Hell Shall Make You Fear Again

I recently read Hell Shall Make You Fear Again by Jack Finn. I really enjoyed it! Everyone knows that I love short stories and this book did not disappoint! The stories are a mix of nature, history, mythology, monsters, and the old ways—all of my favorite things.  According to Jack’s bio, he is “a folk horror and fantasy writer living in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. He is a lifelong believer that the Tooth Fairy is proof that you can trade body parts for cold, hard cash.” 

I like Jack’s writing style. The book was an easy read and very well-written. He brought each story to life and pulled me into it. He set the scene without overdoing the description. The characters were exciting and memorable. Despite the lengths of the stories – there were several characters that I felt enough about to root for.

The stories have something for everyone. Things like nature, the old gods, and the fae. I love it when I find books with stories like that. You can feel Jack’s reverence for nature. And I got the impression that he feels a connection with the nature gods as well. He plays with mythology and folk legends while still keeping their essence intact. And tells them in his own distinctive voice. 

But these are not fairytales, this a collection of horror. He uses classic monsters and legends in not-so-classic stories. He adds bits of history to some of his stories and brings this into the modern world as well

There were a couple of stories that didn’t completely suck me in, but there weren’t any that I just didn’t like. For me, that’s rare in a book of short stories. I was disappointed that it was finished when I got to the end.  Some of my personal favorites are:

• They come when you sleep
• Three girls swinging in a tree
• The hunters
• The eater is coming
• The last reaping
• By the light of day

Hell Shall Make You Fear Again left me wanting more. Jack is an excellent storyteller that I want to know more about. He has two other books that I’m looking forward to reading in the future: The Seven Deaths of Prince Vlad  and The Legend of the Deer Woman & Other Tales to Warm the Hearth