of friends go for a daytrip hike through the wilderness to find an ancient spring, they didn't plan on stumbling upon the stuff of nightmares. Everything changes when they run into a woman who has been missing for weeks. She's malnourished, dirty and terrified. She keeps raving about the danger in the woods, repeating one word over and over again in a foreign language. By the time they turn back to leave, it's too late. There's an ancient evil that lives in these words, and it knows they're here.
Now this is a creature feature done well. I love a good creature feature, so I was so keen when I came across this one. The synopsis leaves it very open as to what exactly we'll be encountering throughout the pages, and I love that. So, I'm not gonna say too much about that as I feel like it works better if you go into it not knowing. All I'll say is that it's not something I've encountered before. And I am here for it. I loved that this story could bring something different, and it did it SO well.
Bacic did an amazing job at setting a strong atmosphere of dread that just grew with each page. Not knowing exactly what they were facing added to this. You do find out, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying. You get to see this creature through the views of the friends, and also through a group of soldiers who are part of a special forces task who deal with this kind of stuff on the daily. I thought this was a great way to do the story as it gives you two points of view.
The characters were well written, and I both liked and hated some of them in equal measure. I enjoyed the characters of the soldiers, they were all great, I also enjoyed the characters of the main male lead and his girlfriend. The girlfriend's brother was a character that I liked but got annoyed at for a lot of it, and the brother's friend, man, what a piece of work he was.
All in all, this was a great creature feature that gives something different that I haven't encountered in horror books before. There were solid creepy parts and great atmosphere with a diverse cast of characters that really rounded out the story. If you're after a creature feature that's different to the rest, give this one a go. I'm looking forward to reading more of Bacic's work.
July 5, 2024
A proper horror that delivered! Really creepy. At one point I gasped at an unexpected turn! Highly recommended for fellow fans of horror.
September 20, 2022
Malevolence in a fairytale forest
Dylan visits his girlfriend,Lexi in Eastern Europe but before his departure, she and her brother along with some friends decide to go on a hike to a beautiful forest.The forest is mesmerizing and hikers are drawn to it. There are rumours of hikers who have mysteriously vanished and it is believed that an evil witch has taken them. However, the group dismiss it as Slavic folklore and go ahead with their trek until they find a new trail. Where does it lead? Who is screaming in the forest? Is there really a witch? What they find is petrifying and unbelievable. A gut wrenching page turner which sent shivers down my spine. Some forests are best left unexplored.
Dylan visits his girlfriend,Lexi in Eastern Europe but before his departure, she and her brother along with some friends decide to go on a hike to a beautiful forest.The forest is mesmerizing and hikers are drawn to it. There are rumours of hikers who have mysteriously vanished and it is believed that an evil witch has taken them. However, the group dismiss it as Slavic folklore and go ahead with their trek until they find a new trail. Where does it lead? Who is screaming in the forest? Is there really a witch? What they find is petrifying and unbelievable. A gut wrenching page turner which sent shivers down my spine. Some forests are best left unexplored.
January 10, 2023
Too many unanswered questions.
This was an exciting story and character development was ok. Unfortunately there were holes in the story. Apparently the military knew about the monster…why were they there to tag it and not kill it. The back and forth with the romance was a bit boring…no point. We’re there so many hikers in that forest life was sustainable. Story development was not a strong point.
This was an exciting story and character development was ok. Unfortunately there were holes in the story. Apparently the military knew about the monster…why were they there to tag it and not kill it. The back and forth with the romance was a bit boring…no point. We’re there so many hikers in that forest life was sustainable. Story development was not a strong point.
January 11, 2025
Read for book club- this was the scariest book I’ve ever read and it was just bad. Only finished for book club. For me it was just way too gory, and pretty messed up at times. Very unsettling to read when you’re alone 😅 great book if you like super scary but personally I will not be able to take a hike in the woods for awhile. It’s just bad don’t read :)
March 5, 2023
I really like Bacic’s books and this was very good
January 3, 2023
What an interesting and thrilling story!
