I overall really enjoyed this collection of dark fairytales. I was pleased that it was more than just European folktales. I do wish that there was more balance, but I can understand that fairytales are stereotyped as usually western European. The inclusion of eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America was good, even if the stories skewed more towards the Grimm Brothers and some Perault. I would definitely recommend this collection to folklore lovers, especially for those starting out and wanting a jumping off point.

Ohh loved this one! While I was well aware that not all the “cute” classic fairytales were intended to be cute, and while I had read many of the original and un-cutized versions long time ago already, some of those were truly surprising! Turns out, even some that I thought were not cutized (yeah, I can’t come up with a better word!), were watered down versions presented as the originals to me long time ago.

I wanted to read this book since it's going to spooky season soon and this book was definitely spooky. The author takes well known fairy tales we have all heard of and changes them up a bit to be slightly more morbid. He had a wide range of tales, some I had never even heard of before! I would recommend for a quick Halloween season read!






Thanks to NetGalley, Tim Rayborn and Cider Mill Press for allowing me to review this ARC!

✷alc + arc review✷
<I>the scary book of fairytale<I> was a collection of 50 classic fairytales that most people are familiar with. while it wasn't anything new, i thought this book was interesting!! each fairytale is like a short story. i think the short story anthology is such a good idea since like i said most people are familiar with these stories. it's like a little refresh without being overly repetitive. there were quite a few fairytales i wasn't familiar with, which was fun. i was expecting them to be more scary but as someone who is a scary cat, i appreciate they weren't so bad that i got nightmares lol.

this was both horrific and whimsical. i enjoyed it!!

most stories have artwork by neil evans and i<b> LOVE</b> that. the illustrations were creepy + beautiful.

🎧the audiobook was great!! 5/5! dennis kleinman does an incredible job at bringing these creepy fairy tales to life and helped me push through to finish. im a sucker for accents and his British accent is *chefs kiss* he reminds me of jim dale, which is one of my favorite narrators. if you want to read this, i highly recommend the audiobook.

<b><u>my favorite fairytales were: </u></b>
<I>♡ cinderella
♡ rapunzel
♡ the little mermaid
♡ red riding hood</i>


♡thank you netgalley and hccp & hcf audio and cinder mill press for an alc + arc♡

I enjoyed this collection of spooky fairy tales. None of them where particularly scary and I knew most of them but still enjoyed it non the less. The illustrations were beautifully done. I would have loved longer versions or maybe some less know tales thrown in there as well.

The Scary Book of Fairy Tales is a 160 page compilation of 50 fairy/folk tales from around the globe. Several are the more known Brothers Grimm stories.

I really enjoyed the illustrations in the eARC. I personally had not heard most of these tales before, and they were much darker than I expected. I can definitely see this collection as something fun to read during spooky season!

I also requested the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narration! The narrators voice was perfect for story telling. I loved getting to listen to these tales while walking with a steaming cup of coffee in the foggy morning!

Thank you to NetGalley & Cider Mill Press for the eARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this sounded like a potentially good book of scary stories. It’s common knowledge (at least I think it is) that many children’s fairy tales were originally written as cautionary tales in an effort of basically scaring kids straight (so to speak) from ever doing anything they were told not to do. I can’t imagine ever telling a child any of these stories for fear of giving them nightmares. Quite a few of the stories were the Grimm Fairy Tales, which have always seemed to me to be more of a gothic type of horror for those who have never read any Grimm Fairy Tales. My favorite stories were the ones from 1001 Nights.

Most of these stories are just flat-out horror stories. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being horror filled, most of these stories I would rate 2-4 on the horror scale, but there is a fair amount of the 4-5 level stories to appeal to those who enjoy a more gruesome level of horror. I guess I should have prefaced that last statement by saying I typically don’t read hard-core horror anymore because I don’t like the gory and gruesome kill scenes that the hard-core horror stories always have. So, my rating scale may be rather skewed on the horror scale.

I want to thank NetGalley and Cedar Mill Press for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #CedarMillPress #TheScaryBookofFairyTales

I adored adored ADORED this treasury of collected fairytales. The grim and dark stories that have shaped some of the most influential story archetypes of modern age deserve far more recognition.
I loved how the stories were treated and written, the translations were very accurate and I'd be happy to further recommend this story.

Posted to Goodreads: 8/22/25

I've always loved fairytales, and although I knew that most of them had darker original versions, I had not read them before. This book takes the fairy tales we know and love, and reveals the darker side of their beginnings. In addition to the typical fairy tales most people have heard of, the book also included other tales that are known throughout the world from Mongolia to Brazil, and I really enjoyed reading about those and seeing fairy tales of other cultures. I think this would be a great book for those who enjoy fairy tales and folklore, or those who enjoy the unusual. I was given the chance to read this book through NetGalley, and I hope it finds other who enjoy it as much as I did!

Not so scary and probably two Eurocentric. This should have been my jam but ended up being just fine. A short intro states that most of the stories you know originally had far more gruesome endings or consequences. But no history or context beyond that. It also ends abruptly with no conclusion or resolution. Which means it really is just a book of fairy tales and nothing more. I wanted to know why the endings were different and what that change meant.

I will give the book props on two points. It brings in some tales from all corners of the world (but is heavily weighted to Europe). I have a better Thank you average knowledge of folklore and some of these were new to me.

Really interesting premise, but as I really don’t think it’s intended for kids, I wish it had dug in on the context and history of the stories as opposed to just dropping them in our laps.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC and ALC.

