Hey folks, going through a REALLY tough time and
I’m on the hunt for books that tap into that eerie, ancient vibe, somewhere at the crossroads of:
- medieval or dark historical settings,
- folk horror (isolated villages, old pagan rites, eerie forests, ancient superstitions)
- occultism, alchemy, forbidden knowledge
- wizards, sages, or practitioners of strange arts
- folklore, strange myths, and unsettling old tales
Basically: dark times, ancient magic, unsettling rituals, rural dread, mysterious powers lurking in the woods or old ruins. Less about epic quests and more about atmosphere, mystery, and esoteric vibes. Oh and I wish it doesn't have the teenage vibe to it, can't really explain but I hope you get it.
Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey sound okay or Withered Hill by David Barnett, but I have't read these so I can't say for sure.
by p0waqqatsi0
20 Comments
The Unmothers by Leslie J. Anderson
Porius by John Cowper Powys!
Between Two Fires!! It’s a horror medieval story about a knight and a little girl during the plague. Can’t recommend enough.
The works of Robert E. Howard (Conan, Solomon Kane, Kull, Bran Mak Morn) could be of interest to you.
The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay has a subplot like that, although the primary story is Byzantine political intrigue. Very Byzantine. If you know the history you can identify the characters based on Justinian and Theodora.
[Slewfoot by Brom](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56179372)
[House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54613751)
Slewfoot by Brom hits just about everything you mentioned.
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Check out all of Andrew Michael Hurley’s books for excellent folk horror!
It’s not medieval but the Green Man series by Juliet McKenna covers much of this
The Craftsman series by Sharon Bolton and her early stand alone have a modern wicker man feel.
_The Man Who Spoke Snakish_ by Andrus Kivirähk is everything you need, and also an Estonian national treasure that deserves worldwide attention.
The Stolen Child, by Keith Donohue
Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles. They are based on the King Arthur myth.
Lapvona
*The Salt Grows Heavy*
The Mists of Avalon
Anything by HP Lovecraft
Seconding *Slewfoot* by Brom.
There’s also *His Black Tongue* by Mitchell Luthi. It’s two novellas – one about a priest investigating a strange nunnery, and one about a group of Viking raiders stranded on a mysterious island. He also has a book called *Pilgrim* that looks like something you’d like, but I haven’t read it yet.
*Silver Nitrate* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is about a woman in 1990s Mexico City who stumbles into an occult plot.
*The Woods All Black* by Lee Mandelo is about a transman in the 1920s, assigned to work as a nurse in an isolated mountain village.
*Revelator* by Darly Gregory, about a family in 1930s Appalachia who worship a strange mountain god.
Where the Furnaces Burn by Joel Lane. It has a weird medieval, cult, horror vibe, but it’s set in the North of England in the 80s and 90s.
The Spirit Ring by Bujold – it’s my least favorite of her books because of the vibes