One of my complaints in the last Boris Bacic Book I read was that I wished there were more deaths (sounds horrible but it goes with the story okay)… we’ll my wishes were certainly granted in this story. (No spoilers don’t worry)
I found it lives in the woods to be incredibly entertaining, I was left on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved that we got lots of perspectives; even some of the questionable characters; it was fascinating to be in their heads. This is definitely an auto-read author for me as his stories are truely so horrific but in the best way possible.
The premise of this story seemed very basic; a group of teenagers/young adults go into the woods where something horrible lurks… it doesn’t sound very creative. But Bacic was able to create such a unique and well thought out story with such a basic plot; I loved it!
I’m sometimes nervous with how stories like this one will end but I must say; this is one of my favourite endings to a horror thriller book I’ve read. Everything made sense and there were no crazy tropes that seemed unreasonable.
It does have a bit of gore but if you can handle that; I would highly recommend!
One of my complaints in the last Boris Bacic Book I read was that I wished there were more deaths (sounds horrible but it goes with the story okay)… we’ll my wishes were certainly granted in this story. (No spoilers don’t worry)
I found it lives in the woods to be incredibly entertaining, I was left on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved that we got lots of perspectives; even some of the questionable characters; it was fascinating to be in their heads. This is definitely an auto-read author for me as his stories are truely so horrific but in the best way possible.
The premise of this story seemed very basic; a group of teenagers/young adults go into the woods where something horrible lurks… it doesn’t sound very creative. But Bacic was able to create such a unique and well thought out story with such a basic plot; I loved it!
I’m sometimes nervous with how stories like this one will end but I must say; this is one of my favourite endings to a horror thriller book I’ve read. Everything made sense and there were no crazy tropes that seemed unreasonable.
It does have a bit of gore but if you can handle that; I would highly recommend!
September 29, 2022
I started following Bacic's work with It Came with the Crash and have since read about a dozen of his novels and shorts. Some have really impressed me [They Came from the Mall], while others have felt a bit less polished [Sinister Melody].
It Lives in the Woods falls somewhere in the middle of his bibliography.
Like his best work, it spends time developing its characters, which makes the horrors they face all the more suspenseful. Like his lesser work, however, those horrors are a bit wanting, and some of the drama involved - especially with a certain secondary antagonist - feels too tacked on to land. Dividing the narrative between the protagonists and Jackson, a returning character from other novels, was a smart move for pacing, but it's never taken as far as it could've been taken. And unfortunately the ending leaves a lot to be desired [something I won't get into for spoiler reasons].
Overall, the book is a solid 3.5, but I bumped it up to a 4 because I always want to support talented authors. Bacic is indeed a beast when he wants to be.
It Lives in the Woods falls somewhere in the middle of his bibliography.
Like his best work, it spends time developing its characters, which makes the horrors they face all the more suspenseful. Like his lesser work, however, those horrors are a bit wanting, and some of the drama involved - especially with a certain secondary antagonist - feels too tacked on to land. Dividing the narrative between the protagonists and Jackson, a returning character from other novels, was a smart move for pacing, but it's never taken as far as it could've been taken. And unfortunately the ending leaves a lot to be desired [something I won't get into for spoiler reasons].
Overall, the book is a solid 3.5, but I bumped it up to a 4 because I always want to support talented authors. Bacic is indeed a beast when he wants to be.
September 4, 2024
At first I thought this was gonna be a regular kind of generic horror book but what separates this book is the brutality of this book, some of the scenes are horrific in description , also The ending was super dark which kind of went unexpected, not a 5 star read but definitely very close to one.
February 4, 2024
Review to come.
June 12, 2024
If you want a monster in the woods stalking hikers kinda story, this is the book for you.
Very satisfied.
Very satisfied.
October 21, 2022
IT LIVES IN THE WOODS (CREATURE ENCOUNTERS) - 5/5
By Boris Bacic
This was just amazing - but then again, when do I ever say anything different about a Bacic book?!
This follows a theme from the other CREATURE ENCOUNTER books where you have a classic mix of folklore and then, just a bit of horror. You can most definitely read this book separately from the other books in this series, however there is an ongoing, almost mini series within these books. Whenever something goes wrong - they send in The Company. And we follow the staff as they try to save the world.