This is what I am talking about! As we approach spooky season you're going to want to set the mood and The Scary Book of Fairy Tales is just the book of that. This is a collection of "fairy tales", but not exactly what you are thinking. They are dark versions of what we grew up reading and listening to, the pretty versions. I was fortunate enough to receive both the ebook and audiobook of this and I was not disappointed. I jumped right into reading/listening and was satisfied in the most eerie way.

This is a brilliant collection of very short tale, from all around the world so there will be many you probably never heard of before, or if you did, you probably heard a different version of it. Not only do you get these wonderfully dark versions of tales as old as time but you get some gloriously dark and fitting illustrations. There is no fluff here, the illustrations match up with each story, and what stories they are! GLORIOUSLY spooky.

The audiobook is the perfect accompaniment to the book as the narrator, Dennis Kleinman, brings the dark tone to each story. His deep tone resonates with each and every word. I will even say, his voice is rather calming for such a macabre collection.

While these aren't too gruesome they may tend to be a little more on the spookier side for really young littles so proceed with caution. The stories are short enough that you will be able to gauge whether or not they are too much just by going through a few of them within minutes. I highly recommend The Scary Book of Fairy Tales as it is sure to send shivers up your spine this autumn season! I received this as an advance digital copy from Netgalley and have voluntarily left my honest feedback.

Honestly, I really struggled with this book. I expected to be blown away by scary retellings of our favourite fairy tales growing up. The book contains 50 tales in a 160-page book, that works out to roughly 3.2 pages per story which does not allow for a fully fleshed out storyline if readers are not familiar with a specific tale. I believe this book would have benefitted from less tales compiled into one short book. Based on the introduction, the book does not contain new twists to classic tales, rather it is part of the ‘original collections’, stating that early nineteenth-century Germans modified the tales in later editions to be less dark and twisted. I absolutely loved the illustrations by Neil Evans and quickly became my favourite parts of the whole book. Overall, this was nothing original as I first anticipated. If you are specifically looking for the original tales prior to being modified throughout modern history, I would suggest this. Thank you to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for providing me with an ARC copy.

So this is just normal fairy tales, condensed and compiled? I expected analysis or something more but this is a compilation of fairy tales and illustrations.

The Scary Book of Fairy Tales completely delighted me—it’s dark, twisted, and utterly addictive in the best way. I loved how it took familiar tales and spun them into something unexpected and thrilling, keeping me both entertained and on edge. The storytelling was clever, the scares were just the right mix of spooky and fun, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you finish, and I absolutely loved every page.

The Scary Book of Fairy Tales promises gothic retellings of classic fairy tales with a horror twist, paired with dark illustrations. While the concept is fantastic, the execution is uneven—stunning artwork paired with lacklustre writing.

The illustrations are the clear highlight: gothic, moody, and beautifully atmospheric. They capture exactly the dark fairy-tale aesthetic the text struggles to deliver. If judged on visuals alone, this would be a strong recommendation.

The stories, however, fall flat. The prose is blunt and simplistic, reading more like condensed summaries than immersive retellings. Despite being marketed as adult horror, the style feels more suited to younger readers, though even then it lacks the rhythm and magic of traditional fairy tales. The brevity of each tale leaves no room for atmosphere, character development, or tension, resulting in abrupt, sometimes confusing storytelling.

Another weakness is the lack of originality. The retellings stay too close to the originals without adding fresh perspective or depth, and the “scary” elements are presented so matter-of-factly that they lose all impact.

In the end, this collection left me disengaged and disappointed. The artwork is stunning and may appeal to those seeking a visual piece, but as horror retellings it doesn’t deliver.

Thanks to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for providing me with an eARC.

It was a nice collection of fairy tales and folk tales. I think I might have misread the title though. I thought these were going to be retellings of the original stories with haunting endings, but the title actually says "The Haunting Endings" which refers to the original ones which were not toned down. I already knew most of it, especially the ones by Brothers Grimm. Some of the folktales were new to me though and I appreciated that they were taken from a wide variety of places. Most of them weren't as dark as I expected though, probably because after a point they all started ending in cannibalism or the like. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick read with a wide variety of tales from the olden days.

The illustrations were brilliant and really brought out the haunting effect of the stories.

The Scary Book of Fairy Tales is a hauntingly brilliant collection that strips away the sugar coating of childhood stories and reveals their dark, chilling roots. From the eerie Brothers Grimm to terrifying Japanese legends, every tale is gripping, atmospheric, and steeped in cultural depth. Familiar favorites like Little Red Cap and Bluebeard feel more unsettling than ever, while figures like Baba Yaga and Teke-Teke bring fresh nightmares. A perfect mix of history, folklore, and horror—this book will thrill, fascinate, and stay with you long after the last page.

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Very fun and isn't really going to shock you much but it's at least interesting.

Most of the tales are from Brother Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. These are the typical tales we know in America but obviously the cleaned up Disney versions. Anyone can find the original versions which are included here. I did enjoy some of the other tales that are less commonly known in America. The artwork also adds a little- some are unsettling (which is the point). It is nice to have all these tales in one book vs tracking down multiple books.

I loved this collection of stories and folktales. I have not read the Grimm fairytale, so I have no comparison. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys folklore. Also, the audiobook for this is really good. I loved the narrator.

Thank you to the author, Tim Rayborn and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and listen to these ARCs in exchange for my honest opinion.