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A review by storyorc
Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories by Thomas Anguti Johnston, Cara Bryant, Gayle Kabloona, Ann R. Loverock, K.C. Carthew, Repo Kempt, Jay Bulckaert, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Aviaq Johnston, Richard Van Camp, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A treat to get a taste of scary stories from authors with more arctic experience than most. It is interesting to see what role this cold landscape plays in each stories, from hunter to saviour to judge, jury & executioner.
In terms of straight horror, I most enjoyed the first short story, Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard. Of the post-apocalyptic horror stories, Wheetago War II: Summoners was most compelling to me, with its hints at humanity's last bastions, a terrifying varieties of monsters, and the spiritual implications of a world that allows them to roam free. Finally, I'd like to shout out Sila for a simple, short, believable tragedy that will stay with me for a while.
Very grateful for the pronunciation guide in the back as well! This collection left me wanting more arctic horror from Inuit authors. I've enjoyed icy horror from non-indigenous authors (typically from the point of view of a scientist visiting the arctic) but the way these stories and Moon of the Crusted Snow (set in a still-cold-but-not-arctic Northern Canadian Anishinaabe community) incorporate the trappings of day-to-day cold-weather life make the supernatural elements feel so much more real and threatening.
In terms of straight horror, I most enjoyed the first short story, Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard. Of the post-apocalyptic horror stories, Wheetago War II: Summoners was most compelling to me, with its hints at humanity's last bastions, a terrifying varieties of monsters, and the spiritual implications of a world that allows them to roam free. Finally, I'd like to shout out Sila for a simple, short, believable tragedy that will stay with me for a while.
Very grateful for the pronunciation guide in the back as well! This collection left me wanting more arctic horror from Inuit authors. I've enjoyed icy horror from non-indigenous authors (typically from the point of view of a scientist visiting the arctic) but the way these stories and Moon of the Crusted Snow (set in a still-cold-but-not-arctic Northern Canadian Anishinaabe community) incorporate the trappings of day-to-day cold-weather life make the supernatural elements feel so much more real and threatening.