I just love these books. They genuinely are amazing. READ THEM ALL!
By Boris Bacic
This was just amazing - but then again, when do I ever say anything different about a Bacic book?!
This follows a theme from the other CREATURE ENCOUNTER books where you have a classic mix of folklore and then, just a bit of horror. You can most definitely read this book separately from the other books in this series, however there is an ongoing, almost mini series within these books. Whenever something goes wrong - they send in The Company. And we follow the staff as they try to save the world.
I just love these books. They genuinely are amazing. READ THEM ALL!
September 28, 2022
It Lives In The Woods - a most excellent tale of disaster
I won't say I've read ALL of author Boris Bacic's books, but I will read any book he writes. I've yet to be disappointed. I've written this before after finishing one of his books, so here goes - I think this is the best book so far!
"It Lives In The Woods" is a classic tale that mixes folklore and unsuspecting hikers in a mysterious European forest. From this beginning described in the Prologue the story goes very dark and deadly. Bacic tells the story in a manner that will keep your interest in the adventure and the characters. Don't skip reading this book!
I won't say I've read ALL of author Boris Bacic's books, but I will read any book he writes. I've yet to be disappointed. I've written this before after finishing one of his books, so here goes - I think this is the best book so far!
"It Lives In The Woods" is a classic tale that mixes folklore and unsuspecting hikers in a mysterious European forest. From this beginning described in the Prologue the story goes very dark and deadly. Bacic tells the story in a manner that will keep your interest in the adventure and the characters. Don't skip reading this book!
February 28, 2023
Every single time I get my hands on a book from this very author, I get extremely excited. This book was very tense and kept me reading as all his books do to me. So many characters I enjoyed, instead of one who got on my nerves. Two characters I absolutely loved, and of course, got brokenhearted. Those two I wanted more about, especially the outcome of their escapes. This book lingered on my mind throughout the day. Incredible scary story. As always, I highly recommend you, readers, to please take a moment and read his work. You are truly missing out!
October 19, 2024
I love a good creature feature so when I stumbled across this book on KU, I thought I'd give it a try. I was immediately sucked in. It's creepy, it'd got survivalism, it's got a creature plucking hikers off one by one, it's a little gory, everything I want in a horror book. I really didn't know what the creature was and when it was revealed, my jaw was dropped. I originally rated it a 3 star but looking back, it should definitely be a 4, it was a solid book, just didn't give me a physical reaction like a 5 star book.
May 7, 2023
Another good one.
The best part: I liked the prologue very much and it held a lot of promise for the story. I did like the setting and the legend of the creature in the woods. The action was good.
The not so good:
I didn't really care for some of the people in the story and the long distance love story that took up a huge portion of the book.
Not much was explained about why the team was sent in to "tag" the creature.
The best part: I liked the prologue very much and it held a lot of promise for the story. I did like the setting and the legend of the creature in the woods. The action was good.
The not so good:
I didn't really care for some of the people in the story and the long distance love story that took up a huge portion of the book.
Not much was explained about why the team was sent in to "tag" the creature.
January 16, 2024
Aaagh, the Baba Yaga! This was a pretty good creature feature with strong characterizations and good amounts of gore.
September 20, 2022
A Walk in the Woods
A group of friends go on a walk in the woods. These particular woods have stories of people vanishing without a trace. As they hike deeper into the woods they hear screams and see shadows. That move quickly. One turns back and runs into a nightmare. Will anyone survive? Can the Company stop this monster? Great characters, chilling read unexpected monster..
A group of friends go on a walk in the woods. These particular woods have stories of people vanishing without a trace. As they hike deeper into the woods they hear screams and see shadows. That move quickly. One turns back and runs into a nightmare. Will anyone survive? Can the Company stop this monster? Great characters, chilling read unexpected monster..
January 28, 2023
Slow
Very slow. Not a very exciting read at all. There really isn't much else to say about it. Except read it if you want.
Very slow. Not a very exciting read at all. There really isn't much else to say about it. Except read it if you want.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews