My first introduction to Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel came long before Disney added their magic touch. The darkest stories of my childhood emerged from a well-worn collection by the Brothers Grimm. These titular figures, which are now romanticized, were notfairy-tale princesses but rather unsettling. And their narratives were often gruesome.

I still cherish that formative introduction to folklore, but certain morbid threads of those original tales frayed over time. This anthology recaptures that chilling essence perfectly. It's a curated descent into darkness, featuring classics from the Grimm archives alongside compelling new additions.

The tales are masterfully brief yet intensely vivid, designed to seize your imagination and keep you turning the page. This is an absolute must-read for anyone who grew up on the unvarnished Grimm, devours creepy short fiction, or simply enjoys a dose of dark, captivating entertainment. A hauntingly fun collection, its bite-sized horrors are guaranteed to linger long after you've closed the book.

This was a good quick read for me! If you’re a fan of Fairy Tales and all things spooky and dark I think this would be a fun read for you! Might even be something fun to share with your kiddos also!

Creepy fairy tales aren’t just for kids. 👻✨

It’s a collection of dark, eerie tales from around the world—from Grimm classics like Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood to chilling legends like La Llorona and Baba Yaga. The stories keep their brutal edges (yes, there are decapitations, melted kids, and ghosts seeking revenge 🪓😳), and the illustrations are extra spooky.

10-year-old me would’ve devoured this under the covers with a flashlight. Current me? A little too tame, but still a perfect spooky season pick for younger readers—just with parental guidance.

📖 This was just released on September 2, 2025, so it’s the perfect time to grab a copy and share some spooky reads with your kids this season.

Thank you to Cider Mill Press and @netgalley for providing me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having grown up reading the Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson fairytales, I was excited to see a compliation including some of their more popular stories intertwined with ones I haven’t read. And there were a good mix. I found quite a few I hadn't heard and definitely want to learn more about. Also, there are a few pictures throughout thenbook to do with particular fairy tales, and they were absolutely gorgeous. I would get a physical copy of this book just for those images.

However, I realized after the first story that this isn’t really a compliation. Instead, it's basically a summary of each tale. Just based on the ones I know and read many times before, I feel these stories were very rushed, and read almost as a blurb of the story than the story itself. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing, but I do think it should be clearer that these are not the original tales and that they have been summarized and shortened quite a bit. I would argue that they are so condensed that you really lose that storytelling feeling too. Like a parent trying to get their kid to bed and retelling the tale as fast as possible.


Excerpt:
Soon, the house's inhabitants--seven dwarfs--came home, and they say that their dwelling had been disturbed. And they saw little Snow White in a bed, and though they rejoiced, they didn't wake her.

A version of the original:
After dark the masters of the house returned home. They were the seven dwarfs who picked and dug for ore in the mountains. They lit their seven candles, and as soon as it was light in their house they saw that someone had been there, for not everything was in the same order as they had left it.

The first one said, "Who has been sitting in my chair?"

The second one, "Who has been eating from my plate?"

The third one, "Who has been eating my bread?"

The fourth one, "Who has been eating my vegetables?"

The fifth one, "Who has been sticking with my fork?"

The sixth one, "Who has been cutting with my knife?"

The seventh one, "Who has been drinking from my mug?"

Then the first one saw a that there was a little imprint in his bed, and said, "Who stepped on my bed?"

The others came running up and shouted, "Someone has been lying in mine as well."

But the seventh one, looking at his bed, found Snow-White lying there asleep. The seven dwarfs all came running up, and they cried out with amazement. They fetched their seven candles and shone the light on Snow-White. "Oh good heaven! Oh good heaven!" they cried. "This child is so beautiful!"

They were so happy, that they did not wake her up, but let her continue to sleep there in the bed. The seventh dwarf had to sleep with his companions, one hour with each one, and then the night was done.



Obviously, there are translation differences and every compliation puts a little twist on things, but i think this same does a great job of showing just how much was cut from each story.

Even the already short tales, like Herr Korbes were shortened more and made into more of a summary, though they do have a little more of a storytelling feeling than the longer ones.

I read the Scary Book of Christmas Lore by the same author and loved that, so I had high hopes for this book. I'm pleased to say that I really loved all the tales in here. It was really interesting to see the original endings of some of today's most famous fairytales. Some I had heard before but I liked that there were some lesser known ones in there too that I hadn't heard of. I love the design of the book and the illustrations really added a nice extra touch. I'd definitely recommend as a book that you can just pick up when you have 5 minutes between appointments or tasks and get a couple of stories read.

✅ For Fans of:
- Fairytales
- Folklore
- Children’s Stories
- Horror
- Fantasy

✏️ Spoiler-Free ARC Review
This one starts off strong, with an introduction providing context for the rest of the book. From there, each story is the classic one you’ve heard, but with an ending more gruesome than the one you probably grew up with.

If you’re looking for an abbreviated collection of fairy tales with their original (from multiple cultures) and darker endings, this is the book for you!

Not only does it share the fairy tales from multiple cultures and authors, but shares them in a way that you get to see the overlaps in stories and themes from one to the next.

Additionally, the images are well-drawn and well-placed for each story, and the stories go beyond the usual stories we’ve heard (Snow White, Cinderella, etc.) and dive into other cultural stories such as Japan, Mongolia, Innuit, Romanian, Brazilian, and more. I found those to be totally new to me and super interesting!

While I wouldn’t recommend this to someone wanting to sit down and binge-read a book, each story is short enough that it’s a perfect seasonal and spooky coffee table book! The perfect addition to the shelf of someone who loves folklore from a variety of cultures.


🖤 Thank you to author Tim Rayborn, publisher Cider Mill Press, and NetGalley for the digital copy. As always, my reviews are honest, my own, and voluntary!

Tim Rayborn offers us a midsummer Halloween treat with 50 spine-chilling stories from around the world. Some you may have heard before, many are new to most of us. With 160 pages and 50 stories, each is short enough to share around the campfire. My youth groups are going to love scaring their family and friends!!!

Nothing groundbreaking or new here, but still a great collection of fairytales and a reminder that "Happily Ever After" is more of a modern concept! Some of these fairytales are DARK and tragic.

I think it's important to know that this book does not provide any additional information and insight into the familiar stories of classic fairy tales. Yes, it does focus on the darker endings and themes, but if you've ever picked up a Brother's Grimm compilation, you will know how these story play out.

I am giving this book 3* which I don't usually do because I often find even when a book may not be my "type" or "genre", I can find a level of appreciation. I picked this book up with the hoe of new imaginings of classic tales, but only got even more abbreviated retellings of stories like Snow White and Rapunzel. No wonder the author was able to fit in 50 stories into about 160 pages.

With the way this book was described, I though perhaps we were in for a horrific treat. Bu there is really no depth to the writing. Sure, some of the stories end in fairly gruesome ways, but since they are so short there is no real build towards horror. I will give it credit for having some snippets of stories I was not as familiar with, I just wish we could have gotten MORE.

Overall, it's not a bad collection of short stories, it simply doesn't bring anything new to the table.

🧚‍♀️The Scary Book of Fairy Tales by Tim Rayborn, Neil Evans and narrated by Dennis Kleinman 🧚‍♂️ this is the third book in the excellent Scary Books seres and it was a wonderful audiobook/book and it bought back so many lovely memories of my grandad reading these - the nicer version of these to me and my 2 sisters when we were kids. However, this book has a twist and a good one and a scary one!!!! It has the Real Endings to 50 of Your Favourite Stories and they were brilliant.
I remember discussing the endings when I was little on what happened to all the Little Red Cap, Bluebeard, etc and they did not end well! 😂

The scary Book of Fairy tales is a spine-chilling anthology weaves together real fairy tales from cultures across the globe, and was so interesting! I loved this way they started and ended! 🥺
They were eerie and unsettling narratives that have been whispered through generations. TheY are chilling and have the depths of the Brothers Grimm's Germany to the haunting folklore of Japan, these stories were never meant for the faint of heart. I loved reading books of the Brother's Grimm Germany!

Now, you discver the true terror of "Little Red Cap," where the woodsman may arrive too late to save the day, or "Bluebeard," a tale of matrimonial horror and secrets lurking in locked chambers. Encounter the chilling "Baba Yaga," a witch from Slavic folklore who feasts on those who dare to trespass, and the sinister "Teke-Teke" from Japan, a vengeful spirit seeking her missing legs. 🥺

Great bedtime read for children!!! 😂

This series is perfect in every way for lovers of history, culture, and the macabre, The Scary Book of Fairy Tales captivates with its blend of horror and enchantment. These authentic tales promise to thrill and haunt, inviting you to explore the shadowy corners of global folklore.

Now, Are you ready to uncover the terrifying truths behind these timeless stories?

The narrator Dennis Kleinman was excellent and kept you listening till the very end.

The Scary Book of Fairy Tales is exactly what the title promises. Some of the stories will feel familiar, though darker and more horrific than the versions we usually encounter. Others were completely new to me—and often the most unsettling. The collection draws from all over the world: starting with Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, then branching into tales from Russia, Germany, Central and South America, Africa, and beyond.

I found it fascinating to discover versions I hadn’t read before, and a couple of them were eerie enough that I thought, maybe this wasn’t the best choice for midnight reading. Most, though, struck a good balance—scary, but not nightmare-inducing (and I say that as someone who’s a bit of a lightweight when it comes to horror).

The artwork deserves special mention. While not my usual style, it was striking, atmospheric, and matched the monstrous themes beautifully. The cover gives you a good idea of what to expect, but honestly, some of the creatures inside are even more impressive.

I’m glad I had the chance to read this collection and would happily recommend it to anyone curious about the darker side of folklore.

Thank you so much to Cider Mill Press for the E-ARC!

Not gonna lie, I was expecting the Fairy Tales to have a more dark twist to them rather than being just their original form, which of course, are mostly all disturbing, terrifying, weird etc. But I was hoping this collection would have some sort of difference made to them but despite them not, I did still enjoy reading some of my fave classic tales and even reading new ones I hadn't read or come across before!

3.5 ⭐️

An interesting arrangement of fairytales, using the original source which contains dark themes of incest, cannibalism, etc. There were a number of fairytales that I had never read before. It was a good read.

This is a collection of fairy tales as they were originally written. I was able to enjoy this both as an ebook and an audiobook. The colored pages, spooky illustrations, font, and layout were all excellent. It really added to my experience.

The narrator is exactly who you’d expect to be reading original European fairy tales: Older and vaguely British sounding, giving the stories gravitas. Excellent narration.
Some tales vary slightly from other ‘original’ versions I’ve read but follow all the same major plot points. Rayborn even included some of the lesser known tales like The Goose Girl and The Two Corpses. The Plague Swarm was fantastic imagery.
While primarily European stories, there are a few better known tales from other continents.

This would be a great gift for an older kid who likes the spookier side of Disney or a spooky adult.

I really enjoyed the illustrations. I thought it was a nice touch for the book. I’m a big fan of Brothers Grimm so it’s cool to see those mixed in with a lot of other folklore and fairytales that I didn’t know the origin too.

4/5 stars

I must say, this is a beautiful book. I did not expect that when opening it! It's extremely well edited and designed, and I enjoyed the design thoroughly. And! The art! The illustrations are striking. This book is a real gift, one you're happy to offer or receive. It's beautiful, beautiful work.

I had not read Tim Rayborn's previous "Scary Book of..." books, so when I requested the ARC, I expected it to be a twist of well-known fairy tales, but it's actually a collection of fairy tales, some very well-known, and some more obscure to me. Nonetheless, it was lovely to discover some non-European tales, and I loved the last part of the book.

I really appreciate the idea the author had with this book, and the illustrations were perfectly fitting. It's a good and short read and, as I said before, a perfect gift for people who like anthologies and everything creepy and dramatic.

What a crazy book. I knew many of the stories in the book, at least the Disney or “clean” versions. I can’t believe some of these stories were intended for children! A line in the introduction states it best, “Stories of murder, cannibalism, incest, torture, kidnapping and more abound in these allegedly children’s tales.”

I have to say, I was spoiled with another of the “Scary Books” and listened to the audiobook version. The narrator for that book was absolutely perfect. It’s the voice I hear in my head for this type of story. This book was an actual read, and I would have loved the narrator.

If you’re a fan of horror, and a fan original fairy tales, or folktales -depending on what side of the folkloric scholar argument you side with- this book is for you! Probably not for kids.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

Like all short stories compilations, there are good ones and bad ones.

I just finished The Scary Book of Fairy Tales, and I loved it. Within the pages, you get these eerie, gruesome takes on stories you think you know, but then bam, someone ends up eaten, dismembered, or worse. And it's not just the usual suspects like "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Rumpelstiltskin" (which, by the way, is so much darker than I remembered). There are stories from all over the world, Slavic witch tales, and more.

That said, it helps if you're already familiar with the original versions of the tales, because these aren't full retellings. They jump right into the good stuff, well, the terrifying stuff and twist it. Some of the endings are genuinely disturbing, and I kind of loved that. It's not for kids, that's for sure.

The e-ARC I read was really nicely done. The layout made it easy to flip through, and the illustrations? Fantastic. Gritty, moody, and perfectly matched to the creepy vibe of the stories. It gave the whole thing this old-world, gothic edge that made it even more immersive.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the advance copy. I had so much fun with this one; if" fun" is the right word for reading about spirits, witches, and murderously old men with locked rooms. If you're into folklore, horror, or love seeing the dark underbelly of stories we grew up with, give this a go. Just maybe don't read it right before bed.

“It was ok… It felt more like a summary of classic fairytales with only a few lines changed here and there. I made it about 20% in before thinking, ‘Once upon a time… these aren’t scary. The end.’”